Pico de gallo.Another question.?

Question

Does a person need to remove all of the the seeds from everything in the recipe or is it a matter of taste or is it really a matter of bitterness?Are chili's an important factor?Does it matter what kind of chili a person uses or again is it up to personal taste?Also,does cutting in the stems of cilantro make difference?Does it affect the flavor?I have never really noticed stems in salsa or pico de gallo before.

Once again,THANK YOU.

Answer 1

If you want some heat to your salsa leave in some seeds otherwise take most of it out because it can be very HOT! You should cut off the stems of the cilantro it doesn't need to be in the pico de gallo. =)

Answer 2

it depends on how you make you're pico and how spicy you want it, when i make Pico for myself a I use the whole pepper (seeds and all) because I like spicy...when I make pico for my family, I use NO chili at all, just cilantro, tomato, some white onion, fresh lemon juice and salt.  I use a jalapeno with mine....I also like to just chop the fresh cilantro (I use the whole stem and all because cilantro is expensive...i need to get my moneys worth)  enough to get it in the food processor then i chop it up with the lemon juice, onion (also the chili if im using one) and a capful of olive oil (of a regular size bottle of olive oil)  chop the tomato and toss it all together, salt it to taste and refrig over night...and this is a really good snack...I sprinkle some Mexican cheese (bagged shredded) over a tortilla, spread a heaping spoon of the pico over top and toss it on a plate in the microwave for 30-45 secs...fold it up and yum!!!

Answer 3

Cilantro - remove the stems. Use only the leaves. The more you mince them, the more flavor you will have.

Chilies - The "heat" comes from the seeds and the white part. Remove all of that from the pepper and it won't be as hot.

If you don't want it hot, use Green Bell Peppers, onions, tomato and cilantro leaves.

Then you can add some minced pepper or hot pepper sauce to get it up to the heat level you like or your guests can tolerate. That is the safest way to make it.  

But if you and your guests like "hot and spicy" go for the Jalapeno.  

If they really like hot, then go for the Serrano.

The hottest is the Habanero also known as the Scotch Bonnet.

Which Chile you use is up to you and up to your availability. Traditionally the Jalapeno is the one they use in Pico DE Gallo.