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.
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour45 minutesminutes
Servings 40servings
Ingredients
3poundstomatoespeeled and chopped
3medium onionsfinely chopped
1 ½green bell pepperschopped
3medium sized jalapeno peppershalved, seeded and chopped (may use up to 9 medium sized jalapenos)
9clovesgarlicminced
1 ½cupstomato sauce
1 ½cupswhite distilled vinegar5% acidity
1tablespoongranulated sugar(may use up to 2 tablespoons total)
1 ½teaspoonspickling salt
1 ½teaspoonsground cumin
1ounceItalian parsleychopped (about 1/2 bunch)
1ouncecilantrochopped (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
Makes 5 pints or 10 half-pints. Nutrition is calculated based on a serving size of 1/4 cup.
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.