Salsa (Revisited)

I originally posted this recipe (tutorial) back in 2009 and thought it was time to revisit it. June is our big spring garden harvest. Depending on the size of our garden I usually spend about every other day to about once a week canning tomato soup, salsa or spaghetti sauce. 

Since our kitchen remodel coincided with canning season this year, my mom graciously let me use her kitchen for most this year's canning! Canning with family is much more fun! 

But now my kitchen is mostly done, and I broke it in making salsa!

Tomatoes never looked so good as they do in new sinks!

Now onto the salsa...

Salsa

Things you are gonna need:

Vegetable Steamer

Steam Canner

Bottling Tools

Long Stirring Spoon

Large Pot (22 Quart is plenty big)

2-3 Four Quart bowls

Food Processor

Jars

Lids

Rings

Lemon Juice or Vinegar (not both!)

and

• 1/2 bushel scalded & peeled tomatoes
• 4 green peppers
• 4 large onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup salt
• 1 tbs paprika
• 2 tbs oregano
• 6 large jalapenos
• 2-3 red chilies
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp crushed basil
• 1 tbs chili powder

**scalding the tomatoes**

To scald your tomatoes you simply boil them until the crack open a little.

You'll need something like this baby

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Or you can use a regular pot and scoop the tomatoes out with a spoon. If you do have a vegetable steamer put a pizza pan underneath it when you lift it out of the pot to catch excess water! Then you don't get water on the floor :)

Fill a side of your sink with cool water. Dump the scalded tomatoes in the water to cool off. Peeling hot tomatoes burns your fingers! Once the tomatoes are cool then you can start peeling.

**peeling the tomatoes**
Scalded tomatoes peel really easily. When you cut off the top of the tomato the skin should pop right off! If it doesn't, slide your knife blade under an edge of the skin and peel it back.

Since 2009, we've discovered ROMA tomatoes. They work so much better for canning. You just cut the top off and squeeze the meat out of the skin.

1. Place your peeled tomatoes in a large bowl and put your garbage in another to use as mulch for later. Chop up peppers, onions, garlic and chilies
2. Add the chopped veggies and tomatoes to multiple bowls
3. Chop everything up in a food processor on medium speed
4. Put your processed veggies into your big pot and add your spices, stir it up good

5. Let your salsa boil until it reaches your desired thickness. I let mine boil for about 45 minutes.
While the salsa is cooking, put your jars in the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them. 6. When you think your salsa looks good pour it in your jars
With this recipe you'll get about 16 pints.

7. Add 1 tbs lemon juice or vinegar to pints jars

or 2 tbs lemon juice or vinegar to quarts jars

8. Steam in canner for 20 minutes

Happy canning!