Freshness, health focus for A&J Salsa
When you open a typical jar of salsa or even a can of tomatoes, what do you smell? You might catch a faint whiff of savory food but that’s about it. When you open a jar of salsa from A&J Salsa, you will not be able to miss the delicious aroma associated with fresh, wholesome produce.
A&J started when co-owners and married couple Alicia Brooks and Jimmy Morgan were dating and he would bring her fresh produce from his farm. Alicia adapted a recipe of salsa to have low salt, low sugar, and all fresh ingredients. They decided to start marketing it and now have products in about 200 stores. They now have an Oklahoma manufacturer make the salsa and a distributor for their Tulsa Reasor’s stores but otherwise, she and Jimmy do all the distribution on their own.
“My mom is a diabetic and I have high blood pressure so I wanted to make something that was healthy,” she said. “If you make something that isn’t healthy, it will tear people up but if you make your food healthy, more people can eat it and they can eat a lot of it.”
Jimmy said that they are one of only a couple of companies in Oklahoma where their salsa contains no canned or preserved ingredients.
“When you open a jar of most salsas, you can barely smell it,” he said. “When we open a jar of ours at vendor fairs, we have people in the next booth asking what the amazing smell is.”
A&J Salsa product lines now include five heat levels of salsa, bloody Mary mix, and sweet pepper relish. You can purchase from their website or find a store near you (info is on their website). A&J Salsa has earned more than just accolades from fans. They’ve been earning awards for their products across the country. 
Alicia said that besides the all-fresh ingredients, the fact that their salsa does not have any garlic or cilantro makes it unique.
“That makes it so there’s no ‘wang’ in it,” she said about leaving out the ingredients. “It also makes it so you can use it several ways. I use our salsa in meatloaf. You can add the garlic and cilantro on your own. Just add it and wait 30 minutes before eating.”
Continuing high standards of freshness and the overall concept of Farm to Fork will always be important, both agreed.
“There’s too much processed food in the world. It’s not healthy,” Alicia said. “Farm to Fork is a healthy way to provide food for your family and neighbors.”