Roasted Poblano Salsa, by Archer Farms

On a recent grocery-gathering voyage, I found myself at Target instead of my usual HEB. Figuring that I would make the most of the situation, I decided to see what sort of salsa selection they carried. Well, the pickings were pretty slim, but I did walk away with a rather enticing poblano-based product. This salsa is from Target’s very own Archer Farms line, a gussied-upthat only serves to distract you from the fact that you’re shopping at a slightly classier version of Walmart. Anyway, let’s take a look at this stuff and see if it lives up to expectations.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, Water, Crushed Tomato Concentrate, Roasted Poblano Peppers, Roasted Jalapeno Peppers, Roasted Tomato Puree, Onions, Salt, Distilled Vinegar, Cilantro, Garlic, Natural Flavor

I see absolutely no surprises here. You’re getting precisely what the label promises, so I’m not going to argue with that. The only thing I wonder is how necessary the crushed tomato concentrate really is. I don’t typically see that in a salsa, and most products seem to get along just fine without it.

Appearance:

This one is deliciously chunky. There are tomatoes, of course, but you also get rather large portions of jalapeno and poblano peppers in this salsa. Overall, this isn’t a salsa for those weenies who try to avoid the chunks.

Smell and Taste:

The roasted smell is evident from the moment the lid comes off the jar. It simply smells different than most salsas, thanks to that added bit of preparation. The peppers come through in the flavor, though they are very much subdued in the heat department.

Ratings:

FIRE	FLAVOR

This one is an easy Mild. Those of you with weaker palates for spicy foods may pick up on a slight kick to this salsa, as the peppers have more of a presence here than they do in fruit-based salsas, but even that isn’t enough to bump the heat rating up any higher (despite the jar’s suggestion of a medium rating). That’s okay, though, when the flavor delivers on the product’s promise. I’ll put it simply: this is damn good store-brand salsa. It doesn’t compete with the independent manufacturers with whom I have fallen in love recently, but it still stands on its own merits. It’s a Nice.

Suggested Uses:

I mentioned in my last salsa review that that particular product would be great for the whole family, and I’ll reiterate that idea here, especially if you’re in the mood for something a bit more traditional than a sweet fruity salsa. Even better, Targets are all over the place. If you need a quick salsa fix, you could do much worse than driving down to your local store and grabbing a jar of this stuff.

Final Word:

I think I’ll be moving Salsa Sunday into an every-other-week deal, at least until I can finish off some of these half-empty jars I have in the refrigerator. But don’t despair! You should know by now that you can always expect regular posts from me.