It didn't have enough fluid to cover the tomatoes and other ingredients. I used green san marzanos, that were utterly dry. The only fluid was the 1/4 Cup of lime juice. Since the instructions said to bring it to a boil, I added 1/2 cup of white vinegar (assuming adding vinegar couldn't hurt), just so there was enough fluid to boil. After it simmered, there was a bit more fluid, but the finished product ended up not having enough fluid to cover the veggies.

So, I'm wondering (1) whether it was okay for me to add vinegar and (2) whether it is a problem that some of the veggies aren't in fluid.

However, lime juice is more acid than vinegar and since I don't know if the lime juice is for flavor or a factor in recipe safety I can't tell you if the vinegar is a sufficiently acid addition.

It often happens in pickled recipes (relishes, salsas, chutneys) that the mixture is excessively dry. It is dependent upon the condition of the vegetables used and sometimes on the extent to which vegetables are drained. In these cases it's not only appropriate but important to add additional liquid but always use more of the original brine whether it's undiluted acid or some mixture of acid+water+sugar.

Carol

IMO too many folks try to make salsa with paste tomatoes and not only are they lacking in the necessary liquid but the flavor as well.

That said, you did the best you could with what you had to work with.

Dave

I, too, wish they would have warned me not to use those tomatoes. We were pulling out our tomato plants from the summer, and I wanted to do something with the green tomatoes that were still on the plants. This seemed like a good option.

From what you both say, it seems like they should be fine to eat, since I only added acid, but otherwise followed the recipe.

I gather the fact that the veggies on top aren't immersed isn't a problem?

Not a safety problem, just an appearance problem. They will turn dark over time. When you open the jar, just scoop them off and toss.

Dave