Friday, September 9, 2011

Salsa for canning

It is that time of year again, the bounty from the garden is bursting through the door, the public farmers market is full of sweet scents, my body is tingling to get in the kitchen and preserve what I can from the summer for the cold winter ahead.

I have been making this salsa recipe for the last four or five years, and I am not sure if I ever make it the same way.  I never remember from the year before how many jalapeƱo peppers I put in it, so each year it is a guessing game.  Currently my jars are labeled by batch, so once we get into the jars, we can then know which one is hotter than the other.

I must say that we eat a lot of salsa, it is a relatively healthy snack, and it can be used in recipes in addition to eaten alone, and out house feels odd when the shelf is empty.  We ran out the end of May this year, so I made an extra batch in hopes that it will get us through until the canning season next year.



Nell's Salsa for canning


10 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
5 cups seeded and chopped bell peppers
5 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups hot peppers, chopped and seeded (this makes a salsa with a little kick, but still okay for my kids, add more for a hotter salsa)
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped fine
3 tsp salt
1/2 can of tomato juice (23oz) (I have been known to use V8 before)
1 6oz can tomato paste

Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in large sauce pot.  Simmer until desired thickness (about an hour for me) Stir in tomato paste and simmer for about another 10 minutes, stir well.

Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/4" head-space.  Process 15 minutes in a hot water bath.



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