Admittedly I've posted this recipe a couple times already on An American Housewife but I've noticed that I'm often cooking and baking things I've made before - so I don't take new photos or post updates and then it looks like I'm just not making anything at all (at least from the internets view!) So yes, I've made this recipe a hundred times - and I've posted it twice before - but for those who haven't seen it before, this is my favorite salsa recipe, and the one I prefer to make when I have the time to simmer and can. You don't have to can it, you can just keep yours in the refrigerator or use it right away.
Adjust the 'heat' of your salsa by the variety of peppers you use and how many/much you use!
Homemade Salsa
10 Cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes**
5 c chopped onions
3 sweet banana peppers, diced
4 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 t minced garlic
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 1/4 c vinegar
2 T chili powder
2 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 T sugar
Mix all the ingredients for your salsa and simmer 1-3 hours.
While simmering, be sure to either run your jars and lids and seals through an extra hot dishwasher cycle or boil them in another pot of water so they are hot and sterilized when you are ready to use them. Ladle salsa into the jars with about 1/2 inch head space at the top. Wipe the edges completely clean with a clean cloth and place the lid on it and then the ring. You don't have to tighten them hard - just a quick twist to hold the seal/lid on during the process. Now, originally this old time recipe did not call for a water bath. The heat from the salsa and the jar will seal the lid. However, I like to boil them in a water bath as an extra precaution for 25 minutes for pints.
Remove from the water, set on a towel on the counter and let them cool at room temperature. You will hear popping noises. That is the lids sealing. When completely cooled, store in your pantry or cupboard.
**To peel/skin your tomatoes easily just put them in boiling water. Skins will split in 10 seconds - 2 minutes. Remove as soon as the skin splits and lay on a clean towel to cool until you can handle them comfortably - or you can dip them into a bowl of ice water if you wish. Some tomatoes won't split but they are still ready; if it has been in the water for approximately 1-2 minutes, lift it out and feel it. If it looks tight and ready to burst, yet it feels like a water balloon, then remove it to cool. It's ready. The second your fingers or a knife touch the skin it will probably split on contact. Tomatoes can be seeded and the juice canned separately or you can use the whole tomato in your salsa and skip that process. Up to you.
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| Tomatoes from the garden, ready to be made into salsa |
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| Immersing in boiling water to easily remove the skins |
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| The skins will split within about 30 seconds and they literally slip right off. |
