Plum Salsa

Makes 4 cups

The flavors of salsa which come from mostly cilantro, lime and hot pepper add phenomenal zip to slightly tart plums. Pick plums that are still firm for this recipe. Fruity salsas go great with poultry dishes, refried beans, as a taco topping, or simply serve with corn chips. Enjoy this seasonal treat!


The cilantro, stevia, mint, and jalapeno peppers in this recipe all came directly from the garden, and I grabbed some red onion from storage, harvested last month. The only ingredient that didn't come from our garden was the lime. Citrus doesn't survive our Maine climate.

3 cups pitted, unpeeled plums, diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1/3 cup red onion, minced

1/4 cup fresh mint, minced

1 tbsp stevia*, minced or 2 tbsp organic sugar or honey

Juice of 1 lime

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers

Combine plums, cilantro, onion, mint and stevia in a large bowl and toss. Add the lime juice and toss to blend. Dice one of the jalepeno peppers. For a milder touch, remove the seeds and ribs. A tip for working with hot peppers is to wear rubber gloves. I generally don't, but this time I had a nick in my finger and I wished I had taken that advice (and don’t go to rub your eyes). Add the diced jalapeno and toss. Taste and decide whether another pepper fits your temperature tolerance. If you want a hotter salsa, dice and add an additional pepper and toss to blend. 

*Stevia is a natural sweetner. We use fresh leaves in season and dry it for winter use. Last year we grew a stevia plant in a pot and moved it indoors for the winter. -G.H.