Homemade Tomato Salsa

I’ve never tried canning before.

But this year, with purchasing our home + starting our farm - I wanted to create a new tradition. I have been curious about canning for a while now but never had the ability to grow my own food at the capacity which we can on the farm.

This year with our large tomato harvest, I decided to give it a try. We have shared some of what we made with friends + family and so far the reviews are a smashing success.

I am so thrilled to be able to share my love for cooking, gardening + low-waste with those around me. I also get excited at the thought of one day teaching my children how to can, and passing down this process through generations to come.

I used the original recipe for Basic Tomato Salsa for Canning and I was very pleased with the process + the taste afterwards. I did a traditional method of canning with a water bath, large pot & the ball canning kit.

I thoroughly enjoyed the slow process of washing, prepping, chopping + waiting - all rhythms to help slow down the rush of every day.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did + learn as you go - don’t take things too seriously if you mess up the first time. I know I did. But that’s all a part of the process.

Ingredients

• 9 lbs tomatoes

• 2 lg green peppers, diced (approx 2 cups diced)

• 2 med white onions, diced (approx 2 cups diced)

• 1 tsp salt

• Hot pepper (of choice)* - I used jalapeno

• 1/3 c white vinegar

• 1/3 c apple cider vinegar

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp cumin

• 6 oz tomato paste

Prepare the Veggies

• Dice tomatoes and mix with diced peppers, onions and salt in a large strainer placed over a bowl. (This will pull the liquid from the tomatoes, helping to give you an end result that is not overly liquidy.)

• Dice your hot peppers and add to the tomato mixture.* Let the vegetables strain on the counter for 6 hours. (You will want to check your mixture every so often to be sure your bottom bowl is not overflowing with juice. Keep the juice! We’ll be using it later.)

Preparing Your Salsa For Canning

• About one hour before you want to start canning, bring your water bath canner to a boil and wash and sanitize your jars.

• Mix the liquid that has been strained from the tomatoes in a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 min.

• Add the diced vegetables and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Canning the Salsa

• Carefully ladle the hot vegetables and liquid into the jars, leaving 1/4" head space from the top of the rim. (Use a clean butter knife to move the contents of the jar around so that the liquid flows all the way to the bottom.)

• Wipe the rims with a clean, damp towel. Place the lids and bands on the jars. Place jars in the canner, so that they are not touching, and process for 20 minutes. (Your processing time starts when the water returns to a boil after the jars have been added.) If necessary, process the jars in batches.

• When the processing time is up, remove the jars from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack for 24 hours. Once the jars are cool, remove the bands and check the lids for a seal. If the lids are tight, return the bands to the jars (loosely) and store them for up to a year.