Annie's Salsa

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper
3 to 5 chopped jalapenos (for milder leave out seeds and ribs)
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin (optional)
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/4 c fresh cilantro (optional)
1/3 c sugar
1 cup cider vinegar (see note on subbing lemon or lime juice option)
16 oz canned tomato sauce
8-16 oz canned tomato paste

Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars, process pints for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 pints.

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A lot of changes have been made to this recipe over the years. Some people like lemon or lime juice in place of some or all of the vinegar, that's fine. Some people leave out the cilantro, that's fine too. Some people add more hot peppers or fewer onions, fine as long as you keep the same total measurements. Some people leave out the sugar, that's fine.

You can scoop out the goo in the middle of the tomatoes with your thumbs when I'm peeling and chopping for a less seedy version, so it's 8 cups of chopped tomatoes without the seeds and goo.

Most who make it regularly as well as Annie recommend using a variety of different slicing tomatoes, not paste types, for best flavor and consistency.

There are literally over 100 discussions here about is but it can get very confusing reading through them as some of them make suggestions for un-approved changes. Stick with the original as posted above.

Dave

Thank you so much!

The recipe sounds good to me as it is except for the cilantro. I love the stuff! I think that is what makes a good salsa. So, I will probably subtract the onions by 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup more cilantro.

I don't mind the seeds in the tomatoes.

What is a paste tomato?

Now if I my tomatoes will get to growing!!

Oh, is green pepper bell pepper? Thanks!

You can substitute green bell pepper for chile peppers and vice versa - by weight/volume, not by count. Same with onions - red, yellow, white onions are all about the same pH and density. As Annie said, you can even sub peppers for onions or vice versa, b/c they are close.

But you cannot safely increase the amount of fresh herbs in any canning recipe, even if you take out another low-acid ingredient. I haven't found the pH of cilantro, but if it's like celery, it's close to 6.0, where onions are more like 5.5 (depending on type). Not to mention that 1/2C of onions (1/4 dice) is going to be a lot less densely packed than 1/2C of cilantro.

For the best flavor, add your extra cilantro (or all of it) upon opening the jar. You can freeze it or dry it if you grow your own, if using store-bought it's available year-round so why risk it?

Agree, add your extra cilantro after opening the jars. Canning and subsequent shelf storage has some bad effects on fresh herbs in addition to the pH changes. Many will turn quite bitter, some intensify to the point of ruining the flavor, and some fade away completely.

You can eliminate the pH issues by using dried herbs rather than fresh as the dried won't alter the pH. But they still have the other issues.

Dave

Or, if you grow a bit of cilantro like i do...i grow plenty as i love it...you can make an herb/cilantro pesto and freeze in an ice cube tray, then store in a zip-lock in the freezer...easy to add a cube or two to your salsa.

I've seen the raves about this recipe but had a recipe we've used for over 20 years. I had a hard time finding my salsa recipe the other day and remembered Annie's. I wound up printing off both and compared them -- Annie's uses cumin and mine uses chili powder. Annie's also adds the tomato paste and sauce.

For the seasoning, I did hybrid of the two plus some and did try the addition of just one small can of tomato paste but not any sauce. For the peppers, we used an assortment of mild and hot peppers from the garden. Really love the way it turned out. It's a stretch for a self-respecting Texan and purist to add anything out of a can, but the one small can was just enough to give the base of the sauce some added body but kept the fresh out of the garden taste. We may have to use a little more hot pepper in the blend to compensate on future batches. We'll see if this changes any on sitting a while.

Looks like my new recipe will be BethAnnie's salsa. LOL At least I feel like I'm part of the group, even if only on the fringes. :D

Beth, I only added the canned stuff for the texture, so it looks like that succeeded, LOL.

I did find that mine got a bit hotter upon sitting for a week or so, so I wouldn't add more hot pepper until it's "matured" a little and you taste it then.

Annie

Thanks everyone for the advice!! I just started canning last summer. Still lots to learn.

pc or water bath

BWB. Sorry I should have added that when I posted the recipe above.

Dave

Well, 14 pints of salsa and counting! Back when I first tried this recipe, I pressure canned it (wasn't the original recipe either PC (OR) BWB?). I think there was an option or I didn't understand, LOL. Anyway, I didn't care for the cooked taste of the salsa and didn't make it again until this year. NOW I see what everyone was raving about ;))) Very delicious! I followed the latest instructions and BWB. It tastes fresh and had a good depth of flavor. I prefer "sweet" tomatoes so my first batch was a tad on the sweet side with the sugar but omitted it in my second batch...perfect. I used a combo of tomatoes. My second batch was a little runnier than the first, probably due to the ripeness of the tomatoes but I would equate the consistency to Pace reg salsa. I like vinegar in mine but did add a dash of lime juice to the second batch. Thanks to Annie for working out such a great recipe. Lori

Lori, I'm glad you like it.

My first batches were pressure canned, because I was trying to get rid of the vinegar. Then I found that it didn't taste right without the vinegar, so I began working on a batch that I could be confident in canning in a BWB, since I had added the vinegar back in.

My family likes it a bit sweet, but I always taste. Depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes I add the sugar or cut the amount or leave it out altogether, whichever makes it taste "right".

Annie

Well, and I like the heat level, too. I like it kinda hot but hubby can't handle it so this recipe walks that fine line in between, LOL. It has some kick depending on the peppers used but not "eye watering." He really liked it and at this moment is at the store buying chips so he can use that 1/2 pint left over after filling the jars.

On a side note, I've been a little amazed after talking to various people I know about canning. I knew my Nana canned but I didn't necessarily grow up doing it so any bad habits I have, I've done to myself. When self-learning, I've followed only Ball at first and then came here and realized there were others who wanted safety to be an issue. There is only a handful of people I've talked to that actually make an attempt at the proper safety techniques! Scary. Even a good friend of mine asked why I was BWB some pickles I was making while she was here. She said, "I just put them in the jar and they DO seal." Huh? I told her that I live in fear that my grandchildren will eat something and get sick so I want to know I've done my best to make it safe. I'm glad I have the people here that have never faltered on safety issues. Lori

The old post that I used with the recipe didn't state the sugar was optional and we found the salsa much too sweet (the first time I've ever added sugar to salsa but wanted to make sure I followed the recipe to a T so it would be safe.) Its also too mild but I figured I could add hotter peppers upon opening.

Could I make another- unsweetened and hotter- batch and dump the ones I've already canned into it, bring it to a boil and re-can with fresh lids? Other than the sweetness and lack of heat it's a nice tasting salsa and I want to make sure I have a bunch of it ready for winter!

VedaBeeps, instead of of dumping the ones canned, use them as a base for other recipes, like tortilla soup, and sloppy Joe's. For the sloppy Joe's I brown hamburger drain, then add the salsa and a small can of tomato sauce,the extra sauce makes the salsa go further! It is hands down way better than Manwich! For the soup I use one jar salsa, a big container of chicken stock, a small can of tomato sauce, a can or 2 of black beans drained, and a drained can of corn! Simmer for a 1/2 hour and dinner is served! I also add what ever left over cooked chicken I might have on hand! I'm sure others can chime in on what they do with Annie's salsa! I got the idea of the soup here,but the sloppy Joe's was an accident one day when I was making tacos, and my son thought they were sloppies! Best mistake ever!!!!Have fun with it and save your self some work!!!!!
Brenda

Agree that incorporating the previously canned jars into a new batch is never advised for several reasons. Both quality and safety can be compromised. Use them as is.

Also when it comes to adding additional hot peppers keep in mind the total amount of peppers cannot be exceeded or the pH is skewed. So either reduce the sweet peppers by the same amount or use only dried hot pepper flakes.

Dave

The problem is that we won't use them as is, they're too sweet (I have ZERO sweet tooth- I don't put sugar in anything.) I suppose I can make another batch, dilute this one as much as needed and eat it fresh. Its only 6 pints which won't last long around here. Heck, it might be a good excuse to have people over!

I would be replacing sweet peppers with the hot ones for sure in the next batch I can, Dave. I live in a pretty perfect climate for growing peppers and they're in high gear right now! I'm looking for any and every way to use them I can find. :) I've been pickling, charring and vac sealing for the freezer, dehydrating and stuffing all sorts of them.

I appreciate the responses, I'm still new to canning and want to make sure everything is safe!

Gift them to someone with a bit of a sweet tooth. Wait! I'll take them. Can't imagine eating tomato products without just a bit of added sugar! My old tastebuds love sweetened veggies. :)

Dave

Both of Dave's idea's seem to offer some options since you don't eat sweet vegies. If you ever go to potlucks then take Annie's salsa along with some chips. Be ready with the recipe because people are going to ask for it. I guess you could throw them out.. if you really had no other option. Personally I'd add them to a stew or soup along with other tomatoes to bring down the sweetness..

I would never throw them out (and never said I would.) We don't waste food. Especially food I spent both time and money growing.

Veda, you could always use them as gifts for people you really like or mix them with other salsa, as you mentioned. My girls like a jar of salsa, some fresh corn cut off the cob, a can of black beans, some cilantro and extra hot peppers, mix it all and serve it with chips.

Well, they don't actually even need the chips....

Good luck, and happy canning. Tonight I'm canning pink half runner beans, I love canning season, even if I haven't had even a single ripe tomato yet this year. It'll come, and then it'll be time for salsa.

Annie

That sounds like a great suggestion, Annie. I'm learning to love canning season, too! I just planted my fall tomatoes and am hoping to can more of them in October or November.

8-16 oz canned tomato paste

Does this mean eight 16 oz cans of paste or 8 oz to 16 oz of canned paste? It must be a variable amount between 8 and 16 oz... I couldn't figure out how 8 pounds of paste would end up making 6 pints, LOL.

No it means add 8-16 oz of canned tomato paste. The amount is your choice depending on how thick you want it to be. Canned tomato paste comes in your choice of 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, and 16oz cans.

Dave