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!
This is the time of year that I always get on a huge canning kick. How can I not with all the great fresh produce that’s available?
In this post, I’m sharing my basic canning recipe for salsa. With tomatoes and peppers starting to come to market, it’s a good 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, which is 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.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 1 Hour, 45 Minutes
Servings: 40 servings
Primary Ingredient(s): Tomatoes, Onions, Bell Peppers, Jalapenos, Vinegar, Sugar, Cilantro
Skill Level: Intermediate
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- You can have fresh-tasting, homemade salsa any time of year.
- It’s a great way to use up garden tomatoes.
- The sense of accomplishment you get from making and canning your own!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“This is going to be my salsa recipe! It’s gòt the perfect mix of heat, tang, and sweetness, and the tomato sauce gives it richness and body.”
— Heather
Ingredient Notes
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- Tomatoes – I prefer Roma tomatoes, also called plum or paste tomatoes, for salsa, but you can use any variety that you grow or purchase.
- Onions, Green Bell Pepper, Jalapeno Peppers, Garlic – All typical salsa ingredients.
- Tomato Sauce – It’s used simply to enrich 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 – Just a little sugar helps to mellow and offset the vinegar flavor.
- Pickling Salt – It’s a very pure salt that’s 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 if you like.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Can Basic Salsa
- Before you start the canning process, get everything you need together. All your jars, lids, kitchen towels, produce, knives, water bath canner, funnel. Everything. It’s so much easier than running 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, but it’s not difficult at all – just peeling and chopping. And you begin by preparing the tomatoes.
How to Easily Peel the Tomatoes
I prefer Roma tomatoes for salsa, but you can use any combination and type of tomatoes you like.
To make peeling the tomatoes easy, cut an “X” in the end, then simply drop them into boiling water for one minute. Then drain them and put them into cold water and ice for a few minutes. The skins will slip right off, making the peeling so simple!
Prep the Remaining Ingredients
- 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 use 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-sized 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 (that’s called “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 to 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.
- Let the salsa sit for four weeks before using. This will allow time for the flavors to mellow. Use within one year of canning. Store in the refrigerator after opening.
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.
More Popular Home Canning Recipes
If you enjoyed this post, you’ll also want to check out my recipes for Pickled Okra, Sugar-Free Bread and Butter Pickles, Home Canned Tomatoes, Favorite Kosher Dills, and Strawberry Jam.
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.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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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.3 pounds tomatoes, 3 medium onions, 1 ½ green bell peppers, 3 medium sized jalapeno peppers, 9 cloves garlic, 1 ½ cups tomato sauce, 1 ½ cups white distilled vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons pickling salt, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 ounce Italian parsley, 1 ounce cilantro
- 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 new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Not a fan of this recipe. You can certainly taste the vinegar in this recipe. Just not a fan of vinegar in salsa. I will be moving on to a different recipe.
Sorry you didn’t like the recipe, Sue. Unfortunately, there is not a safe way to can salsa without adding acid, therefore the vinegar is necessary. You can correct the flavor after opening a jar to use by adding a teaspoon of sugar at a time until you balance out the vinegar taste. You cannot add the sugar before canning, only after opening a jar for use.
How many 3 ounce by pieces of Roma tomatoes ? Please let me know Thank you
Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re asking. The recipe uses 3 pounds of tomatoes.
Is it okay to use minced garlic from a jar as a substitute. About how many cups of onion would you say and is it okay to only use two onions instead of the three medium. if I’ve already added an extra tablespoon of sugar is it okay to add less vinegar?
Unlike everyday cooking, canning recipes are meant to be followed exactly. And while there are many people on the internet today who call themselves “rebel canners” and use recipes that are unproven and untested, I do not do that. Any changes to the amounts of ingredients in a proven, tested canning recipe can make it unsafe. Canning recipes should be made exactly as written. For safe results, do not change the volume of any ingredients.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I feel compelled to share my thoughts about the results from when I made a double batch, following all the directions as written. I’ve waited 5 weeks to try. I enjoyed the first taste but definitely noticed the zing or tang of the vinegar. It seems to get more prominent the more you eat. My husband does not enjoy it at all. I was concerned about this from other comments here but thought I would chance it. All the info I’ve read says you cannot change the recipe for safe consumption reasons, which I understand. I will have to try another recipe that uses bottled lemon juice instead of vinegar. My two cents…thank you again.
I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Cathy.
Thank you for this lovely recipe! I had a glut of onions, peppers, and tomatoes from the garden and got 12 (250ml) jars of salsa. So fresh and bright!
My pleasure! I’m so glad you found it helpful.
Can I use both red and green tomatoes for this recipe?
Green tomatoes typically have a different pH level than ripe tomatoes. This recipe has not been tested for food safety using green tomatoes. Any changes to the recipe can result in making it unsafe for canning and storage.
I want to try your salsa recipe and where I live I can’t purchase fresh parsley or cilantro. Can you advise an amount to use with dry please.
Thanks,
Cher
In a canning recipe, it isn’t safe to substitute dried herbs for fresh. This would change the pH of the finished product making it potentially unsafe to consume. You can stir in any herbs you like when you open a jar of salsa to use it. As always, dried herbs substitute at 1/3 the amount of fresh.
Hi Lana! Can you add fresh cilantro?
I advise adding extra ingredients only after you open a jar for use to avoid altering the pH balance of the recipe.