I bought a jar of Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica on my last trip to the store as I was getting different condiments to try out. I was trying to find one of those hidden gems of a product and sometimes you have to cast a wide net.
My quick review is, “Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica is a very thin and mild salsa without much flavor. Overall the salsa is acceptable but there is nothing special about it and Trader Joe’s has better options.”
Calories
You get 12 ounces of salsa per jar. One serving is two tablespoons and there are about 11 servings per jar.
The nutritional facts for a single serving are:
- Calories: 10
- Fat: 0g (0% DV)
- Cholesterol: 0mg (0% DV)
- Sodium: 250mg (11% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 2g (1% DV)
- Protein: 0g
Ingredient List
The salsa has the following ingredients:
- Tomato puree
- Yellow chili pepper
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Garlic
- Onion
The back of the label indicates that this salsa is “Medium Hot”.
The salsa appears to be gluten free and vegan although that is not indicated on the label.
Taste Test
I have been eating this salsa on Trader Joes Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and its just okay.
The salsa is very thin with a flavor profile that is dominated by tomatoes. I believe that super thin salsas like this are referred to as “Restaurant Style”.
According to the label this is supposed to be a to moderately spicy salsa with a strong bite from yellow chilis. I think you can tell from the picture below that there are not many chilis in this stuff.
I think this salsa is acceptable but there is absolutely nothing interesting about it. It got a little more interesting when I zapped some in the microwave for 45 seconds and served it warm but it didn’t change the overall blandness.
If I needed some salsa and was at Trader Joe’s then I would probably buy this again but I would never make a special trip for it.
I think this salsa is much better than Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde but not as good as their Pineapple Salsa.
Usage Ideas
I think the salsa is better used as an ingredient in other dishes than a dip on its own.
You could add the salsa to a pot of chili as a replacement for a can of tomato sauce.
The salsa would also be good in a pressure cooker along with some cubed up pork butt to make some carnitas. Here is a link to a recipe from AllRecipes.com to get you started making carnitas.
Another idea would be to mix the salsa with some Velveeta and melt everything in the microwave to make an awesome bowl of queso dip!
Storage
The Salsa Autentica is shelf stable for a year but must be refrigerated once opened.
Once the salsa has been opened it will last for about a month in the refrigerator without much loss in product quality.
If you have any of this stuff left after a month of opening then go ahead and pitch it in the trash.
Price
I bought the 12 ounce jar of Salsa Autentica at Trader Joe’s for $1.99.
While $1.99 seems like a great deal on a jar of salsa it is only worth the money if you enjoy the flavor.
