How to Make Salsa With Fresh Tomatoes (This Thing is Tasty!)

The Best Salsa Recipe (This Thing is Tasty!)

We love salsa here. We have a regular nacho night that has turned into somewhat of a tradition and always dunk our gooey chips in salsa. I have been on this journey of preservation and old fashioned skills in an attempt to save money and eat better.

I started a salsa garden from seed, lovingly tending to the plants until they were hardy enough to transplant to the garden. Once they took, they exploded and provided us with more abundance than I could have imagined.

I plan to can up tomato sauce and condiments (ketchup and BBQ) but for now, the salsa is the beginning.

When I say this salsa is the best salsa I have ever eaten, I am not exaggerating. It is amazing. There is a surprise step that makes all of the difference.

*Please note when canning anything, ensure you do your own research and follow proper safety standards. Canning is phenomenal when done correctly but can open you up to bacteria if it isn’t.

RECIPE:

9 cups diced tomatoes

4 jalapeños (can use less but not more)

2.5 cups green peppers

2.5 cups onion

8 cloves of garlic

6 tsp salt

1/4 cup vinegar

1 can of tomato paste

2 Tbsp Sugar (optional but highly recommended)

Step 1: Grab your ripe tomatoes and peel them. There are 2 ways to do this that I have found. 1- freeze the tomatoes first (this is especially helpful if your tomatoes all ripen at different times.) 2- Score the bottom of each (this means cutting a shallow “X” on the bottom of each tomato) and dunk it in some boiling water for 1 minute. Rapidly cool it in an ice bath until it is manageable to work with and the skins should slide right off.

When I did this the first time, I gave all of the skin to my chickens but now I’ve learned that you can dehydrate the peels for a very fast tomato powder turned tomato paste when rehydrated with some water.

Dice them up and place into the sauce pan.

Step 2: Start dicing up the peppers. (If you decide to do my extra step of blitzing with an immersion blender- this can be a rough chop. If you plan to leave large chunks, dice these more fine.) Add them to the sauce pot with the tomatoes.

Step 3: Do the same with the jalapeños. Please note that you can add less to the recipe, but if you add more, the acidity may not be correct and it may be dangerous to can. If you want to add some heat, add it right before you eat it or place it directly in the fridge.

Step 4: Dice up the onion and garlic. Again, do not take liberties. Follow the recipe as intended for safe canning.

Step 5: Cook the salsa at a rolling boil for at least 15 minutes. You want to keep some of the crunch of the veggies. While you cook up the salsa, heat up the water in your canner.

When your salsa is close to finished, boil your jars without lids in the water for a few minutes.

Step 6: This is the special step that elevates the whole recipe. Lightly blitzing the salsa with an immersion blender to alleviate the chunks. I know some people LOVE their chunky salsa but this gives it such a good texture and allows you to get some flavour on every single bite.

Now is the time to give your salsa a taste! It is unsafe to add fresh herbs or any other ingredients with the exception of salt and sugar. I added 2 tbsp of sugar to cut the bite that fresh tomatoes can give. I would highly recommend but definitely decide based on your palate!

Step 7: Fill the jars with the hot salsa, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top (also known as head space.)

Step 8: Wipe the rims with vinegar and top with the lids to the jar (these should soak in hot soapy water for a few minutes prior to using and obviously should be rinsed clean. Tighten the rings to finger tight and place them in the canner.

When the canner is at a steady rolling boil, start the timer and can them for 10 minutes (check your altitude as this can affect how long you need to water bath for safe canned goods.)

Step 9: Remove them from the water and let them sit for a full 24 hours undisturbed. Ensure all of the lids have popped and if some don’t, they go straight to the fridge to be used within the month.