Renaldo's Gourmet Salsa - Redux!
Manufacturer: Renaldo’s, LLC
Website: http://www.renaldosalsa.com
Ingredients: Whole Peeled Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid), Onions, Bell Peppers, Vinegar, Minced Garlic (Garlic, Water, Phosphoric Acid), Jalapeno and Habanero Peppers.
My first review of Renaldo’s was a bit tardy – as most of my reviews are. It can sometimes take me months to find the time and motivation to do a review. For sauces, that typically means using them on every meal for a week, then sitting down for a few hours with the bottle in front of me while I dissect its essence. Salsas are slightly different. I can’t use them for a week straight on different foods. I do snack on it, as I can, but I’ll typically eat an entire jar in a sitting, then be “salsa’d out” for a while. And Renaldo’s comes in a pack of three, so it basically means I need to gorge myself on 3 jars of salsa. That’s right – I have no self control when salsa is on the table.
One of the things that caught me about Renaldo’s was the vinegar flavor (and the sweetness). It was suggested that this was not the intended flavor of the salsa – that it had aged a bit too long, and the vinegar stood out a bit too much. That said, the original review was generally favorable – I did eat all three of those salsa pretty quickly, but I found the sweetness and vinegar to be a tad more strong than I would find ideal. Renaldo was kind enough to resend the same three-pack, and we’ll see if the flavors are better balanced now that the salsa is reasonably fresh.
Wimpy is more salty than I recall – and, true to Renaldo’s speculation, less vinegary. It has the sweetness I remember, but it’s not “artificial” tasting. It’s still sweet, but it seems like the sugariness is naturally coming from the tomatoes now. It definitely tastes fresher! Still, virtually no heat, as I would expect out of a mild salsa – after half a jar I’d thought maybe I felt a little tongue tingle, but I couldn’t be sure. I’m pleasantly surprised at how well balanced it is, despite a sweetness typically uncharacteristic of salsa.
Mildly Perspirin’ took me a little by surprise. I actually think I can taste the citric acid – and it’s kind of nice. After maybe 5 or 6 bites the burn starts and plateaus quickly – a slight tingle in the mouth, and a little “peppery” feeling in the back of the throat, and that’s where it stays. For a “medium” salsa, I think it’s struck a good balance of heat and flavor for the vast majority of people. It definitely tastes similar to Wimpy, but the sweetness isn’t as evident. I did remember this from the last time I had Renaldo’s – the hotter they were, the less sweet they seem. This one is very good, and a little different then the run-of-the-mill salsas.
Severly Sweatin’ was my favorite before, and I was really looking forward to having it again! The burn is almost immediate, and thanks to the perfect consistency of it, it hits the back of the throat real good. The sweetness again is better tempered by the heat; and the vinegar & citric acid, while evident, definitely contribute to its flavor instead of detracting from it.
Wimpy: 7/10. On the sweet side, but pretty well balanced. Comparable to most grocery-store bought salsas. Definitely enjoyable.
Mildly Perspiring: 8/10. The slight citric acid and very mild burn was interesting!
Severly Sweatin’: 8.5/10. Very good – the heat level is just right (and actually made me sweat just a tad – I must be getting unaccustomed to the heat being a shut-in all winter), and balances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
On my second go with this fresh batch of Renaldo’s, I’m going with a 8/10. It’s a very good salsa, with a unique sweetness, and excellent heat levels for your average foodie!
Manufacturer: Renaldo’s, LLC
Website: http://www.renaldosalsa.com
Ingredients: Whole Peeled Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid), Onions, Bell Peppers, Vinegar, Minced Garlic (Garlic, Water, Phosphoric Acid), Jalapeno and Habanero Peppers.
My first review of Renaldo’s was a bit tardy – as most of my reviews are. It can sometimes take me months to find the time and motivation to do a review. For sauces, that typically means using them on every meal for a week, then sitting down for a few hours with the bottle in front of me while I dissect its essence. Salsas are slightly different. I can’t use them for a week straight on different foods. I do snack on it, as I can, but I’ll typically eat an entire jar in a sitting, then be “salsa’d out” for a while. And Renaldo’s comes in a pack of three, so it basically means I need to gorge myself on 3 jars of salsa. That’s right – I have no self control when salsa is on the table.
One of the things that caught me about Renaldo’s was the vinegar flavor (and the sweetness). It was suggested that this was not the intended flavor of the salsa – that it had aged a bit too long, and the vinegar stood out a bit too much. That said, the original review was generally favorable – I did eat all three of those salsa pretty quickly, but I found the sweetness and vinegar to be a tad more strong than I would find ideal. Renaldo was kind enough to resend the same three-pack, and we’ll see if the flavors are better balanced now that the salsa is reasonably fresh.
Wimpy is more salty than I recall – and, true to Renaldo’s speculation, less vinegary. It has the sweetness I remember, but it’s not “artificial” tasting. It’s still sweet, but it seems like the sugariness is naturally coming from the tomatoes now. It definitely tastes fresher! Still, virtually no heat, as I would expect out of a mild salsa – after half a jar I’d thought maybe I felt a little tongue tingle, but I couldn’t be sure. I’m pleasantly surprised at how well balanced it is, despite a sweetness typically uncharacteristic of salsa.
Mildly Perspirin’ took me a little by surprise. I actually think I can taste the citric acid – and it’s kind of nice. After maybe 5 or 6 bites the burn starts and plateaus quickly – a slight tingle in the mouth, and a little “peppery” feeling in the back of the throat, and that’s where it stays. For a “medium” salsa, I think it’s struck a good balance of heat and flavor for the vast majority of people. It definitely tastes similar to Wimpy, but the sweetness isn’t as evident. I did remember this from the last time I had Renaldo’s – the hotter they were, the less sweet they seem. This one is very good, and a little different then the run-of-the-mill salsas.
Severly Sweatin’ was my favorite before, and I was really looking forward to having it again! The burn is almost immediate, and thanks to the perfect consistency of it, it hits the back of the throat real good. The sweetness again is better tempered by the heat; and the vinegar & citric acid, while evident, definitely contribute to its flavor instead of detracting from it.
Wimpy: 7/10. On the sweet side, but pretty well balanced. Comparable to most grocery-store bought salsas. Definitely enjoyable.
Mildly Perspiring: 8/10. The slight citric acid and very mild burn was interesting!
Severly Sweatin’: 8.5/10. Very good – the heat level is just right (and actually made me sweat just a tad – I must be getting unaccustomed to the heat being a shut-in all winter), and balances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
On my second go with this fresh batch of Renaldo’s, I’m going with a 8/10. It’s a very good salsa, with a unique sweetness, and excellent heat levels for your average foodie!
