The Best Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
- 10 cups peeled, chopped and drained tomatoes (see note)
- 3 cups chopped onion
- 1 ¾ cups chopped green bell pepper
- 5 medium jalapeños, finely chopped, membranes and seeds removed (leave in for extra spice) - about 1 to 1 1/4 cups
- 7 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons canning or pickling salt (see note)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup sugar, optional, depending on sweetness of tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider vinegar (see note)
- 16 ounces tomato sauce, NOT optional - necessary for safe canning/proper pH
- 12 ounces tomato paste, optional if you want a thicker salsa
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Fill sterilized pint-size canning jars within 1/2-inch of the top. Wipe the rim of the jar clean and seal with a lid and ring.
- Process in a water or steam bath canner for 15 minutes (add 5 minutes if you live at 1,001 to 3,000 feet; add 10 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet; add 15 minutes for 6,001 feet to 8,000 feet).
- Remove the jars carefully from the water or steam bath and let cool to room temperature. Check to make sure the jars have sealed correctly (lightly press the top of the lid; it should be firm - if the center bubbles up and down when you press on it, it hasn’t sealed correctly and will need to be refrigerated or re-processed).
Notes
Tomatoes: peel the tomatoes and let them drain first before measuring. The exact weight of the tomatoes varies GREATLY depending on tomato variety and how much the tomatoes drain. I tend to err on the side of over-draining the tomatoes so the salsa isn't runny. A *general guideline* is to plan on about 20 pounds Roma/paste tomatoes OR 22 to 25 pounds non-paste tomatoes for a single batch of this recipe (or a combination of different types of tomatoes).
Salt: if you don't have canning or pickling salt and would prefer not to buy it, you can use coarse, kosher salt (or experiment with table salt) but make sure it doesn't have added iodine or any other additives.
Peeling the Tomatoes: I don't like messing with a water bath and bowl of ice water to peel the tomatoes; instead, I cut them in half and place them cut side down on a large baking sheet (really cram them in there in a single layer). I broil them for 3-4 minutes until the skins begin to pucker. Once they come out of the oven, the skins will wrinkle and peel right off and the baking sheet is easily cleaned. For this recipe, I use about three sheet pans of tomatoes (again the exact amount will depend on variety).
Chopping: for easy and fast chopping, I throw the onion, green pepper, jalapeños and garlic in the food processor and process until chopped to the desired size.
PH: as with all canning recipes, this recipe has been developed and tested specifically to make sure the pH level is safe for canning. Don't alter the amount of acidity (vinegar). You CAN substitute some of the vinegar for bottled lemon or lime juice (this will affect the overall flavor). DO NOT USE FRESH LEMON OR LIME JUICE; it is not acidic enough. Dried spices won't affect pH, so you can also experiment with those, but the amount of vegetables and tomatoes and acidity need to stay the same.
Canning Method/Jars: this recipe can be water bath or steam bath canned. It is not recommended to pressure can this recipe. Additionally, it is not recommended to make and process this recipe using quart-size jars.
Quantity: this recipe can be doubled or tripled (make sure you have a big pot ready!) or halved.