Preserving · Recipes

Farm Salsa

Fall is coming, and the tomatoes are ripening like crazy. I was outside picking the other morning in the smoke from the wildfires, that was choking, but I didn’t want to lose any produce. I pulled a ton of Walla Walla onions and green bell peppers along with many pounds of tomatoes, and got busy chopping. This is a hearty salsa, but give it a few weeks after canning, so it has time to mellow the flavors.

Farm Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 7 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped seeded green bell pepper
  • 8 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 5.5 ounce can tomato paste
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup finely chopped dry cilantro (or parsley)
  • salt to taste

Directions:

Add 5 pint canning jars to a canning pot. Fill jars with water, and the pot about halfway with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer.

Add lids and rings to a small pot filled with water, bring to a simmer.

Add all ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for salt, adding if needed.

Drain jars into canning pot, place on a clean kitchen towel. Ladle the hot salsa into the bars, using a sterilized canning funnel. Leave a ½” headspace. Run a chopstick or canning bubble popper in each jar, add more salsa if there is room.

Dip a clean paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.

Turn canner up to high, place jars in water bath rack, lower rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″, if not add a bit more from the pot that held the rings. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, process for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, let sit for 5 minutes with lid off. Carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.

Once cooled, check again that seals are down. Gently remove bands (wash, dry, and store), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.

As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard it immediately!

Makes 5 pint jars.

*I use a variety of tomatoes. Salsa is a great way to use up lots of cherry tomatoes. I don’t peel my tomatoes. If I am using large ones, I do core. Small ones I do not. I use a manual food chopper to quickly chop all the ingredients.

~Sarah