Easy Basic Salsa Recipe for Canning
Use this easy home canning recipe for Basic Salsa with fresh tomatoes, onions, and peppers to keep fresh summer flavors in your pantry all year round. You can make it as mild or spicy as you like and add it to all your southwest recipes!
I’m on a canning kick around here. How can I not be with all the great produce that’s available this time of year?
Today I’m sharing my basic canning recipe for salsa. The tomatoes are still coming in and peppers are ready, too, so it was time to go ahead and put up a few jars of this deliciousness to keep on hand for the winter.
It’s so nice to open a jar of homemade salsa when it’s cold out and be able to taste those fresh summer tomatoes once more. Mmmmm. A jar of this in my Salsa Chicken recipe in the middle of winter…well, I have to say it’s just fabulous.
This recipe makes five pints. That’s just about right for our household. If you want to make more, you can double or triple the recipe. Just make sure that you keep the same proportions to guarantee that it’s safe for canning.
Be sure to can enough to use in all your favorite southwest recipes! Of course, it’s great as a dip with tortilla chips, but it’s also fantastic added to tacos and burrito bowls or even in chili.
❤️ Why We Love This Recipe
- Fresh tasting, homemade salsa any time of year.
- Great way to use up garden tomatoes.
- The sense of accomplishment you get from making and canning your own!
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Tomatoes (I prefer Roma (or paste) tomatoes for salsa, but you can use any variety that you grow or purchase)
- Onions, Green Bell Pepper, Jalapeno Peppers, Garlic (typical salsa ingredients)
- Tomato Sauce (enriches the tomato flavor)
- White Vinegar (I prefer white vinegar because it has a more neutral flavor; it’s possible to use apple cider or other vinegars, but the acidity MUST be at least 5%)
- Sugar (to help mellow and off-set the vinegar flavor)
- Pickling Salt (used for clarity in the finished product – table salts can cause cloudiness)
- Fresh Parsley and Fresh Cilantro (you can use all parsley or all cilantro)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🥫 How to Can Basic Salsa
- Before you start, get everything you need together. All your jars, lids, kitchen towels, produce, knives, water bath canner, funnel. Everything. It’s so much easier than having to run around looking for something while you’re in the middle of a canning session.
Prepare the Jars and Lids
- Prepare the jars, lids, and rings as usual. You can review how I manage this part of the process in my Favorite Kosher Dills post.
- Fill the canner about 2/3 to 3/4 with water, bring it to the boil, and hold it there until ready to fill the jars. Add the empty, clean jars into the canner and let them sterilize while you prepare the salsa.
There is a good bit of prep work involved in this recipe. It’s not difficult at all, just peeling and chopping. And you begin by preparing the tomatoes.
Prep the Tomatoes
I prefer Roma tomatoes for salsa but I also had a few yellow tomatoes on hand, so I included them as well. You can use any combination and type of tomatoes you like.
To make peeling the tomatoes easy, simply drop them into boiling water for one minute. Then drain them and put them into cold water for a few minutes.
The skins will slip right off. It makes the peeling so simple!
Prep the Remaining Ingredients
I debated about whether to include all the chopping and mincing photos here for illustration purposes. After thinking it over, I decided that if you cook at all, you certainly know how to dice peppers and onions, so I’m sparing you having to scroll past 15 photos of chopped vegetables!
- Chop the tomatoes, onions, green pepper, and jalapenos. Finely mince the garlic. Combine all the ingredients in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan.
👉 PRO TIP: I used three medium-sized jalapenos for this amount of salsa because we like ours fairly mild. You can add up to nine jalapenos if you like it hotter. You could also substitute a hotter pepper such as serrano if you like, but don’t add more than the equivalent of about nine medium size jalapenos so you don’t upset the pH balance of the recipe and make it unsafe for canning!
Cook the Salsa
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring frequently. Your house will smell like the most delicious Mexican eatery by the time this finishes cooking!
Fill and Process the Jars
- Working with one jar at a time, carefully remove a jar from the canner and ladle in the hot salsa to within 1/2 inch of the rim (headspace). Wipe the jar rim with a moist paper towel and apply a lid and ring (just finger tight).
- Return the filled jars to the canner and lower them into the boiling water. Begin timing when the water returns to a boil. Process pints for 10 minutes at 1-1,000 ft. (20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 ft. and 25 minutes above 6,000 ft).
Cool Completely
- Remove the hot, processed jars of gorgeous salsa from the canner and set them on a kitchen towel or something similar to give them a little cushion. Let them sit until completely cool – at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Test to make sure you have complete seals (see How to Test for a Complete Seal), and then store the jars in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
- Allow the salsa to sit for four weeks before using. This will allow the flavors to mellow. Use within one year of canning.
❗ Tips
- After cooking the salsa and before ladling it into the jars, give it a taste. If you think it could use a little more sugar to neutralize the taste of the vinegar, you can add up to one additional tablespoon.
- If you want to add additional vegetables, such as black beans or corn to the salsa, add those after you open the jars for use. Do not add additional ingredients to the recipe. This can alter the pH balance and make the salsa unsafe for canning.
❓ Questions About Home Canned Salsa
Lots of people have asked for a salsa recipe for canning without peeling tomatoes. I will say that you don’t have to peel the tomatoes when making salsa. However, some varieties of tomatoes have skins that become tough and bitter during cooking. Also, many times the peel will separate from the tomatoes while cooking, causing you to end up with a salsa full of floating tomato skins. So, my advice is to always take the time to peel the tomatoes.
Most freshly made tomato salsa recipes contain lime juice. However, lime juice does not have adequate acidity to make salsa safe for canning and storage without refrigeration. That’s why vinegar is used.
You could. Just be aware that once thawed, your tomatoes will not have the same texture. However, you can give it a quick blitz with a stick blender or in the food processor and turn the mixture into a smooth salsa.
More Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
Easy Basic Salsa Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds tomatoes peeled and chopped
- 3 medium onions finely chopped
- 1 ½ green bell peppers chopped
- 3 medium sized jalapeno peppers halved, seeded and chopped (may use up to 9 medium sized jalapenos)
- 9 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- 1 ½ cups white distilled vinegar 5% acidity
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (may use up to 2 tablespoons total)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ounce Italian parsley chopped (about 1/2 bunch)
- 1 ounce cilantro chopped (about 1/2 bunch)
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Before you start, get everything you need together. All your jars, lids, kitchen towels, produce, knives, canner, funnel.
- Prepare the jars, lids, and rings.
- Fill the canner about ⅔ to ¾ with water, bring it to the boil and hold it there until ready to fill the jars. Add your empty clean jars into the canner and let them sterilize while you prepare the salsa.
Cook the Salsa:
- Chop the tomatoes, onions, green pepper, and jalapenos. Finely mince the garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Combine all the ingredients in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring frequently.
Fill and Process Jars:
- Working with one jar at a time, carefully remove a jar from the canner and ladle in the hot salsa to within ½ inch of the rim (headspace). Wipe the jar rim with a moist paper towel and apply a lid and ring (just finger tight).
- Return the filled jars to the canner and lower them into the boiling water. Begin timing when the water returns to a boil. Process pints for 10 minutes at 1-1,000 ft. (20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 ft. and 25 minutes above 6,000 ft).
- Remove the hot, processed jars from the canner and set them on a kitchen towel. Let them sit until completely cool – at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Test to make sure you have complete seals and then store the jars in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
- Allow the salsa to sit for four weeks before using. This will allow the flavors to mellow. Use within one year of canning.
Notes
- You may use any variety of tomatoes for this recipe. I prefer Roma (or paste) tomatoes.
- I prefer white vinegar because it has a more neutral flavor; it’s possible to use apple cider or other vinegars but the acidity MUST be at least 5%.
- The sugar in the recipe helps to mellow and off-set the vinegar flavor – taste after cooking the salsa and add more if needed (up to 1 additional tablespoon).
- If you want to add additional vegetables such as black beans or corn to the salsa, add those after you open the jars for use. Do not add additional items to the recipe. This can throw off the pH balance and make your salsa unsafe for canning.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on September 10, 2010. It has been updated with additional information.
There are no instructions on when to add the spices and herbs. Can fresh cilantro/parsley be eliminated?
In Step 4, “Combine all the ingredients in a…..” means all of the ingredients, including spices and herbs. Yes, you can omit the cilantro and parsley.
I followed your recipe as is and there seems to be a strong vinegar taste. I added the additional 1 tblspn of sugar as stated in the recipe and it helped but did not take all the vinegar taste away. Will that dissipate as it is stored for the four recommended weeks?
Some brands and types of vinegar have a stronger taste than others. If the vinegar taste is still too strong for you when you open the jars to use the salsa, you can add more sugar at that time to neutralize it. Be sure to keep the salsa refrigerated once it has been opened.
is 10 minutes enough time for processing on your recipe seems like other recipes call for more time at an elevation below 1000 thank you
I believe the recipe is safe with 10 minutes processing time, but you can increase it if you like. It won’t hurt anything to process longer.
Hi! Stumbled upon your recipe and it looks fab! Can’t wait to try it. My question is, do I have to add tomato sauce to it or can I add extra chopped tomatoes to keep it a little on the chunkier side? Thanks :-)
Because this is a canning recipe and has been tested using these exact measurements and ingredients, I can’t recommend making any changes that might affect the pH which could cause the product to be unsafe for storage. If you want to change ingredients (either amounts or products), you’d have to store it in the refrigerator and use it within a few weeks.
Is it okay to blend all the ingredients in a blender before cooking?
Because this is a canning recipe, I would advise to make it exactly as written. If you want a smoother salsa, you could blend it as you open each jar to use it.
Do you have to use tomatoe sauce the idea of using fresh ingredients is to not use canned
This recipe is safe for canning as written. Any changes in ingredients may render it unsafe for pantry storage. This blog does not accept responsibility for food poisoning caused by changes made to canning recipes.
If you want to change the ingredients and make this into a fresh salsa, feel free. However, there’s no assurance that it would be safe for canning or for storing outside of refrigeration.
do you seed the tomatoes?
It’s up to you. I recommend plum (Roma) tomatoes which have fewer seeds and are generally more “meaty” than other tomatoes so I don’t seed them. If you use a variety that has lots of seeds, you might prefer to remove that part.
I am so glad I read the comments on this recipe, though not all 96 comments appeared. They answered some questions I had about what to substitute if I don’t have the green peppers. I will use 9 Jalapenos, and an extra onion instead This recipe is a life saver while I gaze upon the 2/3 bushel box of Jalapeños, 1/3 box of Serano peppers and 25lbs of red onions on the floor of my kitchen. The only thing uncertain is whether I can double the recipe without jepordizing it’s acidity integrity! I have already 3/4 of a gallon of fresh tomatoes peeled, in 1/8th pieces that I have stewed up to almost sauce consistency! Great gobs of goulash this is going to be one fun canning job! Your recipe is helping me meet my canning goal pretty much! i love that you provided nutritional data which i am tracking to meet my home ‘s annual nutritional needs! Thank you for your answers to other’ questions!
Hi Lana,
As per the USDA, bottled Lime juice (and/or Lemon juice) can be substituted for 5% vinegar 1 to 1. But if a recipe calls for bottled lime/lemon juice, you cannot substitute vinegar in its’ place. That’s because the lemon/lime is actually more acidic than 5% vinegar. From their page;
“The purpose of the commercially bottled lemon or lime juice is to standardize a minimum level of acidity in the recipe. For the purposes of our testing, we used lemon juice as it was deemed the most acceptable flavor for the proportions in this particular recipe. For safety reasons, do not substitute vinegar for the lemon or lime juice.”
Personally, I prefer citric acid. Less liquid and a small amount is equivalent to a lot of lemon or lime juice. Your recipe is very similar to choice salsa on the USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation website (where the quote above comes from). They specify lemon or lime juice though, not vinegar. Just pointing this out because the lemon and/or lime juice can be used and has a better flavor in my opinion.
Can I reduce the amount of jalapeño to one without effecting the integrity of the salsa
Yes that should be fine.
I have a lot of green zebra tomatoes this year. Is it alright to use them maybe mixed with some other types of tomatoes for the salsa? Thanks!
They should work but if they’re very juicy, you may wind up with a thinner salsa.
I am just about to jar the salsa, and couldn’t resist a ‘taste’ test. The overall flavour is perfect, right amount of heat, but… I found the vinegar over powering!!! There were a couple of things that I adjusted in the recipe, simply because I did not have them in my larder:
#1, I used a 7% white vinegar (recipe does say to use at least 5%), and
#2, I did not have any green peppers, so omitted them.
I am at home nursing COVID (tested Positive on Friday morning, it is now Monday) – I live alone, and simply did not want to bother anyone to pick up and deliver green peppers.
I will continue with the canning process, and hope that the 4-week (I believe the recipe recommended 4 weeks) mellowing time will reduce the vinegar content!! Unless anyone has any other suggestions. I have already added an additional 1Tbsp of Sugar (3 in total) but am reluctant to add anymore as I don’t want to upset the flavour.
If I were to try the recipe again, I would cut the vinegar to 1/2 cup, and perhaps add 1/2 cup lime juice🤷🏻♀️
I should mention that I am new to canning, and will be (and will not be) disappointed if I have to trash this batch – I went into it with the attitude of ‘Try it and See!!’ Just disappointed that I have used up my fresh tomatoes, (and all of the time spent chopping and mincing, as I do it all manually).
Gail
Canning is a very exact science and canning recipes should be followed exactly in order to keep the correct pH balance of the ingredients. Canned foods require a specific pH level in order to be shelf-stable and free from botulism. The 5% vinegar in this recipe ensures that stability. The vinegar can’t be substituted with lime juice because it’s not acidic enough. Also, if you omitted the peppers and didn’t increase another vegetable to compensate for them, that could have thrown off the balance of the recipe. You also indicated that you’d added more sugar than the tested recipe allows for which would also throw off the pH. My advice would be to store your salsa in the refrigerator after the jars cool completely. With all the changes you made to the recipe I can’t assure you that your finished product will be safe to consume if stored at room temperature.
Well. my friends who have tried this salsa said it was my best yet! So Thank you for sharing your recipe! I had very few roma type tomatoes & found that it was basically green pepper, jalapenos and onion in a tomato broth. So I got my hands on some small romas and quickly washed and chopped (no peeling) them. Once I added them, I let salsa boil a bit longer and tried the salsa again just prior to canning. It was excellent! So next time I will make sure to limit the variety of tomatoes that have a lot of seeds or I will remove the jelly and seeds and only use the meaty parts. The majority of the tomatoes I originally started with were indeed small & therefore they had quite a bit of jelly and seeds inside which is why the salsa was more like a tomato based veg soup. This of coarse had nothing to do with the recipe, it was excellent. Thanks again!
I’m so glad you and your friends are enjoying the salsa, Jennifer. And, you’re right, the type of tomato makes a huge difference.
I love this recipe for salsa and so does my family,l leave seeds in hot peppers for the perfect heat.
Thanks Anthony
I’m so glad to know that your family enjoys the recipe! And, yes, it’s easy to adjust to the heat level that you like.
Family loves it!
Great!
Hi. I can a lot! And I know the amount has to be exact when water bathing food. I have 2 bushels of tomatoes. How many cups is 3 pounds. I don’t have a kitchen scale. I’ve not really needed one as usually measurements have been in cups or 1 onion or pepper etc. although it could be a large pepper or a small one which could again throw off the acidity in a recipe as cup measurements are not used. Thanks for your help
Hi Terri – First, I would encourage you to invest in an inexpensive kitchen scale. I use mine constantly and they’re well worth the few dollars they cost. As far as the tomatoes, one pound of tomatoes generally yields 1 1/2 cups when peeled and chopped. One medium onion yields about 1 cup chopped and one bell pepper the same.
Thanks so much. I’ll make the salsa today and look for a scale soon !
Thanks so much. I’ll make the salsa today and look for a scale soon !
Tried this recipe my family and friends loved it.
So glad you like it! It’s really nice to have on hand through the winter when fresh tomatoes just aren’t available.
The recipe states to cook the salsa in a stainless steel or ceramic pot. I do not have these; is it ok to use an anodized nonstick pot?
It actually says to use stainless steel or enamel, not ceramic. That’s because those surfaces are non-reactive with acidic foods. According to a quick Google search “non-reactive types of products include stainless steel, hard anodized, glass, ceramic, enamelware, clay/earthenware, and most nonstick surfaces.”