Adding tomato paste can thicken salsa. Use only high quality tomatoes for salsas. Where recipes call for peeled tomatoes, remove the skin by dipping tomatoes into boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water, then slip off skins and remove cores and seeds. You may substitute green tomatoes or tomatillos for tomatoes in any of these recipes.
Peppers range from mild to fiery in taste.
Anaheim, Ancho, College, Colorado, and Hungarian Yellow Wax are mild pepper varieties. Choose a mild pepper when the recipe calls for long green chiles. Small, very hot peppers provide a distinct taste to salsas. Jalapeno is the most popular hot pepper. Other varieties include Serrano, Cayenne, Habanero, and Tabasco.