Canned Salsa

Salsa really needs no introduction. We all know it. I’ve never met anyone that didn’t like it. Its colors make me happy. Its flavors make me happy. And summer is the season to make it. With jalapenos at 8 for a dollar at the farmers’ market, I had no choice but to make some to put away and some to eat fresh. Making salsa fresh is about as easy as it gets since you can put whatever you want in it. Making canned salsa is almost the same, you just have to follow a recipe to get the acidity right so you don’t risk getting botulism and your cans are safe to eat.

Here’s a basic recipe for canned salsa that I adapted from The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich.

Using regular tomatoes, makes 6 soupy pints

4 lbs tomatoes, cored and chopped (9 ½-10 cups); If you want a thick salsa, use plum tomatoes. If you’re like me and don’t care if your salsa is extra juicy, use any tomatoes.

¼ cup chopped garlic

2 small onions, chopped (about 2 ½ cups)

½ cup finely chopped cilantro

3 good sized jalapenos; In my experience all jalapenos are going to differ in spiciness. Best to start by seeding them but hanging on to the seeds. In case you can’t taste any spice from the peppers once they’re mixed in, you can throw seeds in little by little til it’s hot enough for you.

4/5 cup lime juice (or vinegar)

Pretty Cherokee Purple tomatoes from Mom’s garden

1. While you’re prepping all of your ingredients, sterilize 7 pint mason jars by immersing them in a tall pot of boiling water (the water should cover the jars by at least 3 inches) and boiling them for at least 10 minutes. Use a canning rack or a circular or rectangular cookie cooling rack small enough to sit flat on the bottom of the pot to elevate your jars enough to keep them from cracking. (“7 jars?” you may be asking, “But I thought you said this made 6 pints?” Take my advice and always sterilize at least one more jar than you’re supposed to need. Recipes run long or short all the time when you’re canning and while it’s no problem to have leftover sterilized jars that you don’t end up needing, it’s a pain to run out of jars and still have a whole extra jar’s worth (or more) of filling.)

2. In a large pot, bring all of the ingredients to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Ladle the salsa into your sterilized jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.

4. Return the jars to the same pot of water you sterilized them in, return the water to a boil, and process the jars for 15 minutes.

5. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place. Once a jar is opened, the salsa will keep well in the fridge for at least a week.