Nothing says summer like fresh salsa enjoyed outside with your favourite corn chips and a cold beverage. Brand name salsas tend to be nothing more than a slightly salty and very sweet chunky tomato paste. Not much flavour there. This canned salsa recipe however is the best salsa we have ever tried. There is a fresh taste to it you can’t get with the store bought stuff. Chunky tomato, onions, green & jalepeno pepper and a touch of cumin mingle to make a flavourful, fresh tasting salsa. If you have an abundance of fresh produce at hand, give it a try. Also, if you run out of salsa (which we always do) before tomato season starts again, this recipe is a great use of the discounted tomatoes and peppers you often find in the quick sale area of the produce section of your local grocery store. This recipe can be prepared and eaten right away, or canned and stored in your pantry until next harvest season rolls around (if it lasts that long!)
Fresh Garden Salsa ~ Recipe
Ingredients:
5.5 lbs tomatoes peeled, diced, seeds removed if you choose. (Don’t know what to do with all these leftover tomato seeds and skins?) 1.5 lbs onions finely diced 1/2 pound jalapenos gutted and diced 1/2 pound green pepper diced 9 large cloves garlic minced 1 tbsp pickling salt 2/3 cup vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro (optional) Jars – 6 Pint jars or 12 half pint jars
Preparation:
Remove the skins and seeds from your tomatoes. To do this, immerse them in hot water for a minute or two and the skins should slide right off. Slice in half and gently scrape the seeds out with your fingers or a spoon. Be sure to save and freeze all of your skins and seeds to make tomato paste later.
Dice the tomatoes to the size of your liking. We like 1/2 inch chunks for this recipe.
Dice your onions in 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.
Slice open your peppers, both the jalapenos and green peppers and remove the seeds. Dice these into pieces similar in size to your onions.
Mince your garlic cloves
De-stem and chop 1 cup of fresh cilantro (optional)
In a large, non metallic pot. We use a large enamel coated black turkey roasting pan. Combine all ingredients together except the cilantro. Leave the cilantro aside for now.
Simmer to reach your desired consistency. (15 mins to 1 hour)
Turn off the heat, add cilantro if you are using it, and stir to mix.
Ladle the mixture into sterilized canning jars. Top off with any remaining liquid. Pack jars to 1/2 inch of the top rim.
Using a non metallic tool such as a chop stick, gently remove any air pockets that have formed in the jars.
With a damp cloth, wipe the rim of each jar and place the sealing disc centred on the top rim of each jar.
Screw band down until finger tight. Don’t over-tighten the band.
Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Start your timer only after the water in your canner has begun to boil.
Remove jars from the water bath with an appropriate tool and gently transfer them to a safe spot on a counter or table. Protect any surface from heat with a towel.
Let jars sit for 24 hours undisturbed.
Check that the jars have sealed properly. Any that haven’t can be refrigerated and used within a couple of weeks.
It’s usually best to let the salsa sit for a week or two to develop its flavour, but you can crack open a jar immediately if you want. We always do!
Want to get started with canning and pickling your own veggies? Check out some of the products below. They work very well for us.
Learn everything you need to know about safe canning practices with Bernardin Home Canning
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