Mango salsa you can make any month of the year

Good mango salsa tastes like the middle of summer. Sweet, a little heat, a squeeze of lime. The trouble with fresh mango is that it shows up ripe for about a week and then it's gone, or it costs a fortune, or you cut into it and it's stringy. So I make this from the pantry instead, and it's ready in about 15 minutes.

It's a simple mix of sweet, spicy, and savory. It works as a dip, and it works spooned over just about anything off the grill. You can make it in January and it tastes the same as it does in July.

Why the pantry version holds up

This salsa leans on two kinds of ingredients: one that keeps for years, and a handful of fresh ones you probably already buy.

• The Freeze Dried Mango Chunks are the base. They rehydrate in five minutes in warm water and come back sweet and soft, close to fresh mango, with none of the race against the clock. You keep a can on the shelf and make this whenever you want it.
• The rest is fresh: diced red bell pepper, red onion, a little jalapeño, and cilantro. Those bring the crunch and the bite that the mango can't do on its own.

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Sun-kissed mango salsa

This makes about 3 cups. No cooking involved.

Ingredients

• 2 cups freeze dried mango chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced (about ½ cup)
• ½ cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (adjust to your heat)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (optional, but it adds some richness)
• ¼ tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Put the mango chunks in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let them soak 5 minutes, then drain them well.
2. While the mango soaks, get the rest ready. Finely dice the bell pepper and onion, mince the jalapeño, and chop the cilantro. Squeeze the lime. Dice everything about the same size so each scoop is balanced.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the drained mango, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the lime juice and the olive oil if you're using it, then the salt. Toss gently until it's mixed.
4. Let it sit at least 10 to 30 minutes before serving. This is the step people skip, and it's the one that matters. The flavors need that time to come together.

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A few ways to change it up

• For more heat, leave in some of the jalapeño seeds or use a serrano instead.
• Swap the cilantro for fresh mint or basil if you want a different direction.
• Fold in a diced avocado right before serving for a creamier salsa.

For serving, tortilla or blue corn chips are the obvious move, and pita chips or veggie sticks work if you want something lighter. It's also good spooned over grilled fish, shrimp, or chicken tacos, and it holds its own on a burrito bowl or over tofu skewers.

What you're really getting

With the Freeze Dried Mango Chunks on the shelf, summer salsa stops being a seasonal thing. You keep the can, and the craving is a 15-minute problem instead of a trip to three stores hoping for a decent mango.

Make it once and let it sit the full half hour before you taste it. That's the difference between fine and the kind people ask you about.