Homemade canning salsa Options

[ShooterJohn]

Homemade Canning Salsa with Paste Tomatoes

I made some salsa last night and didn't think to photograph the process until I was pouring the last of the freezer pints of salsa. I did get that pic. I'll shoot some photos next time when I don't start so late in the evening. I don't use a food processor to prepare mine either I use a Salsa Maker. My salsa maker has a screen that separates the skins and other hard parts. But the recipe I use was originally intended to be made quickly in a food processor or hand chopped if you want very chunky. Here is the basics and I fudge on everything in here ingredient wise. I grow my chilies and jalapenos but from the store work too. If I have home grown onions and garlic I use those. But last night when I got to the freezer salsa I switched to dried onion flakes. I find that as they rehydrate the salsa gets thicker and the taste is the same. I could just pour off some liquid but the paste type tomatoes I use don't have lots of liquid like slicing tomatoes do. You can use both types of tomatoes for this recipe but you have to strain the juice with slicing tomatoes. Everything is to taste in my cooking so test it as you go and flavor it to your own taste. I may add any number of additional ingredients it just depends. I left the cilantro (optional) at the bottom but I don't care for it myself. It's okay fresh but I don't like it canned. I do everything the same basically for my freezer version of this I just don't can it. I use the Ball pint plastic freezer jars and store that batch in the freezer. They will keep up to a year easily frozen but they never make it that long. The canned jars store more easily and don't take up freezer space.

Canning Salsa: Tomato Salsa with Paste Tomatoes

Yield: 13 pints

I skip several of the preparation steps by using the salsa maker.

• 7 quarts peeled, cored, chopped paste tomatoes

• 4 cups seeded, chopped long green chilies

• 5 cups chopped onion

• 1/2 cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeno peppers

• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 cups bottled lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons salt

• 1 tablespoon black pepper

• 3 tablespoons Tabasco Chipotle sauce (optional) I use lots of this.

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin (optional)

• 3 tablespoons oregano leaves (optional)

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (optional)

Note: This recipe works best with paste tomatoes. Slicing tomatoes require a much longer cooking time to achieve a desirable consistency. Or just pour off some of the tomato juice.

Procedure: Wash and rinse canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Preparing Peppers: Wash and dry peppers. The jalapeno peppers do not need to be peeled. The skin of long green chilies may be tough. If you choose to peel chilies, peel using one of these two methods to blister skins:

Oven or broiler method to blister skins – Place chilies in a hot oven (400°F) or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.

Range-top method to blister skins – Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

To peel, after blistering skins, place peppers in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. (This will make peeling the peppers easier.) Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop.

Hot Pack: Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano and cilantro in a large sauce pot and heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spices and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two piece metal canning lids.

Process in a boiling water canner according to the recommendations below.

Recommended process time for Tomato Salsa with Paste Tomatoes in a boiling water canner.

Canning Salsa

I HOT pack and use pint jars processing for 15 minutes in a pressure canner.

[BullsEye]

Sounds very good! What does a salsa maker look like and how does it work?

[4RHUNTS]

What is a "paste" tomatoe?

[Hookum]

Looks good John. I put up my salsa in jars like you said it doesn't take up freezer space. I think however I'll try the plastic jars next, as it looks like you get the same good results and a little less work. Also, I finally got ahold of a fruit salad tree this year, after your posts on them. The local nurserys around manteca have a few but they are pretty sad looking for the most part. Six months and I finally got a nice one. The thing took off like a rocket and I'm looking forward to next season.

[ShooterJohn]

Sounds very good! What does a salsa maker look like and how does it work?

Here is a video of the contraption I use to prepare my stuff. It shows it making salsa at the end of the video. But I use this thing allot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i56XR9TKfnk

What is a "paste" tomatoe?

Roma tomatoes are a paste tomato. I'm growing some new types this year and one is called a sausage tomato. Last year I went a little overboard on growing a paste tomato called Salsa. It was developed just for salsa and paste tomato sauce. I had nineteen plants and at roughly 15 pounds per plant of tomatoes it made allot of salsa. Paste tomatoes have less water in them and are more meaty and are also cheaper to buy if you don't grow your own.
Here are some paste tomato varieties.
http://www.tomatogrowers.com/processing.htm

[ShooterJohn]

Looks good John. I put up my salsa in jars like you said it doesn't take up freezer space. I think however I'll try the plastic jars next, as it looks like you get the same good results and a little less work. Also, I finally got ahold of a fruit salad tree this year, after your posts on them. The local nurserys around manteca have a few but they are pretty sad looking for the most part. Six months and I finally got a nice one. The thing took off like a rocket and I'm looking forward to next season.

For long term storage and ease of storing you can't beat canning. But this method of freezing it I've found to be very easy and the stuff tastes great. These are the jars I use I have a bunch of them I got at Walmart for like $2.40 a set.
http://www.canningpantry.com/freezer-jars.html

The fruit cocktail trees are awesome and we are just swamped with fruit this year from them. I've been putting up peaches lately and am now freezing a bunch because they freeze excellent. All of our trees come from the Dave Wilson Nursery. http://www.davewilson.com/
The great thing about his trees is that most of the varieties on a particular tree will come in in stages so you have a longer harvest. The only downside to having so much fruit is the increase in birds and raccoons wanting their share too.

[4RHUNTS]

Thanks John.

[Hookum]

John, do you keep your fruit salad trees trimed low like Dave Wilson Nursery recommends or do you let yours grow over 8'?

[ShooterJohn]

I keep mine at 10 feet which is the top of my orchard ladder. It makes it easier for me to remember.

[Shoot-it]

Is the paste tomato the ones they are hauling from los banos to the modesto plant now.Man traffic is bad because of them and the other day I was behind one and the juice was running all over the road and hitting my truck.


That salsa sure looks good.

[ShooterJohn]

Here is some of the salsa we canned yesterday. I wish I could do more jars at a time because the tomatoes are coming on fast and furious right now. I am somewhat limited in how many quarts or pints I do at a time but we get it done.

[4RHUNTS]

You could always send me some...

[CA Desert Dog]

That looks fantastic. My tomato plants all died from "wilt". Bummer. I got some but not many.