If you’ve ever walked into our stores and have seen Austin Hieb or one of our Produce associates proudly chopping tomatoes, onions, peppers, tomatillos, and other fresh ingredients, know that it isn’t just for show. Our DLM Salsas truly are Made Right Here, and sometimes, you may see that in action. In fact, there is a dedicated associate at each DLM location who ensures that fresh salsa and guacamole is available.

“Today, I diced about 100 lbs of tomatoes,” Hieb says, who has been involved with our Salsa and Guacamole program since it launched about four years ago. He’ll often notice passersby do a doubletake as they see him making these products fresh in the middle of the DLM Washington Square Produce department. Then, the lightbulb moment happens as they see the ingredients being combined. “Oh, you guys make that here?” some will ask. “It’s really cool to see their reactions,” Hieb says.

When we look at a typical week in July, when salsa and guacamole just seem to be a natural fit with a cold beer in hand on a hot day, the popularity truly soars. On an average week in July, we sell more than 400 lbs of DLM Fresh Salsa and about another 500 lbs of DLM Fresh Guacamole. “The nicer the day, the more salsa and guacamole that people crave,” Hieb says.

We feature around 10 different salsa recipes on a rotating basis with some reflecting seasonal offerings, like our featured Peach Salsa this month. Although our salsas are not crafted from Oaxacan recipes, we are bringing back two recipes, Salsa Verde and Salsa Roja, this July as the smoky flavors and ingredients of these varieties are probably the most similar to those flavors that shine in a Oaxacan salsa.