Lot’s of coupons this week – so I grabbed at least three new salsas to try. The first was chosen last night because my wife was trying to increase her daily fiber, and Crenshaw’s claimed to have 2g per serving. But then, I spotted a little marketing trick, their serving size is almost double of other salsas – but I opened it anyway.
The first thing I noticed about Crenshaw’s was that there was a paste stuck to the inside of the lid. I’m not sure if the jar was old, or this is just the way things happen with Crenshaw’s, but it was not appealing. It didn’t however, keep me from eating it. The consistency is also thinner than I prefer.
The flavor initially hits you as very sweet for salsa. Now, I haven’t had something with added sugar in it for nearly three months, so take my sweetness comment with some context. But it’s sweeter than any other salsa I’ve tried thus far. It didn’t turn me off, however. Its initial flavor is almost like a marinara sauce. The sweet taste is just the beginning of the flavor wheel for Crenshaw’s. I found the flavor to be pretty complex. It moved from sweet to smoky tomato to a nice healthy spicy kick to it. The more I eat this salsa, the more I’m intrigued by it. That doesn’t mean I like it, it means I do want to try it in more dishes.
I tried Crenshaw’s on my morning egg-spinach concoction, and it was really good. Again, there’s a marinara flavor there, but it’s not unpleasant. It’s just very different when you’re expecting a salsa flavor.
Overall, this one is a huge winner and goes on a short list. If you had this one out with your friends, one of them is bound to comment on its flavor.
—update—
I received a very nice note from Crenshaw’s today about this review, and my observation about the paste on the lid and the sweet taste. This was apparently their first run at HEB, and they will be changing the recipe from using tomato paste to something less sweet. I get to try it again. I’m floored that this was their first large-batch run. I can’t wait until they feel they’ve nailed it.
They also highly recommended their Tequila Lime salsa, which I had my eye on, but I didn’t think it would fit my morning routine. Apparently, the owner thinks it’s good enough to put on everything. I’m going to have to test that out myself – watch for that one soon.
Did I mention how much I love these little Texas salsa producers? What a great damn state!
The Naive Romantic 
One thought on “Crenshaw’s C6 Salsa”