Fresh Salsa {Canning Recipe}

This is a great salsa recipe!  I love this in the dead of winter; there's nothing like cracking open a jar of homemade salsa made from ingredients from your garden and enjoying it with the family!

I will  be making this one with the produce from my garden every summer!  I found this recipe in my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving recipe book.

Ingredients:

-7 cups chopped, cored and peeled tomatoes

-2 cups chopped onion

-1 cup chopped green bell pepper

-8 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced

-1 can (5.5 oz.) tomato paste

-3/4 cup white vinegar

-1/2 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro or parsley

-1/2 tsp cumin

To peel the tomatoes: 

1. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato.

2. Boil a large saucepan of water.

3. Drop 3-4 tomatoes into the boiling water for only about 10-15 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon.

4. Allow to cool, and gently peel the skin away.

What can I do with the tomato peeling?

Instead of tossing it into the compost bin try these ideas...

Powdered Tomato Skins: use to make tomato paste, tomato sauce and/or tomato juice

An A-Peeling way to use Discarded Tomato Peels

"Sun-Dried" Tomato Flakes/Spice

Process:
1. Prepare canning materials, get water bath heating up.
2. In a large stainless steel or enameled pot, combine tomatoes, onions, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, cilantro and cumin.

3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

4. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

5. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.

6. Wipe off rim of jar, center lid on jar.  Screw band down until finger-tight.
7. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.
8. Bring water to a full boil and 8 oz. and/or 1 pint jars for 20 minutes.
9. Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars.  Remove jars to dry towel or wire rack, cool completely, check to make sure all jars sealed {if not refrigerate and use in the next 2 weeks}.

Enjoy!  Happy Canning!