Annie's Salsa Ingredient Checklist:

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained

2-1/2 cups onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups green pepper, chopped
3 - 5 jalapenos, chopped
>Any combination of green, red, whatever color peppers is fine. 3-5 jalapenos equates to roughly 1/4 cup, so total peppers cannot exceed 1-3/4 cups.

6 cloves garlic, minced
>Do not increase. But small differences in size of cloves should not matter.

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons pepper

2 Tbsp canning salt
>For taste only. Can be reduced or left out entirely.

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) fresh cilantro, chopped
>Can be reduced or left out entirely. Do not increase.

1/3 cup sugar
>For taste only. Can be reduced or left out entirely.

1 cup 5% cider vinegar
>Pressure canning is no longer recommended, which specified 1/3 cup vinegar. Must include full 1 cup of vinegar for BWB processing.
However, may substitute bottled lemon or lime juice in any proportions according to taste (for example, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup lime juice). Can use any flavor vinegar (white, cider, etc.) as long as acidity is at least 5%.

2 cups (16 oz.) tomato sauce
>For texture only. Can be reduced or left out entirely.

2 cups (16 oz.)tomato paste
>For texture only. Can be reduced or left out entirely.

Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Pour into hot pint jars, seal and process in a hot water canning bath for 15 minutes.
Makes about 6 pints.
>Cannot BWB quarts. If doing half-pints or smaller, process for the pint time of 15 minutes.

I have this one added note: "I do scoop out the goo in the middle of the tomatoes with my thumbs when I'm peeling and chopping, so it's 8 cups of chopped tomatoes without the seeds and goo."

Dave

If you want to make it for fresh eating only you can use all the cilantro you want.

Dave

Sherry

This version is crunchy and very popular with everyone who tries it.

4 large green tomatoes
1 med onion
1 tablespoon of sea salt
juice of two limes
cilantro to taste

Just pulse it up and taste it to see if you want more salt or lime jucie.

Seal tightly and it will stay crunchy for weeks. I also use it in cooking.

When I first started canning this recipe, there was no recommendation for quarts and no recommendation against them, they simply were not mentioned. Now the recommendation is that salsa cnnot be safely canned in quarts.

Annie

We made a few changes to the recipe, and made it mild, medium and hot.

Annie's Salsa (Medium)

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet peppers - red, yellow, orange, purple, green
3 - 5 chopped jalapenos, most of seeds and ribs removed
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbs cup coarse salt
1 Tbs sugar
1-cup cider vinegar or 1/2 cup vinegar 1/2 cup lime juice (or lemon juice)
16 oz. tomato sauce (either homemade or store bought)
8 oz tomato paste (store bought is fine)
Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, and boil 10 minutes.

Canning: Spoon into hot, sterilized jars.
For boiling water bath (BWB) canning - 15 minutes for pints
Makes 6 pints, 14 half pints, 30 or so 4 oz jars

Chopped fresh cilantro I added when the salsa is opened

Enjoy this, and happy canning.
Annie

Annie

BTW, has anyone made fermented salsa? I had some at a fermentation class and it was very good. I have made some batches, but don't want to put all my eggs in one basket just in case they don't turn out.

Thanks again!

Is this a quality or safety issue? I must have read the answer before, but have forgotten.

Christine asks: BTW, has anyone made fermented salsa?

I've tried fermenting several concoctions with tomatoes in them & fermented tomatoes are horrible. Just finished fermenting some tomatoes for seed saving & the smell is almost as bad as possum stink. JMO

I'm not a fan of the texture of it after 30 minutes in the PC, but some people prefer it.

Hope that helps.

The batch from the fermenting class didn't smell bad at all and tasted great, similar to fresh, but not totally. I made some at the end of July and my husband took some out two weeks later and hasn't had any issues other than that jar I used 2T of salt so it was extra salty. But your experience is why I want to can some too, you never know.

Christine

I was fermenting a tomato mash, not chunks or small whole tomatoes. And I don't use much salt. Was looking for additives to a pepper mash fermentation for a hot sauce. Carrots and cantaloupe were fantastic additions, but not mashed tomatoes.

malna,

I've PCd a few batches of salsa(s) based on Annie's recipes and really liked them even though texture wasn't as good.

ahbee01,

Annie's salsa recipes will never let you down and I have competition trophies to prove it.

jt

Cook your starch, drain and let cool, stir in about 1/4 volume salsa, and there ya go.

Judi

And this is the summer that I discovered pasta! Started when I saw boxes of Betty Crocker Suddenly PASTA Salad on sale. Think I started with Chipotle Ranch. Fantastic cold or hot and salsa is perfect mixed in. And I've been rolling it into "burritos" for the freezer. Also good cold or hot.

Salsa rules!

I just made my first 13 pints yesterday. Thanks for the tip about using it to make pasta salad!

Annie

Depends on what else I add. Last night added sliced cukes, tomatoes, cheese, walnuts, blueberries and maybe 1/4 cup manzano-heated salsa to a cold pasta salad.

I'm also experimenting with veggie burgers lately & salsa will be making its way into them.

June

I've also made the soup just adding water, or canned condensed tomato soup to stretch it. You go through lots of salsa eating it as soup!

Daisydawnny, you are so welcome. I still need to make about one more batch myself.

Annie

Please let me know if this sounds safe to can:

8 pounds of chili peppers (jalapeno, banana etc)
6-8 Habanero peppers
4 pounds chopped onions
1/2 bushel tomatoes
2. tsp black pepper
4T. salt
4 cups white vinegar
8 oz jar chopped garlic
7 cans of 12 oz tomato paste
1 bottle of 5 oz red hot pepper sauce
2 T. cumin
2T chili powder

All mixed etc and then water bathed in pint jars for 15 minutes.

Please let me know your thoughts on this recipe. My friend puts corn and black beans in but from reading here, it sounds like that is best to add when jars of salsa are opened at a later time....

There is just no way to no for sure since as far as we know it has never been tested for pH level or density. Especially without knowing the source of the recipe as that at least might provide a clue.
While it has a lot of vinegar it also has a LOT of low acid vegetables in it - many pounds of them. How can anyone know what the pH would be?

Salsa is one of the most risky foods since it is eaten straight from the jar with no further cooking. That's who only tested and approved recipes are recommended.

Safety with salsa requires knowledge of the acidity level and the density to determine proper processing. Both are unknown in this case.

Dave

PS: cre8tivman68 - Annie is one of the regulars here and has been for several years. She developed the recipe and had all the USDA testing done on it for safety approval.