Fresh Tomato Salsa

With summer wrapping up here and school is starting. It is time to get the garden cleaned out and the tomatoes are ready to make sauce and salsa. Here is a recipe we are trying out this year.

Garden Fresh Medium-Hot Canned Salsa

This recipe makes a flavorful medium-heat salsa using fresh garden tomatoes. It’s great for canning and will keep your summer garden harvest on hand all year.

Makes: About 6–7 pint jars Heat: Medium Processing: Water-bath canning

Ingredients

• 8 cups peeled, cored, and chopped fresh tomatoes

• 2½ cups chopped onions

• 1½ cups chopped green bell peppers

• 1–1½ cups chopped jalapeño peppers, seeds removed for less heat

• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1½ cups apple cider vinegar or 5% acidity white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, optional

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional

• ½ teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1. Prepare the tomatoes.

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut a small "X" in the bottom of each tomato and blanch for about 30–60 seconds. Transfer to ice water, then slip off the skins. Remove the cores and chop the tomatoes.

2. Prepare the vegetables.

   Finely chop the onions, peppers, jalapeños, and garlic. For a medium salsa, remove most of the jalapeño seeds and membranes. Leave some behind if you like a little extra kick.

3. Cook the salsa.

   Add the tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, sugar, and chili powder to a large stainless-steel pot.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 20–30 minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until the salsa reaches the consistency you like.

5. Stir in the fresh cilantro during the last few minutes of cooking.

6. Prepare the jars.

   Ladle the hot salsa into hot, clean pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and apply the lids and screw bands.

7. Water-bath can.

   Process the sealed pint jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting processing time for altitude according to your tested canning recipe. Start timing once the water returns to a full boil.

8. Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check that each lid has sealed before storing.

Garden Salsa Tips

• Roma tomatoes make a thicker salsa because they contain less water.

• If using juicy garden tomatoes, simmer a little longer to thicken.

• For milder salsa, use fewer jalapeños and replace some with bell pepper.

• For more heat, leave the jalapeño seeds in or add a little cayenne.

• Don't reduce the vinegar or lime juice in a canning recipe—the acidity is important for safe preservation.

Important: For shelf-stable canning, salsa recipes should use a tested, research-based recipe with verified acidity and processing times rather than changing the proportions of tomatoes, peppers, onions, or acid. The recipe above is best treated as a cooking recipe unless you verify it against a tested canning formula.