Easy Organic Salsa for Canning

I'm all about efficiency.  If there is a more efficient way to do something then I'm on board, as long as the efficient way doesn't sacrifice the integrity of what you are doing. With that being said, here is a salsa recipe for home canning that is both efficient, easy and still safe to eat and delicious!!

 

Picking the tomatoes from your garden (or a friend's) will keep the cost low. Or you can find a pick your own farm near by for fresh and inexpensive tomatoes as well.

 

Here is the recipe. I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do!

 

Ingredients
12 cups chopped organic tomatoes
3 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped organic hot peppers (I used a combination of poblano,  jalapeño and hot cherry bombs)
6 cloves of garlic
1 can Organic Tomato Paste, 6 ounces
2 cups apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or lime juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
*note: as a recipe variant you can omit the cumin and cilantro and add an extra 1/2 Tablespoon of garlic powder instead.

 

Wash tomatoes and remove any stems. Cut in half and place in a food processor. Process tomatoes to a coarse chop (so there are no large chunks but it is not completely liquid) and measure until you have 12 cups. Pour into a large soup pot. Next chop onions in the food processor as well until you have 3 cups of coarse chopped onions. Put onions in pot with tomatoes. Put garlic cloves and hot peppers (stem peppers but leave in seeds) in food processor too. Once they are chopped to desired size place in pot. Add in vinegar and all other seasonings except tomato paste.

 

Simmer salsa on medium heat for 30-60 minutes to reduce down. I let mine reduce down about an inch. Once it is at your desired consistency,  turn off burner and add in tomato paste. The paste will help keep it thick after its canned. Stir until paste is incorporated in to salsa.

 

Ladle salsa into pre-sanitized jars and add lids and rings. Leave 1 inch of headspace.

 

Process in your canner in hot water bath style for 15 minutes for pints. Let jars sit for 5 more minutes in canner before removing. Let them sit for 24 hours undisturbed in a cool place before removing rings and storing.

 

Recipe yields between 7-9 pints depending on how far you reduce it down

. 

Note: I am not a master canner. I got the original recipe from pickyourown.org and modified the seasonings and preparation method. It is very important to make sure you follow safe canning practices and keep your acid ratios (in this recipe that is the tomato and vinegar ratio) in safe ranges to avoid botulism and other bacterial growth.