The Best Homemade Salsa {Fresh or For Canning}
A step-by-step canning guide to the best homemade salsa on the planet! This is the only salsa I make because it is perfect for eating right away and even better when canned and put on the shelves to enjoy all year long.
Oh my goodness, this is the best homemade salsa ever.
I’ve been wanting to share it for a long time and finally put a step-by-step canning guide together for those that are new to canning or hesitant to try it (spoiler alert: it’s easy, and I really mean that).
With perfectly balanced flavors, somehow this salsa has become my go-to – both for canning and for eating right away.
It is fantastic and I’m always asked for the recipe when I decide to part with a jar.
I think Brian would revolt if I decided to change salsa loyalties.
You may not realize it, but salsa can be a very personal thing.
I used to kind of roll my eyes at people who got heated (no pun intended) over which homemade salsa recipe is the best (most of the aforementioned people don’t give out their secret recipes so I’ve had to end my friendship with them).
Now that I have The One, I have started to understand the passion, excitement and drama surrounding salsa.
I’d pretty much arm wrestle anyone who is willing just to prove that this is the best salsa ever.
Of course, I’d lose (wimpy arms) so we’d have to settle it over a taste test, and I am 100% more confident in that test than in the arm wrestle results.
Making and canning salsa is definitely not hard, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
1) Use a tested recipe. Canning is a great and fun (yes, I’m a nerd) way to preserve food and keep it on your shelves, but there are many food safety concerns related to canning and it’s important to use a recipe that’s been tested to ensure the pH levels are safe over time.
2) The variety of tomatoes doesn’t necessarily matter for this recipe, but the method does. This recipe calls for draining the peeled, chopped tomatoes and you’ll definitely want to follow this step otherwise your salsa will be watery.
3) Peeling tomatoes is the pits, but it must be done for this recipe (both from a texture and bacteria standpoint). I know my grandmother will roll in her grave, but I don’t use the traditional cut an X in the tomato, plunge it into boiling water and then submerge in an ice bath method.
Instead, I cut the tomatoes in half, place them cut-side down on a baking sheet, pop them under the hot oven broiler for 3-4 minutes (watch closely!) and the skins will wrinkle right up when the pan is removed, and after they are cooled, the skins will peel off really easily.
It’s brilliantly simple and has made me get over the dread of peeling tomatoes; it’s the only way I do it.
4) When it comes to my step-by-step guide below, I have used a steam bath canner to process the salsa. Disclaimer: Even though I prefer to use a steam bath canner (and so do lots of other home canners), many people and resources say there isn’t enough research about steam canners to know if they are safe enough to use.
So do your research and keep in mind that a water bath canner can definitely be used instead.
You’ll find a lot of information for both sides of the debate, so decide what feels right to you. I’m certainly not saying a steam canner is the only way to go.
UPDATE: Thanks to Janet in the comments for letting me know steam canners HAVE been approved by a national extension office and the National Center for Home Food Preservation for processing times under 45 minutes (here’s the article).
There are lots of other details and notes down below in the homemade salsa recipe and the step-by-step guide, so make sure to read thoroughly and feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Mostly, I want you to know that canning salsa is easy (and therapeutic; seriously, I love canning) and even more than that, this may be the only salsa recipe you’ll ever need.
As written, it’s not spicy – just perfectly balanced with all the delicious flavors of salsa.
If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect salsa recipe, this is it, baby.
So if you have homegrown tomatoes or know where to find some (please ask before you pick), this homemade salsa should be top on your list of recipes to make.
I hope you love it!
And I’m curious to know, after all this salsa talk, do you already have a favorite salsa recipe?
More importantly, would you arm wrestle to defend its title?
A List of Canning Tools I Use For this Recipe:
*several products below are affiliate links to Amazon where I’ve bought the product from
-this over-the-sink colander is awesome for draining the tomatoes
-my trusty Breville food processor (love of my life after I had two Cuisinart food processors die sudden deaths on me) does all the chopping
-this simple canning toolset has just about everything I need for filling and handling the jars
UPDATE 09/06/17: Lots of you have asked for a weight measure on the tomatoes. I’ve been canning this salsa the last few days and experimented weighing and measuring tomatoes. The result? Tomatoes are unpredictable! Meaning, the exact weight (that will yield the 10 cups drained needed in the recipe) is EXTREMELY variable depending on the type of tomato used.
When I used a combination of Roma/paste tomatoes and everyday garden tomatoes (don’t know the exact variety, but in this batch, Romas probably made up about 1/3 of the total amount of tomatoes), I needed almost six pounds of tomatoes to equal 2 1/2 cups of drained tomatoes. That’s because my non-paste tomatoes have a ton of liquid that drains off. Today, I measured 2 pounds of JUST paste tomatoes (about 12-14 small to medium Romas from my garden) and after taking the skins off, crushing lightly and letting drain, I had a little over 1 cup of drained tomatoes to use for this salsa. I do tend to err on the side of over-draining, as an FYI.
I’ll add notes to the recipe and in the comment thread below. Basically, a lot will depend on the variety of tomatoes you have and you should really just use the weight measure as a guideline since it may vary quite a bit.
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The exact weight of tomatoes will depend on the variety you use. I like to use roma (paste tomatoes) if I have them because the water content is less but any kind of tomato will work. The key is to peel the tomatoes and let them drain. See the step-by-step tutorial below the recipe for a visual. I like to pull out and discard the thicker white core of the tomatoes. UPDATE: Since many of you have asked about a weight measure for the 10 cups of tomatoes, as I've been canning the salsa the last few days, I've done a little experimenting/research. Basically, I've found it varies GREATLY depending on variety. When I used SIX pounds of garden tomatoes + Roma (the paste tomatoes probably only made up about 1/3 of the total), after taking the skins off, lightly crushing, and draining, the yield of tomatoes to use in this recipe was about 2 1/2 cups. When I used TWO pounds of only Roma/paste tomatoes, after taking the skins off, lightly crushing, and draining, the yield of tomatoes to use was a little over one cup. I tend to err on the side of over draining the tomatoes, if anything, so that makes a difference as well. For me, because I usually use paste tomatoes in this recipe, I would plan on around 18-20 pounds (give or take) of Roma/paste tomatoes to get the 10 cups for this recipe...and even more if using tomatoes with a higher water/lower flesh content. If you don't have canning or pickling salt and would prefer not to buy it, you can use coarse, kosher salt (or experiment with table salt) but make sure it doesn't have added iodine or any other additives. I don't like messing with a water bath and bowl of ice water to peel the tomatoes; instead, I cut them in half and place them cut side down on a large baking sheet (really cram them in there in a single layer). I broil them for 3-4 minutes until the skins begin to pucker. Once they come out of the oven, the skins will wrinkle and peel right off and the baking sheet is easily cleaned. For this recipe, I use about three sheet pans of tomatoes (again the exact amount will depend on variety). For easy and fast chopping, I throw the onion, green pepper, jalapeños and garlic in the food processor and process until chopped to the desired size. As with all canning recipes, this recipe has been developed and tested specifically to make sure the pH level is safe for canning. Don't alter the amount of acidity (vinegar). You CAN substitute some of the vinegar for bottled lemon juice if you want to play around with flavor. Dried spices won't affect pH, so you can also experiment with those, but the amount of vegetables and tomatoes and acidity need to stay the same. I have not canned this recipe in a pressure canner, but I have given details in the post above about steam canners vs. water bath canners. Please do your own research to decide what method is best for you. This recipe can be doubled or tripled (make sure you have a big pot ready!) or halved. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.The Best Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Love this recipe.
Is it ok to simmer for longer than 10 minutes or will that affect the PH? I have found when I simmer recipes longer 30 – 60 minutes the flavor is much better.
Is it safe to do that with this recipe?
Can you put tomatoes, etc. in a non stick pot to cook?
It probably depends on the brand of the pot, so I would check with the manufacturer (but I think it should be ok).
Do you a scale for the ingredients to make 7 pints?
For those who have made this recipe without changes, was there any heat to it? Our family doesn’t like ANY heat! Thanks!
Best salsa I’ve ever had!
I wanted to use up tomatoes I’d frozen last year so used those. Added 6oz tomato paste instead of 12. Perfect consistency.
Thanks for this salsa recipe! My husband LOVES it and cannot get enough of it!! The only difference I did was to also had a few chilies we had in our garden too, he likes the heat.
I like the recipe.
I do not like , whatsoever, at all, putting tomatoes under a broiler. The heat doesn’t get the sides of the tomato and I needed to use a knife to not waste half the tomato!!
I would NEVER recommend peeling tomatoes this way. Ridiculous. Won’t rate this, even though the recipe is good.
Did you try putting them in an oven on 525° until the skins are wrinkly? That’s what works for me. I’ve done it with large tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes with success.
Hi Jay – sounds like leaving the tomatoes under the broiler for longer will help.
I’ve never made salsa before, but could we add tomatillos to this recipe? Would that affect the safety of it? Do you think the flavor would be good?
Unfortunately, I don’t know how adding tomatillos would affect the pH. Sorry!
I have a TON of cherry tomatoes from my garden. Could I use these? I don’t think it’ll be easy to remove the skins, so could I leave them on?
Thanks!
I don’t know how leaving the skins on will affect taste or pH so I can’t really give a good recommendation. Sorry!
This recipe was terrific! My neighbor had a ton of cherry & grape tomatoes she was giving away so I decided to put them to good use. Granted, the smaller sizes meant they took longer than full size ones to cut and take the skins off, but they were free and worked just fine! And they were sweeter so I didn’t even need to add any sugar).
I loved the step-by-step photo instructions and the tip about broiling instead of boiling was a huge time saver. You rock, Mel!
After the canning process is completed the jars should sit untouched for 12 hours. Then remove the rings or bands to see if the lid with the button on the top is sealed on. You should never push the button down if the water bath was properly done the button will automatically seal. You will hear it make a “bing” sound.
“don’t push the button down”
P.S. shouldn’t there be lime added to all tomato canning recipes?
What do you use for “tomato sauce”??
It’s smooth, pureed tomatoes (comes in a can labeled tomato sauce here in the US).
I have a lot of Anaheims I want to use. How many can I add without changing oh levels?
I meant ph
I believe you can use them in place of the green pepper (adding additional Anaheim peppers on top of the green peppers in the recipe will change the pH).
This is the perfect recipe to use up fresh tomatoes from the garden. Absolutely delicious! Perfect amount of salt, sugar, and acid. It addictive! I will definitely make this again. (Works in half batches as well)
Have you ever added lime juice?
I haven’t, but I believe others have experimented (detailed in the comments below).
How much does this recipe make?
8-9 pints.
I have canned for years, I have always made my family recipe of chili sauce. This year my youngest child let me know he doesn’t like the chili sauce “it’s too sweet” he said. Why don’t you make salsa? Honestly, I love salsa but I can’t eat hot spicey food and everyone else’s mild is way too hot for me, and I don’t like thin runny salsa. I read through the recipe and it just made sense…I made it and I absolutely love. I let my son try some and he accused me of “rebottleing” Pace’s salsa. Thank you for sharing your recipe it is going to be up there next to the several generations old chili sauce.
Kandice, did you put the jalapenos in? Our family doesn’t like ANY heat! Like you, other peoples’ mild is too hot! Was it hot at all? (I’m afraid of altering the PH if I leave them out.) Thanks!
Hi I am going to can some sals tomorrow. Do you think lime juice would work instead of vinegar? Also can you add things to this recipe like beans or mango? Or should I just stick to the original recipe.
Others in the comment thread have added their experience and thoughts about using lime juice – I’m not sure how it changes the safety/pH levels to sub in lime juice for the vinegar so I can’t whole heartedly recommend the change. Also, adding other ingredients, particularly low acidity foods, will change the pH levels so that it isn’t safe for water bath canning.
I made this today, I only used 3 Jalapeños and left seed in 1 1/2 of them before I put thru my processor and added extra garlic. I used regular tomatoes so I had extra juice. As we like our Salsa a bit runny and chunky. I did add an extra 12 oz can of paste to thicken up a bit. The flavor is on point,
Also Thank You for the tip on peeling the tomatoes, so much easier!! This was my first time canning salsa I will definitely use this recipe when I make more
For me, the apple cider vinegar was so overpowering. None of the other flavors came through. What did I do wrong?
Do you know how long to water bath if using quart jars instead pints?
I don’t – but you could probably google a recommendation.
Salsa should never be made in quart jars to stay safe. ♀️
I have a question if whether you can substitute white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar?
Yes…it will change the flavor, but other types of vinegar will work.
This salsa is amazing!! I omitted the cilantro because some family members don’t like it. My three kids loved it!! And thanks for the tip with peeling the tomatoes, it works amazing!! Made doing batches of diced tomatoes significantly easier too!!! I would say it is a medium spice level with the called for jalapeños as well.
Hi Mel,
I am not new to canning but, would like to know if I can and how long to process this in a pressure cooker?
Thanks
I’m not sure – I’ve never pressure canned this. Sorry! You might try googling a recommendation.
Is it safe to change the type of peppers you add for the “5 cups of jalapenos”? I have a mixture of hot peppers in my garden I would like to use up as well as jalapenos. Thanks!
Yes, you can change up the type of pepper as long as you don’t drastically increase the quantity (also, the recipe does NOT call for 5 cups of jalapenos – just 5 individual jalapeno peppers).
Well, as a first time salsa canner I blew it. Prepped all my tomatoes, thinking I had more than enough, but ended up with just less than 4 cups and an overload of fresh cut up veggies. Now I’ll move on to making a batch of fresh salsa for the refrigerator. Should I cook up all the ingredients or just mix and cool?
I think this salsa tastes best after it has simmered.
I made this salsa last year and we loved it! I will absolutely be using this recipe again this year and making much much more. Thank you!
Could I use the “juice” for tomato juice if I didn’t put cooking spray on the pans when broiling them or do you think that there is to little pulp for it to be used as tomato juice?
I’d love to make more but am in a time crunch. Can whole peeled canned tomatoes be substituted?
You can try (I haven’t so I don’t know how it would affect texture and flavor)
Thx, i’m going to try it fresh first for taste but wondered if this would change the acidity. From what I have researched, canned tomatoes in tomato juice have the same acidity. BTW, my niece worked with your husband at a certain cheese company in Wisconsin years ago – she turned me to your recipes which really are foolproof!
Let me know how it turns out! And thanks for mentioning that…small world! So happy you found your way here. 🙂
I am using my home grown produce for this recipe. However, my Jalapeno’s are much smaller than store bought. How can I be sure to use enough to be safe for canning?
Using less jalapenos won’t compromise the safety of the salsa.
How long will this last in the fridge?
Probably a week or so.
Amazing salsa!!! Now I need to make more because I loved it so much. I used 20# all Roma tomatoes, drained them very well and got 10 cups tomatoes. I also used 8 jalapeño peppers because I had them and the jalapeños seem much milder ( I still cut out the ribs and seeds). Otherwise followed the recipe and got 10 pints salsa with about a third of a jar extra for taste testing.
The tomato prep took me a long time – especially cutting out the white core. I had 6 cookie sheets of tomatoes too. By far the longest part of recipe but worth it.
I haven’t made the recipe yet but I have a question about the processing.
I put my washed canning jars in the oven at approximately 300F until they are very hot.
I would make the salsa in my big stock pot and bring it to a boil, then let it simmer.
I would take a jar out of the oven, fill it with the hot salsa and put the lid on.
The lids are in a pot of simmering water to soften the rubber.
When done, the jars start popping as they seal.
I always do my canned tomato’s this way and have never had a problem with any of them going bad.
Hi Deborah – the hot jars of salsa still need to be processed correctly in a steam or water bath to be considered “safe”
What can I sub for the apple cider vinegar?
You can try another variety of vinegar.
What an awesome recipe! The only changes that I made were to add a tiny bit more salt, an extra jalapeno pepper, and 1/4 cup of Splenda. I also was short by 2 cups of tomatoes, so I added two 28-oz cans of San Marzano peeled tomatoes (tomatoes only, no sauce). (I didn’t want to recalculate the other ingredients.)
The prep took me longer as I had very few Roma tomatoes and mostly regular, juicy ones, and I minced the jalapenos and garlic by hand. But it was worth every bit of effort. I got just about 9 jars of salsa and am getting ready to use the water bath to can them. Even my salsa-loving (and picky) husband approved!
Thanks so much, Mel!
This is the absolute BEST salsa recipe, hence the name 🙂 The first batch I made, I removed the jalapeno seeds and membranes. My family loved it! I made a comment that I can make it “warmer” which made it like a medium heat. Again, family loved it! Then I went all in and added the whole jalapeno, flesh and all of the seeds and membranes.
I gave out jars to friends and coworkers and they brought the jars back for refills!
One of my husband’s coworkers opened her jar at work and it was gone in less than 30 minutes.
Needless to say, made my 4th batch this past weekend and I’m sure I’ll be making more before the yummy tomatoes run out this fall.
THANK YOU!
When you added more jalapenos, did you still take the seeds and out? Or did you add in too? Wondering how many to put in for a medium-hot salsa.
5 jalapenos without inners and seeds is the perfect amount of spice for me. But spouse is looking for hotter. I’m wondering if just adding the inners and seeds of 5 is enough to bump up the slice level or if I should add more jalapenos too.
want to make this when our tomatoes are done in the garden, was curious, I like the flavor of green chilies, is there anything i can substitute to add green chilies from a can? dont want the ph to change, or will it not effect the ph, also, the green bell peppers, can i do colored peppers for these? like the orange yellow, etc?
Yes, you can sub in other colors of peppers for the green pepper. As for adding green chiles (from a can), that will affect the pH. I don’t know for sure how much or if it will still be safe for canning. Sorry.
Is the pasta sauce a requirement ? ….
I’d like to know this as well…so you need tomatoes and the tomato sauce?
I followed the recipe as specified with just one tiny little adjustment. I added two more jalapeños as we like spicier salsa. The tomatoes I used from our garden were all of the juicy varieties, no paste types. I started with approximately 20 pounds of tomatoes and ended up with 14 pints of salsa of medium consistency. I diced the first half and put them into a colander as I chopped. I then realized this was going to take me well into the night, so used my Breville to grind up the remaining ingredients and added back the hand diced tomatoes. A ton of liquid had drained off, which was a good thing. The salsa turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
Good thing no one can see in through my LR window, ’cause I’m tipping the bowl up to my face to get all the juice! Didn’t have enough tomatoes for the recipe, came out to 1 1/2 c. crushed and drained … so was doing math all the way along, basically dividing by 5 LOL … no jalapeno, forgot to buy but used some flaked pepper, taste is fantastic. Obviously did not can but put a small jar in the freezer, will try again. Thanks once again, Mel!
Made the salsa today with tomatoes and peppers from my garden. Best salsa I had ever canned! The salsa has a wonderful texture, and the taste is fantastic! The only changes I make to this recipe is the amount of cilantro, which I threw in the whole bunch. My husband and I love cilantro. This recipe is for keeps. Thank you, Mel, for sharing!
I plan to pressure can this recipe. I would like to also make a batch adding my orchard peaches. Would this be ok since I am pressure canning anyway??
I’m not sure, Nancy – sorry!
This is my second year making this salsa and it is so good. Here’s my tip – It’s hard to figure out if I’ll yield 10 cups of tomatoes from what I start with. So, I measure the tomatoes (after draining) and adjust the rest of the recipe accordingly. For example, yesterday I had 8 cups of tomatoes, instead of 10. So, I multiplied (with a calculator) all the other ingredients by 0.8 or 80%. So, the ratio of all the ingredients, pH level, etc stayed the same.
I’m new to canning here. I just want to make sure I am using the right size jars. From your pictures it looks like half pint jars but the recipe says it yields 8-9 pints. Just want to verify before I start.
The pictures are actually pint size jars. 🙂
Do you think it would it be okay to use the “juice” that you get from the tomatoes when you broil them for tomato juice if you don’t spray the pan with anything or do you think it would not have enough pulp?
It’s pretty watery – more like tomato water than tomato juice.
I was wondering if I use 30 cups of tomatoes do I triple the recipe?
If that is 30 cups of peeled, chopped and drained tomatoes, then yes, you’d want to triple all the other ingredients.
I want to make a salsa that is low FODMAP friendly for canning (no onion, no garlic). I know the pH is a delicate issue and you shouldn’t increase veggies to acid ratio, but if I just took out the onion altogether and added some chive for flavor and a small amount of garlic infused olive oil, could I still safely can it you think? If anything I can only imagine it would be more acidic not less?
My gut feeling is yes, it should be fine because the acidity is high – just to be safe, you might try googling other FODMAP canned salsa recipes to see how they compare.
will it effect the ph or balance of preserving if I add more jalapenos?
As long as it isn’t cups extra, it should be fine.
I wish you would make this possible to save on Pinterest so i can keep my recipes together!
This is a fabulous recipe! Each summer, I always have an over-abundance of tomatoes in my garden so I was really happy when I came across this recipe. I canned several jars and gave some of them away to friends and family. Needless to say, it was a huge hit. So a great big THANK YOU to you, Mel!
I do have one question. Can I add canned corn and canned black beans to this recipe and have it remain safe for canning? I’m concerned that by adding these two ingredients it may alter the pH level.
Unfortunately, adding those two ingredients would affect the pH and I don’t think it would stay safe for canning without other adjustments.
Can I use citric acid from Ball instead of the vinegar? And can I use 7 cups of diced tomatoes and then 3 cups of the natural juices to make 10 cups for a thinner salsa?
I’m not sure if the citric acid will work in terms of flavor/canning safety. You could experiment with the tomatoes and juice to see how that works.
What if I just want to make salsa for a party this weekend? Shrink the batch and refrigerate?
Yes, you can definitely do that.
Wouldn’t upping the amount of onions throw off the pH and make it less acidic for safe canning?
What do you do with tomatoes while you are waiting to have enough from the garden to make a batch? Do you peel and freeze? Freeze straight from the garden? Hope they make it in the fridge?
That’s a great question, Lynette. I pop them in a freezer bag in the freezer. When they thaw, the skins come right off so there’s no need to go to the extra work of broiling them or popping them in a water bath to get the skins off!
Would it be okay if the romas were frozen first? I have been freezing mine because I was getting so many at first and did not want them to waste and didn’t have time to do any canning at the time.
Thank you,
Ashley Foss
Yes! I’ve used frozen and thawed roma tomatoes for this salsa.
Tried your homemade canned salsa recipe today. Pretty good. Better than store-bought salsa, for sure. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it hot enough. If I make it again, I’ll forego removing the seeds from any of the peppers. I actually prefer the fresh salsa I make that uses canned tomatoes. I’m not stingy about sharing the recipe; here it is: 2 cans of tomatoes (see note below);
4 medium jalapeno peppers OR same amount of other hot peppers (remove seeds if less heat is desired, but wear gloves!);
1 medium onion;
1 Tbsp. black pepper;
1/2 tsp. garlic powder OR 2 to 3 cloves of garlic;
1/2 tsp. cumin;
1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. salt;
cilantro to taste;
juice of 1 lime.
Add to blender or food processor and pulse until chunky.
NOTE: The tomatoes make or break this recipe. I recommend tomatoes canned in their own juices (in other words, tomatoes NOT canned in tomato sauce) with no sugar added; store brands sometimes work better than name brands. I’ve had good luck with Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes in the past, but I think they may be adding sugar to their diced tomatoes now.
Can you use lime juice instead of lemon?
Great recipe very easy, I am a wimp when it comes to spice foods so I only used 2 peppers and left seeds in, Next time I make it I won’t use sugar, My family said it was way to sweet but flavor was amazing.
Great recipe very easy, I am a wimp when it comes to spice foods so I only used 2 peppers and left seeds in, Next time I make it I won’t use sugar, My family said it was way to sweet but flavor was amazing.
Do you have to drain the tomatoes for this recipe? I like my salsa thinner and usually don’t drain them. Thanks!
You can experiment not draining – it will make the salsa much thinner (which may affect the overall flavor and could impact the pH).
What do you mean by tomato sauce?
I would like to use 1/2 pint jars and I am using a pressure canner. Would you please let me know how to adjust the time? Thanks!
I’m honestly not sure since I haven’t tried it and I don’t know how it would affect the canning safety – you might try googling to see what other salsa recipes recommend for 1/2 pint jars.
Absolutely by far the best salsa recipe. While canning I was eating it right out of the pan. Thank you for the recipe. The only one I will ever use.
How long do you have to wait before eating the salsa?
You can eat it immediately but the taste and flavor gets better over a little bit of time.
This salsa is great!!! I was looking for a good recipe to use for canning and this just happened to be the first one I tried. I will not be looking for anymore recipes! My husband and I are very happy with this one. Can’t wait to get more tomatoes out of my garden and make more
Can you use lime juice instead of lemon?
I haven’t tried that, but you could experiment.
I have to agree “this is the best salsa recipe” I have ever used. My husband and I made it and it flew off our pantry shelf. I did, however, substitute the bell pepper with green chilis. Oh, and the broiling the tomatoes is the BEST way to get the skins off. I wont ever use the boiling water method again.
Thank you for sharing.
This is an amazingly simple recipe for even a novice canner. I upped the amount of onions to 4 cups, left in the seeds on two of the peppers, went to 2/3 cup cilantro and went with three teaspoons of cumin… I like spicy :). Also, the “almost 20 pounds” is right for medium sized (not Roma) slicer-type tomatoes – I had 19.75 pounds and ended up with 8 pints. Love this recipe!
Hi, just wondering how long this will last once canned? I’d like to make several using the fresh summer veggies, and then give as Christmas gifts.
If properly canned and stored in a cool dry spot, it should last up to a year
Can you give processing time for quarts? Tks!
I only ever process in pints so I’m not sure; you might try googling a canned salsa recipe for quarts to compare.
This recipe is a winner
Wow!!! I made this yesterday and it was soooo good. Absolutely delicious!! Perfect thickness for dipping chips. Next batch I will try to bump up the heat some as it was very mild and had no bite . My husband has already asked me to make more, which I plan to do soon. I used mostly red and a few yellow slicing tomatoes from our garden. Left out the sugar completely as the tomatoes were pretty sweet. I used one 6oz can if tomato paste just to thicken it up a bit. I followed the recipe with all the other ingredients but I did make a change to the liquid. I used 1 cup of apple cider vinegar 5% and 1/2 cup of bottled lime juice. Could you please advise me if you think this had enough acid to be safe before I make another batch. Thank you for such a wonderful and delicious salsa recipe.
Hey there! Unfortunately I can’t advise on canning safety if the acidity is changed from the original recipe. Sorry about that!
I made this salsa last night using mostly home grown tomatoes and about six roma tomatoes. I used less sugar and could have probably used even less because my tomatoes were so deliciously ripe! This sals is really delicious and not spicy at all. Next time I think I’ll add a little more jalapeños because I like a little zing. This is going to be a make again!
This was my first time making salsa. I used all the ingredients but the sugar and tomato paste. I opted to save my juice from the tomatoes, hated to waste all that flavor. It turned out perfect, not to thin and not too thick. The best salsa recipe by far. My tomatoes were fresh from my garden. The whole family loves it! Thanks!
I rarely comment on internet recipes but this one is fantastic. I’m an occasional canner and o found myself having purchased way too many tomatoes at the grocery store. Even using those marginal tomatoes, this was delicious. I let the skinless tomatoes drain for a few hours while I did yard work. I made a half batch and followed the recipe exactly, except that I added more powdered chipotle spice. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Would there be any effect if you jarred this in quart jars rather than pints?
The processing time will need to be increased – I think many people have done so in the comment thread (there is some concern about canning safety if using quart jars since they are bigger and the salsa may not heat too high enough temp)
Mel, I have read your entire recipe and all your tips sounds great and I’m ready to give it a try. I do have one big question my husband and I cannot stand the taste of cilantro or oregano. Do you have any other ideas on what spice we could use in place of it . I was thinking smoked paprika might be nice, but would like to know if you have a good secondary . I am waiting on your response before I jump off into this. It will be my first canning experience ,pray for me ,and I love the idea of doing the tomatoes in the oven thanks so much.
Hi Sharon, I’d suggest something mild like parsley (you can leave out the cilantro if you like)
Can I boil the jars for 15 minutes in a covered pot of water if I don’t have a steam canner?
Yes, you can process the salsa in a water bath canner.
Be careful to have a rack or crumpled foil under the jars so the jars are not sitting directly on the bottom of the pan. Last year I made salsa in my giant soup pot that way. This Year I graduated to a water bath canner!
As a professional chef, I have been gardening, cooking and canning my own foods for years. I live on 80 acres so have the advantage of raising my own vegetables, fruits, eggs and meats. I bring this up now to point out the importance of fresh ingredients and “by hand preparation.” I have every “toy” a kitchen could dream of but my favorite tools are my knives. Processors and blenders are faster but that’s where it ends. I understand that time is precious and shortcuts are helpful.
The only thing that you can do to improve this recipe is to take the time to prepare your ingredients with care and consistency. I cut everything for this recipe by hand first: tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic……everything. No seeds left in anything. Your finished product will be beautiful. I use red, yellow and green peppers, equally, for color. Fresh garlic…nothing out of a jar.
I just finished making 45 pints and am thrilled to have this recipe. I have had several favorite salsa recipes over the years but each time I find a better one……it moves to the “winner’s circle.” This is a true winner!
Thank you for sharing it.
Hi, I’m new to the canning world but I made my first batch of salsa and it had a real vinagry taste to it. What did I do wrong so I won’t do it again? I followed the recipe step by step. Please Help!!!
Kelli
If you followed the recipe step by step, it may be that you won’t like the taste or flavor of this one??
Kelli, just give it a couple months in storage. Most times, as the flavors have time to blend, the vinegary taste will subside somewhat
Hi Mel one more question and I’ll quit bugging. Lol. I did a 1/2 batch and used about 10 pounds of Roma’s based on what I read on recipe tips however after running tomatoes through blender after they drained for 30 minutes it took less than 5 lbs to get 5 cups. Did I do something wrong? By the way it smells absolutely yummy.
No worries on the questions! That’s what I’m here for. I don’t think you did anything wrong – it will depend so much on variety (even among Romas) so it’s ok if you got 5 cups with less pounds. If you feel like the tomatoes still needed longer draining you might try that next time (did it seem watery?), but it sounds like you did just fine.
No ma’am, had perfect texture and perfect thickness, was just worried about the pH levels
Do you use homemade or store bought tomato sauce? Will it make a difference? Thanks!
Hi, is it safe to make a 1/2 batch by cutting all ingredients in half? is it ok to use the dry cilantro leaves instead (bottled)?
Yes!
Getting ready to try this recipe. Will canned peeled tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, and canned tomato paste effect pH levels?
Probably but I can’t tell you exactly how since it would have to be tested – using all canned tomatoes in place of the fresh will make a difference in both pH and flavor.
Approximately how many pint jars are needed for this recipe
8-9 pints.
Can I substitute the vinegar for lime juice instead of lemon? I’ve always made my salsa with limes but haven’t tried canning it yet.
I’m not sure how that affects pH, Laurie so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
a quick google search indicates that limes are more acidic than lemons…
Lemons: 2.2 – 2.4
Limes: 1.8 – 2.0
Apple cider vinegar: 2.78? 3.3 to 3.5?
It would seem that a substitution of lime juice for apple cider vinegar would be ok…right? It would make the salsa more acidic.
I can’t say 100%, but yes, as long as it is more acidic instead of less, technically it should be ok.
If I use quart jars instead of pints, do I need to adjust the processing time in the steamer? This will be the first time my steamer is used. Looking forward to tasting. Thank you.
Yes, you’ll need to add time, but I don’t know how much exactly. You might try googling “steam canning salsa in quart jars” to get a good time reference!
My husband and I made this and absolutely love it!! We’ll be making this for a longtime! Thinking about adding corn in a batch! Thank you for posting!
My salsa is a bit thick , can I use some water to thine it down a bit?
I’m not sure – a lot depends on how much water you add because it can affect the pH of the salsa before canning (if the salsa has already been canned, yes, you can add water after a jar is opened).
If you want to thin out your salsa if you feel it’s too thick for your preference, next time save your dained tomato liquid and add it to thin out your recipe. The acidity pH will not change since it’s part of the tomato’s makeup, unlike just plain water. I always save the drianed liquid from tomatoes to use in other recipes, it freezes extremely well for future use.
I love this recipe! Since I don’t like green peppers I substituted fresh roast red and pobano peppers. Amazing. Wondering if adding more roasted peppers would counteract with the canning ratios.
This salsa is wonderful. My wife, who does not care for tomatoes asked if she can take all of the jard to college with her. Thank you!
So do I measure the 10 cups of tomatoes after I have peeled, cored and drained them?
Yes
Absolutely one of the best salsa recipes i have tried!!!
Your recipe is original one? My kids love it so much, and I intend to do it again next week! Thank you, Mel!
I’m not a fan of bell pepper; will leaving it out throw off the pH?
It should be fine since it won’t decrease the acidity – but the flavor will definitely be different.
Thank you; I appreciate it!
Explain, please, about tomato peels. My tomatoes are quartered or smaller, still with peels. What are the safety consequences? Also, BTW, thanks for the update on steam canners. I’ve used one for years (and for you canning newcomers, they’re cheap at Goodwill, etc.), with the reluctant, hard-won approval of a food science pro, only on condition of his anonomity (because of that research issue). Glad to know approval is now official!
You’d have to talk to a food safety or canning expert to really know the implications of using tomatoes with the skins on. I’ve heard it can decrease the pH and compromise canning safety but other sources will tell you it’s fine (keep in mind keeping the skins on can affect flavor, too).
How can i do this without a canner?
You can make it and keep it in the refrigerator for a week or so (or freeze it). Without a canner, there isn’t a way to make it safe to keep at room temperature on the shelf.
Since your only cooking this for 10 mins, is the onions and peppers still hard? Can I cook for longer if need be
Yeah it depends on how you really want it. You can cook the onions and peppers to your liking. But they really aren’t that hard cuz they do get cooked for a few minutes and then they sit in liquid till you eat it. Just depends on how you want your salsa to taste. I’d also say if you cook them to much they will get soggy and gross.
Yes, you can cook longer if you’d like.
Best salsa ever!
This was my first time making any salsa. 38 pounds of slicing tomatoes from the garden translated to 25 cups of tomatoes, in turn 23 pints of salsa. I used all lemon juice, no vinegar, no sugar. Excellent flavor! Looking forward to enjoying it. It will be hard to give any jars away. 🙂
Really, really good! I have made several batches this season, and am on my last two pot batch tonight, Hubby loves it! I added smoked paprika as well. All veggies from my garden but the organic garlic that was grown locally, yum, yum yum! Very tasty as a raw salsa too, having a hard time not eating it as I cook it down.
Hello may I ask how much smoked paprika you added?
Thank you so much!
Cheryl
Would you know how long it keeps in fridge when opened? I made this recipe yesterday and it is sooooo goood i had to restrain myself. I made the recipe before cooking supper, go figure! haha. Definitely a keeper, I will also teach my daughters to make it so it stays in the family! It was my first time canning with a bath, and it was a success. Thank you for your guide, sincerely.
About a week or so!
Love this recipe and the great visuals, I made it as stated above. It is delicious, my Dad loves it too, we can together and we can’t seem to stop eating this salsa. I tend to like it spicier so would add more jalapenos to part of the recipe next time, I might experiment with part bottled lemon juice (safer for canning as pH is consistent) and part vinegar. The flavors are wonderful. Thank you for the great recipe.
This recipe makes excellent salsa!!!. Some might find it a bit spicy but I love it!
I’ve come across salsa recipes that call for “fire roasted tomatoes”, which are tomatoes that are cooked exactly like you say in the oven, except they are left until blackened, which infuses them with a smoky flavor. The peels, like in your recipe, are removed afterwards. Have you ever made this recipe with fire roasted tomatoes?
I haven’t but it sounds like it would add interesting flavor.
Fire roasted tomatoes are actually a little sweeter in taste than standard tomatoes, due to enhancement of the natural sugars in the tomatoes during the “fire roasting” process. I use a year round salsa recipe out of the Ball canning and preserving cookbook, that calls for “store bought canned” tomatoes, hence “year round”. I use canned fire roasted tomatoes to add a different flavor, along with canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to give the salsa a slight smokey spice bite. Chipotle peppers are actually ,”smoked” jalapeno peppers. My salsa variation gives a nice flavor twist, I like it anyways.
Hi, I came across your recipe and am eager to try it, but have never done any canning before, so I dont have a canner. I’ve tried doing a little research, and am a little overwhelmed, so I thought I would ask the source. Is this recipe safe to can in a water bath method, just covering it with boiling water for the recommended time in a big pot? Forgive me if that is a stupid question! Thanks so much, I cant wait to try it!!
Hi Markelle, yes you can safely can this salsa using a water bath for the jars.
Thank you! I’m making my first batch right now and cant wait to try it!
Mel, Regarding how many pounds of tomatoes one would need to get 10 cups after removing the peel and the seeds and draining well.
It does depend on the kind of tomato. I just recently bought 20 pounds of Ox Heart paste tomatoes , and I got 15 cups of usable tomatoes for my Salsa.
This salsa is the best! It is just the right blend of ingredients. It does use a lot of tomatoes though. I’m going to plan ahead and plant more in my garden next year just for this recipe.
I’m getting ready to make this salsa. Is it safe to use a different variety of pepper than jalapeños? I have a habanero plant in my garden and I want to use them for extra heat.
Yes, you can change up the jalapenos with habaneros.
Hello just made a batch of salsa, can’t wait to try it, how long after canning, will it be ready to eat?
Anytime!
16 bottles of salsa later, I realised this recipe is amazing!!!! Yum!!!Took a bit to covert it to Ozzie measurements but definitely definitely thinking of making another batch!!!!Thankyou soooo much for sharing this recipe!!
I have never made salsa. This was the first recipe I picked and will be the only one I need. It is surely the best salsa I have ever had
OMG! This IS the best salsa!!! I used Romas to make a tomato sauce for the recipe. I used regular fresh tomatoes from the garden and skinned, chopped, and squeezed juice from them. I followed the recipe exactly except for no sugar. I think the 100% apple cider vinegar is important (not apple cider flavored vinegar). Thanks so much for sharing your excellent salsa recipe.
I know some might consider this a big “no no”, but can one use canned tomatoes in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it, but I believe others in the comments might have.
Yes, you can use “store bought” canned tomatoes. I use a salsa recipe out of the Ball canning and preserving cookbook that is a “year round” salsa recipe calling for commercially canned tomatoes. I feel it’s a very good recipe, making it frequently.
I have doubled and tripled this recipe ! I’ve modified it to use less sugar and vinegar ; more garlic cilantro peppers ( hot) and added 1/2 cup lime juice to make up for less vinegar
It is phenomenal!!
This is an amazing, super fresh tasting recipe. I did not use any sugar in mine and used all Roma tomatoes. I used the recommended amount of tomato paste and anaheim peppers (all I had available) Honestly, it’s a garden in a jar.
Peeling tomatoes after a few minutes under the broiler is brilliant!
When you say tomato sauce, do you mean ketchup? Or passata? Or something else?
Thanks
I’m not sure what passata is, but tomato sauce comes in a can and is a thick blend of pureed tomatoes.
Delicious! The best salsa recipe! I had yet to like a homemade salsa but this recipe is AMAZING!
Can you use red pepper for green pepper in this? Forgot the green peppers at the store
I’m not 100% positive, but I think red bell peppers should sub fine for green.
Any color “sweet pepper” can be used. I use a mix of green, red, orange, and yellow sweet bell peppers in my salsa recipe to add some color. This year I planted a couple “purple” bell pepper plants and will be using them in my next batch of salsa. I also add a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce along with jalapeno peppers to add a slight smokey spice bite.
I added a tea spoon of fine ground hot pepper. now thats the slight hot I like and no tomato paste. I like it wet …Great recipe. the first time I ever made salsa and I am glad I found the perfect recipe.. on top of it all. its just like a recipe of a so called semi friend. that had his own recipe I liked and he wouldnt give it up. well ..he can bite this. now!! I got it. if not better ..ha ha !! you and your grand mother knew your stuff… Thanks !!
This is a fantastic recipe and I love the tip to broil the tomatoes to peel them….it worked great! I ended up using about 35 medium size vine grown tomatoes to make 10 cups of chopped, drained tomatoes. We don’t care for cilantro, so I substituted Italian parsley instead. I also added 1 or 2 tablespoon of lime juice in place of some of the vinegar. Love the flavour of this salsa and will definitely make this recipe again.
I found this on Pinterest a few weeks ago & it has been my go to for this season’s canning! Hubs loves it & I’ve lost track of how many jars we have put up. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hello, I’ve been canning food for 45 years, including many salsas–but I do have to say that this is definitely a keeper and I’ll be using it in the future–thanks! I made a half batch as I was at the tail end of my tomatoes at 9:00 Monday night and had just enough to make half of your recipe. I made the “new” version with less vinegar and with sugar in it–it’s just wonderful! Only changes I made were to use Poblano hot peppers which are milder than Jalapenos and less of them as I wanted a more mild salsa and to sub out 2 tablespoons of lime juice for 2 tablespoons of the cider vinegar. Made for a bright, tasty salsa!
If I could suggest–instead of all the calculating and worry about PH in this, or other recipes due to minor changes–I bought an electronic PH liquid meter from Amazon for about $12.99 and you just dip it in the liquid food, pool, or aquarium–and instant PH! Your salsa with my lime juice exchange was a comforting 3.6 PH. I would never just make up a canning recipe and depend on that inexpensive meter to be safe, but it lets me double check on all my tomatoes & water bath canning and the recipes I carefully choose for safety from Pinterest.
Also, I personally only fill & finish two jars at a time and put them in the canner on the rack then do two more till canner is full & I can lower rack into bottom. I highly recommend new canners who need to think about each step and work more slowly, only do one at a time to keep them hot.
Some of the online recipes and comments totally scare me to think what some people are doing, either by direct choice or lack of canning knowledge, that endangers their families’ lives! There was a lot of unexplained illness and death in the old days that I think could be partly due to food storage issues. It’s the opposite of the Lottery–you want to be the 1 in a million to win the lottery, but you DON’T want to be the 1 in a million to win the botulism contaminated canning jar! Canning is one process that you MUST follow the safety rules whether you’re a natural rule follower or a rebel!
First Best Salsa!! Is the 10 cups of tomatoes measured after you drain them? Can you omit the tomatoe sauce and paste without affecting the PH? I did it that way and it’s yummy! Just want to make sure it’s safe since I. Did 17 jars!
The tomato paste is optional but the tomato sauce is important for proper pH levels (and I measure the 10 cups of tomatoes after draining).
Made this salsa and love it. Followed directions exactly except I used 3/4 c vinegar and 1/2 c lime juice.
It’s a keeper for sure. Not too spicey for me as I am not a fan of hot Spicey. At first I thought it might be a tad too sweet but after canning process its perfect. I used Romas there is a hybrid I like to grow that produces much larger tomatoes also I used the paste as I like a thicker salsa. Thank you so much for this recipe. Will be making another batch for sure.
Can I substitute the jalapenos for cyans?
Making my second batch today: Absolutely delicious, thank you for posting it! I also broil my tomatoes to peel the skins, great tip. I love the fact you don’t need to add sugar.
I am canning salsa my plan is to add baby carrots just prior to the water bath. My recipe (BEST EVER) calls for sweet baby carrots but I don’t wana cook them in the salsa I want them as fresh as possible. I hope it works, I’ve been canning for 30 years but have never attempted my salsa… I’ll keep you posted. I just maybe on to something. LOL Also, my home email is not the email I provided that is my biz email.
Home email- [email protected]
Could I sub some lime juice for part of the vinegar? I haven’t made this yet but it seems a little light on cilantro for our taste. Would adding more affect the ph? Thanks!
Adding or subbing in ingredients can affect the pH; I can’t really offer input on how much cilantro you could add and still keep it “safe.” And I believe others have added lime juice for part of the vinegar, but I haven’t tried that myself.
I made it as written only added half the juice and no paste….yum! Thank you this salsa is amazing! I’m making the second batch to can today. We couldn’t stop eating it even before we canned it. Thank you again for sharing.
Was my first time canning salsa. I don’t like runny salsa this has a perfect consistency! right amount of spice that has a Kick but it doesn’t linger with you. Definitely will use this recipe again! The whole family loves it, even the kids! Thanks for all the tips… they all came in handy and I did the recipe exactly how it was. I got 4 pint jars and 3 quart size out of a batch.
I would like to say thank you for posting this salsa recipe. This is the first time I have every comment on a recipe I have come across on the internet. I made a double batch of this salsa yesterday. Followed recipe exact. I tasted the salsa before canning. It yielded 17 pints. Probably could have made 18 if I wouldn’t have eaten any. It was delicious. All the fresh flavors blended together perfectly. My family was overly complimentary of the taste as well. My daughter said it was the best she has every tasted in her life. That is saying a lot since she is a big fan of Mexican food, starting with chips and salsa. My husband couldn’t stop praising me, which I loved! This morning for breakfast, he had to have an omelet with salsa. At this rate I will have to make another batch before the season is over. Again, thank you, it is truly the “Best Homemade Salsa”. I would also like to add one more thing…the tip about putting tomatoes in the oven instead of boiling and ice bath was great. It was fast and easy. I have never heard this method before but I will be peeling my tomatoes that way from now on.
Thanks so much, Brenda! And thank you for taking the time to comment; I appreciate each and every comment people leave (even if I don’t have the time to respond to each one)!
I would like to say thank you for posting this salsa recipe. This is the first time I have every comment on a recipe I have come across on the internet. I made a double batch of this salsa yesterday. Followed recipe exact. I tasted the salsa before canning. It yielded 17 pints. Probably could have made 18 if I wouldn’t have eaten any. It was delicious. All the fresh flavors blended together perfectly. My family was overly complimentary of the taste as well. My daughter said it was the best she has every tasted in her life. That is saying a lot since she is a big fan of Mexican food, starting with chips and salsa. My husband couldn’t stop praising me, which I loved! This morning for breakfast, he had to have an omelet with salsa. At this rate I will have to make another batch before the season is over. Again, thank you, it is truly the “Best Homemade Salsa”.
Looks great!
Could this recipe be frozen instead of canned?
Yes
I love this salsa. I boil all ingredients, pour into pint or quart jars. I do not process in a canner. Boil the lids for 5 minutes, then attach the cover. Turn upside down on a board and cover with a heavy towel. Seals every time!!
How long do you cook this salsa recipe? You don’t use water bath?
Can you use Citric Acid in place of vinegar or lemon juice.? I use citric acid canning my tomatoes and spaghetti sauce.
The recipe hasn’t been tested using citric acid, so I don’t know.
I LOVE THIS SALSA! My mom and I canned a bunch of this yesterday with tomato’s from our garden and it is the best recipe. Thank you for posting this.
I just made my 4th batch of this salsa tonight. We have a huge vegetable garden and have been making it when enough tomatoes ripen. Absolutely love this recipe. I followed it exactly and have made 36 pint size jars. Have given away about half so I will make another 2 batches when the rest of the tomatoes are ready. Everyone loves it. Thank you so much for sharing this and the perfect instructions you gave!
Made this recipe today. Picked about two full plastic grocery bags of big boy tomatoes from garden which came out to almost exactly 10 cups (maybe 1/4 cup over) after peeling, crushing and draining. I used the traditional boil and ice bath since I hadn’t wanted to turn on oven since it was such a hot day. I altered the recipe only slightly. I ended up not using cilantro since after 3 days it went bad after picking it up from the grocery store. I did add about 2 or 3 Tbsp parsley flakes since I personally love parsley in almost everything I cook. Instead of garlic cloves I used three tsps chopped jar garlic which I always have on hand. I did add the sugar. I used 1 cup apple cider vinegar and ¼ cup lime juice. I did use the tomato paste as well. I used 5 large jalapenos and took the seeds and membranes out of half each. It gave it about almost MEDIUM HEAT if compared to store brands. Instead I used quart jars and somehow it came out to 7 quarts with about a pint left over I put in fridge to sample. I did the water bath as that is what I have always used. As soon as my father got home from work he took it out to try and my daughter was like mom hasn’t even tried it yet. We all tried it and absolutely loved the taste. Mom don’t eat salsa or spicy so she wasn’t included in the vote. Lol. 3 out of 3 loved it in my house. Bummed I had already promised my brother and my bfs mom a jar. Lol. I already know this salsa wont last through winter. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. Saving for future years.
I am on my second batch and I bought 20 lbs. of tomatoes at the Farmers Market to offset my own tomatoes which I did not have enough of…..I left them out on patio for about 4 days……I have been working on this salsa all day…..I actually ended up with 17 cups of tomatoes in the end…….I adjusted the measurements of everything else accordingly and it is turning out great…..my husband loves it…..so do I……I had given away too much though and have to make more…..this time I am making it a little bit hotter……maybe I won’t get asked for more if I make it hotter…..lol Anyway, just wanted to let you know that this is my only salsa recipe that I will make now……excellent!!!!!
I have never made salsa before (or canned anything) and I’m planning on making this tonight just to eat right away. So I still need to boil and simmer, correct?
Simmering it will intensify and deepen the flavors so I would still recommend doing that even if you aren’t canning it in a water bath.
I don’t have all the tools necessary to do canning. Was thinking I’d make a couple of jars to eat right away. How long will the salsa last fresh in in the fridge?
A lot will depend on the freshness of the ingredients you use, but I’d guess about 1-2 weeks.
Time saver! Large restaurant size can of diced tomatoes is about 10 cups when drained. Save the liquid in case your salsa needs to be thinned out. Follow rest of recipe.
Did you can it using those type of tomatoes? Will it effect the pH levels?
We absolutely love the recipe, making second batch. It’s perfect! Grandkids can’t get enough.
First time canning, salsa turned out great!!! Thanks for sharing… I am hooked!
Carrie
The best salsa ever,
This is truly the best salsa recipe I’ve ever tasted get a nice blend of all flavors. Follow ed directions to a tee would not change anything!!!!!!
Hi Mel! Since I don’t have a steam or water bath canner, I think I’ll plan on freezing the salsa. Do you know if the texture is okay after freezing? Thanks!
I haven’t frozen this salsa, Marcie – so I don’t know how the texture and flavor fares, but I think others have tried and reported that it works well!
I just made this recipe and I love love love it. I used all my tomatoes and green peppers from my garden. Now I’m going to the market to buy more tomatoes and bell peppers to make more. This is a wonderful gift to give as a hostess gift around the holiday season.
Just made this turned out great. Thankyou for all the canning information, it really helped in the process.
This recipe is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing it,
My salsa recipe is almost identical to this one. The only difference is the amount of vinegar. My recipe calls for 1/3 cup. Is this a concern? Should I increase the amount. I have used my recipe for the past 3 summers with no ill effects.
I can’t say for sure, but that amount of vinegar does seem low for the acidity needed to get the pH to a safe canning level.
Plan to make this salsa tomorrow…can I use minced garlic in oil, instead of whole cloves? Is there any reason why I should not do that? I have SOME experience with canning, but am not sure if this will affect safe canning results? Thanx in advance, anyone, for any info you can provide!
Yes, I think that would work as long as the oil added with the garlic is minimal (oil can bring down the pH level).
Great Salsa recipe! The taste is so perfect! We are big garlic and heat fans, so I added garlic and jalapeños. Great tip on roasting and not blanching the tomatoes! This is undoubtedly the best salsa I have ever made! Thank You!
So how many jars for this recipe?
It yields 8-9 pints for me.
Loved it! I used 6 jalapenos , 2 with seeds (we LOVE spicy) 2 cups green pepper. 4 cup onion. 10 cloves garlic. 1 cup white vin. with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Instead of tom. sauce i used the juice that drained off tomatoes. I did a spice, med and mild and we LOVE them all!
I decided to try a new canning recipe & I hate having to peel tomatoes…& i found this….
I absolutley love it…I bottled 21 pints yesterday! I’m hooked….& the oven method for tomatoes is brilliant!
This was my first attempt at canning and making salsa. I followed your recipe word for word. It came out amazing. My family loves it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I am looking forward to trying your pasta sauce.
This was my first attempt at making salsa. And I’m happy to say it was a complete success (yeah me!) thanks to this recipe. It’s simple yet has the perfect blend of everything to make it the best salsa ever. My entire family loved it! ( and that speaks volumes ) making some more tonight with some friend. Thank you for a great recipe.
I made a batch of this last weekend and is fantastic! I was looking for a sweet and spicy recipe and this is IT! I did not really make any changes other than extra garlic and I added a splash of lime juice. I’m making a double batch this weekend and I’m going to cut back a little on the sugar and leave some seeds in my jalapeños. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
I have made this recipe 3 times since last year. Everyone loves it. I do omit the sugar and cilantro but it is fabulous and people ask for me to make over and over. Thank you so much for this recipe.
It’s pretty good. I did like someone else and halved the vinegar and squeezed five limes into the mix. I gave it four stars because I’m not a big fan of vinegar in salsa recipes. More like 4.5 stars but there is no option. It’s better than store bought and holds up to dipping without dripping on a quality corn chip. I will make this again as it gave me eight pints which is convenient for my hot packing pot. So for a cold wimter night this recipe will find its way to snack and a movie. One thing I didn’t do was using a food processor, tnough I have them, because I wanted my pepper and onion bits to be sliced into little cubes for a more professional look or appeal. Got a really sharp thin six inch damascus steel Japaneese knife which is fun to use as it is precise and makes clean cuts. The bottles look great when packed. So overall, this recipe gets a big thumbs up. I have marked this recipe on my tablet for future use. Again….well done Mel.
This was amazing!!! I’ve never had so many great complements on a salsa recipe than this one!!!
I like that detailed step by step. Well done explaining this recipe. Nice trick on the oven peel method too.
I’ll rate it after I make it. But it looks good and I have some great picture perfect Amish Paste tomatoes garden ripe right now just waiting to be eaten up while watching a movie during a cold winter night.
I don’t see where it says anywhere approximately how many jars this recipe will make!?
8-9 pints.
I got around a gallon of liquid from draining my tomatoes. Can it be made into tomato juice? Most recipies I find call for milling cooked tomatoes. It seems thick enough. Second year making this recipie. It is so good fresh I only end up with a few pints to can!
I think others in this comment thread have used the drained juice for tomato sauce…
You can cook it down a little with some other veggies (carrot, onion, celery etc you can even use the left over choppings like carrot ends) cool it down and freeze in ice cube trays….great veggie stock for winter soups
If i use lime juice in place of some of the vinegar, can I use fresh limes, or do I need to use bottled lime juice?
I’ve read it’s safest to use bottled lime or lemon juice because the acidity is guaranteed whereas with fresh limes, they may not be as acidic, but you might want to do some googling to figure that out for sure.
I am cooking up a batch of this right now! Oh my!! I love the flavor of this! It will be a go to for future canning salsa! I used 4 jalapenos from my garden and a small habanero..first time growing them! Perfect heat! I give it a 2 thumbs up!!
I have TONS of yellow pear, orange and red cherry as well as some larger variety red tomatoes from my garden — can I use all these varieties combined to make this recipe? I want to use them all up before they go bad!
I *think* so but I’m not absolutely positive what the acidity is in yellow and orange tomatoes. You might try googling to see if you can use those in place of regular tomatoes?
We lost our salsa recipe we used so i have not tried this yet but sounds very much like what we had.. will let you know how it turns out
I made this with 7 red jalapeños, no sugar, 3 1/2 tsp cumin and double the garlic. I used kosher salt instead of canning, and 3/4 cup cider vinegar and used bottled lemon juice for the other 1/2 cup of acidifier. I also tripled the cilantro. It’s lovely. Thank you. I tend to make a roasted salsa so this was a nice change. A note on peeling and draining the tomatoes – let them cook int the broiler until a few skins blacken. This allows for easier peeling as you noted, but also allows much of the water to flow into your sheet pan. I found I squoze them slightly with my tongs and put them directly into the food processor then
Into my 4 cup measuring Pyrex. I then placed a sieve on top and pushed out any more water there was not much more- I used all fresh plums. Enjoy.
So you basically made a different recipe. Lol ::wink wink::
If I were to make half the recipe, how much vinegar would I need? Converted that comes to just a little over 1/2 a cup, but not 3/4. Just don’t want to risk the safety of the food.
I’d probably suggest 2/3 cup.
I’m new to canning & just curious why some salsa recipes call for water or steam baths & others don’t. Last year I made a salsa recipe that did not require the water or steam bath— but salsa did have to cooked for approximately 1.5 hrs then labeled into hot jars ( out of the oven).
Do you know whether your recipe might work without the bath?
Thanks
I made this salsa using my husband’s grandmother’s 50+ year old pressure canner and it worked wonderfully. I cooked it on 10 lb pressure for 10 minutes. All the vegetables were the correct consistency (cooked). My family and friends love it, so today I am making a double batch using pint and 1/2 pint jars. I’m hoping it will last at least a little longer than than single batch I made a month ago. Hope this answers your question!
If the recipe didn’t require a water or steam path (or pressure canner) then it needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer because it will spoil if left at room temperature. Recipes that call for a water or steam bath mean the salsa (once canned in jars and processed according to the recipe in a water or steam bath) can be stored on pantry shelves. This recipe will definitely work without the water or steam processing but it will need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Hope that helps!
Made 6 pints of this today. Superb. Thanks for a great, simple salsa recipe.
Just made this salsa and am extremely happy with the result! Thank you for sharing your lovely recipe!
Whoever discovered the broiler method for easy removal of tomatoe skin is a GENIUS!! This works GREAT!! Just made your recipe but have yet to taste test with chips but several tastes on spoon & the aroma from it makes me think it’s a winner.
Thanks, Mary – I agree about the broiler. It was a lifechanging method for me, too!
I am not a fan of bell peppers. Is that an ingredient I can leave out and not mess with the ph level?
Yes, it should be fine because it won’t decrease the acidity, but it will change the overall flavor profile of the salsa.
I can’t even taste the individual bell peppers. I use red and yellow/orange peppers in place of some of the green. All the ingredients combine in a delicious salsa. It is definitely my go-to salsa canning recipe that my family and friends love!
Garden fresh tomatoes fresh garden green peppers, my own, garlic wonderful THANKS.,
Is it ok to leave out the cilantro? Still a ‘safe’ recipe then?
Yep!
I am not a big fan of cilantro either (I actually am in the “hate” camp of the love it/hate it debate). I use dried cilantro and find that there is a hint of cilantro flavor that goes perfectly with the other ingredients. Hope this helps!
Just wondering how many cups this recipe makes?
It makes 8-9 pints (so about 16-18 cups).
OMG, you are so right about it being the best salsa recipe ever. Our son, who is a serious chef, said “you nailed it dad. Perfect amount of acidic, sweetness and flavours”. Thanks for sharing this one, Mel. Absolutely no need to modify this recipe!
Thanks, John!
Nice recipe, but I added more jalapeños, cumin., etc
Just a nit picky thing here. You mention putting the salsa in pint jars, but what’s pictured are half pints. That would alter processing time.
The jars pictured in the post and in the tutorial are pint jars. 🙂 They may look smaller, but they are pint size.
Thanks, I’m about to make this now!
Oh my gosh! I made this on the weekend, and it is fabulous! I left out the cilantro because I think it tastes like dirty dish water. Lol! I got 7-1/2 pints. This was one of the best salsas I’ve ever had.
We love love love your recipes! I’m new (and terrified) to canning salsa, but your recipe inspired me and I’m headed out to buy a water-bath right now! We love the taste of lime in our salsa. Can I substitute lime juice for part of the vinegar? Thanks!
Yes!
Hello Mel!
Well – I have to share with you this recipe was amazing! I’m a first time vegetable gardener and was a bit intimidated by the whole canning gig. I guess I had always felt growing veggies and canning are like “peas and carrots” as Forest Gump would say. I read a ton of recipes but yours caught my attention because of the step by step process and super great pics. I followed it to the “T”. My entire family was so happy for me but I have to say thank you to the creator as you made my first canning journey a complete success. I look forward to a bright future in the garnering world 🙂
Way to go, Crissy!
I never respond to blogs, but feel this is one that needs a response. Made this salsa and have to admit this IS the best salsa ever. It was so good fresh and canned. I can’t get enough of it. Am going to make it again. I have shared this recipe already. My husband loves everything so hot, but I left out many of the seeds, so I could enjoy it. Told him he could add habenero’s, ghost peppers, carolina reapers or whatever to his. I am just going to enjoy and savor the flavor of this salsa. Thank you so much. No more store bought. (oh, I added yellow goathorn peppers in lieu of the green peppers and added 3 extra garlic cloves)… it was just great
Thanks, Lynn!
This is the second year I have made salsa using your recipe!! Just made a bunch yesterday, so I don’t know how it turned out, but everyone loved the jars I made last year!!
Wow…my first time canning salsa and the flavour before I bottled it, was delish. I used my own tomatoes, garlic, green pepper and jalapenos from my garden and homemade tomato sause. I love tomato paste, and with some of my tomatoes not fully ripe, it added a deep tomato flavour. I’m excited!
First time canner here. Salsa turned out awesome – I made a double batch – only 1 jar didn’t seal! Very happy. I doubled the coriander because I am a coriander addict, and I added a half teaspoon of chilli powder. YUM
Oh p.s I ran out of tomatoes – totally misjudged how many I needed for a double batch – so I had to run to store for more. Instead of getting fresh tomatoes, I just got canned crushed tomatoes, and drained them in colander. So my salsa was half fresh tomatoes, and half tinned, and it was super yum. Next time I’ll just use tinned (never as good, I know) when Im lazy and can’t be bothered skinning the tomatoes.
I made your salsa today but haven’t prepped for canning. Do I need to heat up the salsa before I put it in the sterilized jars tomorrow? It looks and smells delicious!
Yes, I would recommend heating the salsa before filling the jars.
I love this recipe! I couldn’t peel my tomatoes by using the broiler as I was having oven issues so I did it the old fashioned way. I also put in juice of 4 limes and only one jalapeño because we don’t like it too spicy! I must say whatever amount I got was enough to do exactly 12 pint sized jars! I won’t be giving much away as I haven’t made salsa in years and once you make it yourself it’s hard to go back to store bought. Guess I’ll be making more next year!
I made this last year and my family devoured it. I am about to make some more. I reread the details and I forgot to drain the tomatoes. Which I will be doing this year.
Never will I ever make another salsa recipe. This is the best homemade I’ve ever had. Thanks so much for sharing!
Well first off I took your advice and bought a Breville Food processor ….I love it. Then I made your salsa recipe …. then I made more ….made over 50 pints and have about 12 left. I give it to everyone … then they want more. What a wonderful recipe ….I have given to people at work and then others come and ask me if I have more. yesterday I went and got 4 more bushels of tomatoes and here I go again. Thank you for the good tips and wonderful recipe.
That’s amazing, Leslie – sounds like you are becoming quite famous with this salsa!
Question? I have made salsa lots of it. I have cooked for 2hrs. Now I’m canning it water bath for 15 min. I want to give it away for Xmas. Can I just refridge it or should I freeze it?
If it’s canned and the lids are sealed you can just leave it on a shelf. No need to refrigerate.
If you water bath canned the salsa, it shouldn’t need to go in the refrigerator or freezer; it can be stored in a cool, dry area (like a pantry).
You think I could do the tomato peeling, chopping,draining the night before everything else?
Yes!
If I want to enjoy the salsa within the next few days and not store it in the pantry, do I still need to process the cans in water?
No, as long as you are keeping it in the refrigerator, it should be fine.
It is to hot, is there anything that can be done.
Usually, I add peaches to my salsa and freeze it (per my kids’ request) but I recently purchased a water bath canner and am trying to do more with that. Do you have any idea how adding peaches to this mixture will affect the pH?
I’m going to make the recipe “as is” and see how the kids like it, but they’re already bugging for peach salsa. Thanks in advance.
Hi Ann, I can’t speak to how the peaches will change the acidity and pH levels of this salsa. Sorry!
About how much salsa does this recipe yield? Thank you!
About 8-9 pints.
I made it a couple of days ago and it made 4 1/2 pints.
In prepping for this recipe I realized I didn’t have enough ripened tomatoes. I had fresh tomatoes in the freezer that I had cut in half to use another time. I defrosted the tomatoes hoping I could take the peeling off when thawed. It worked great! This might be a trick to eliminating the broiling step. Can’t wait to try the salsa.
What is the shelf life for this recipe? 1 year like all other recipes? I probably won’t have it around for that long but want family and friends to know. Thank you. My family loved it!
Stored in a cool dry location, yes, it’s probably about a year.
Great recipe. Excellent consistency. We used all Roma tomatoes. We did use the optional tomato sauce and paste. Only a 1/4 cup sugar, and the sweetness is spot on. Made it about medium heat with the jalapeños. Thanks for the recipe, it is spot on, imo.
How many pounds of tomotes did you purchase?
I just made this salsa. It is absolutely the best salsa I have ever had. I will treasure this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Do you do anything with the juice that you drain from the tomatoes?
I don’t, but others have saved it to make their own tomato sauce.
Too thin for tomatoes sauce…but if you throw some veggies in carrot celery onion etc (I use what I chop off instead of throwing away) boil it to reduce somewhat and it’s veggie stock for winter soups. You can freeze in ice cube trays or containers or zip lock bags
I have read that the juice should be included or you will change the ph of the finished product.
I made this salsa this weekend. My whole family loves it. Easiest way to peel tomatoes as well. Will be making it again! Just adding more jalenpeno seeds. . I didn’t add the sugar since the tomatoes I was using were sweet enough.
Just made this last night. My family really enjoyed it. Will make this again!!!
Made a batch of this last weekend with 12 pounds Roma tomatoes. After peeling/draining didn’t yield quite 10 cups but after all other ingredients we got almost 9 pints of salsa. Since 2 pints have already been eaten with the 3rd open in the fridge I knew we needed more. Picked up another 6 pounds Roma tomatoes and had 11 pounds better boys that I expected to break down more than the roma after draining. Ummmmm they didn’t I ended up with 18 cups chopped/drained tomatoes so am making a double batch right now. Looks like we’ll end up with another 4 quarts bloody mary mix from the juices as well. I’m in tomato heaven right now lol
Thank you for sharing and making my first foray into canning a success!
Do the tomato seeds need to be taken out of the tomato? I can’t help but think that Tom seeds make the end product bitter.
Corrine
I don’t take out the seeds and it’s fine.
Hello! I made your recipe for the first time today and after draining my tomatoes I had roughly 8.5 cups of tomatoes. I kept all other ingredients the same. Do you think food safety is still intact for canning? Thanks!
I really can’t say for sure, Gillian – it’d be best to get 10 cups total or decrease the other ingredients (particularly the onions and green peppers) by the same amount.
I started using your recipe last year and it is wonderful !!!! I think I made about 75 pints for family and my son’s coworkers. Working on this year and stocking everyone up again. Thanks from the 20 -25 of us that LOVE your salsa.
Recently read about adding “thickener” to a canned salsa recipe. Ordered some Non-GMO Gluten-Free Corn “Instant modified food starch” to try as opposed to draining off all the tomato juice. Seems like you’d get a higher yield and your tomatoes would go farther?
Any input or advice on this theory? Just getting back into canning a lot more and was fascinated by Mel’s method of ” skinning ” the the tomatoes. …no boiling water, yay! I’ll be trying that in a few minutes…
Randy
Interesting idea! I think home canning experts (like university extension agencies and food labs) would say that adding thickener to a recipe that hasn’t been tested with the cornstarch/flour in it might not be a good idea. I did a quick google search and found this article that might shed light on whether or not to try it:
https://www.healthycanning.com/flour-and-corn-starch-use-in-home-canning/
Have fun getting back into canning!
Randy,
I have been using the food thickener for years now with great success on my canned salsa.
I believe the name is “Ultra Gel”.
It is great amd works like a dream.
Good luck with your canning journey this year! 🙂
Don’t add modified food starch to your salsa…you don’t need it!
Use it for canned pie fillings, but not salsa.
Why ruin a beautiful tomato salso with a modified starch (understand what this stuff is) and don’t believe then when they say non-GMO.
Made several batches last year and am looking forward to doing the same this year. Thank you, Mel, for sharing this perfect salsa recipe.
My family loves it! (We love ALL of your recipes)
Thanks again:)
Excellent salsa!! I had fears using the apple cider vinegar but the next day the smell was undectible. I give it a 5 ⭐ rating and am making more!!
I’m curious as to why you modified Annie’s original recipe that claims to have been tested. (Not challenging you- really trying to track down if in fact it was tested, I’ve made it a few times as originally published, obviously haven’t died yet, but don’t want to take risks with my families health).
And on the same safety topic/ the original recipe had a lot of warnings about making sure the product to can wasn’t too dense for safety reasons, and I note you modified that as well. I know canning rules change regularly, is this no longer a concern?
I adapted it so I could yield more salsa per batch. All the ingredients I increased to do so (tomatoes vs low acid veggies) keep the canning safety in check.
Amount of ingredients and prep of the tomatoes seems to have changed since I printed this on July 1, 2018. Has this recipe been lab tested?
Hey Shirley, I don’t believe I’ve changed anything in the recipe!
I agree that this is THE BEST salsa I’ve ever tasted. I’ve made, two batches with my abundant supply of fresh tomatoes this year. The salsa will be great to have on hand this winter! Thanks for the wonderful recipe breakdown.
Absolutely love this. You were right. Getting as much water out is so really important step. I drained as best I could with colanders then put in glass bowl. More liquid settled so I used a turkey baster to remove more liquid. Won’t ever make it another way. I have been looking for a salsa that has body and flavor and this is outstanding. I made my own tomato sauce as the tomatoes I got from local farmer were meaty and very flavorful. Thank you for posting this outstanding salsa recipe.
When you advise you can substitute some lemon juice for vinegar what would be a recommended amount to switch out?
Best salsa I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I’ve been canning for over 40 years. (geez, that just depressed me! – ha!) This is a good recipe. You can taste the vinegar initially, but that will mellow. I just canned this yesterday, and my (picky) family still wanted it today and I only received compliments. I bought a 22 lb box of tomatoes – don’t know a name – but big & and canning tomatoes. Normally, I would have gotten Roma’s, but they’re boring. So what if salsa has tomato seeds? But – yes, purchase a HUGE colander (hard to find) and drain them for at least an hour & a half. So! This is what I’m trying to get to! My advise is: have everything for however many batches you want to do ready, except the tomatoes. Do one batch at a time, letting the next tomatoes drain while working on the first. My yield from each batch was exactly 7 pints – perfect for my water bath canner. So, 22 lbs = 21 pints. I left out the sugar & tomato paste. Its “medium”, flavorful, and perfect consistancy.
Is the 10 cups of tomatoes measurement before I peel and drain them? Or do I measure it after? Thanks!
After
It’s 10 cups peeled, chopped, and drained tomatoes.
Question: do you use fresh sauce and paste or from the store can. If second, is there anything we need to look for? You know, for the PH balance.
Hi Elizabeth. Mel is out of town right now, but I will make sure she responds to this when she gets back.
I use tomato sauce and paste store-bought from the can in order to make sure the pH levels are safe for canning. Homemade tomato sauce and paste may vary and although there’s a good chance it’s safe for canning, I always stick with store-bought just to be sure.
What an absolutely delicious recipe…and very simple to follow. Thank you so much for sharing.
So glad you loved it!
This is a quick easy but delicious salsa recipe. The only thing I changed was I only put in one Jalepena pepper, because we prefer it less spicy. It was still very good.
I’m glad you liked it!
Would adding fresh corn be fine in adding to this recipe?
Hey Josh. Mel’s out of town, but I know she hasn’t added corn to hers and would suggest doing a Google search to make sure it can be canned safely with the salsa. That sounds like a yummy addition!
This recipe turned out awesomely yummy! Me and my kids looove it! I had a little more tomatoes than it calls for so I just added a little more everything else.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Would it be safe to use roasted garlic (and add more than 7 cloves)? Would it alert the pH?
I’m not totally sure about that. I think it would be fine, but you might want to do a Google search and double check.
I am going to juice my tomatoes because my family doesn’t like chunky salsa. Do you know how many cups of juice it will take in place of the 10 cups of tomatoes?
This is truly delicious. I don’t have an abundance of tomatoes this year but what I have are going into this salsa, pizza sauce and roasted tomato soup. All to enjoy this winter. Another plus for this salsa is it is so nice and thick it stays on your chip. Not sliding off before you can get it to your mouth! I made the recipe as written, using a variety of tomatoes. My jalapenos are a little small and I would like just a wee bit more heat in a few jars, but that is the only adjustment I will make.
This was the best salsa recipe I’ve made. I only used one can tomato paste and it turned out fabulous. I had to omit bell peppers and most of the garlic and jalapenos because of heartburn issues but it turned out suberb!!! Perfect amount of salt. Thank you so much for the recipe, it’s definatley a keeper
can I freeze this recipe?
I made this recipe yesterday. It was very labor intensive but I’m happy to report after sampling the salsa today that it was worth it. I have to admit that after tasting the salsa shortly after starting the cooking that I very skeptical it but the vinegar taste mellowed as it cooked and the flavors melded together beautifully. After 10 minutes of cooking, my onions and peppers still looked raw so I cooked it for about 30-35 minutes. I would recommend saving some of the tomato juice that drains off after preparing the tomatoes — my tomatoes ended up being on the dry side so I added a little juice back to the cooking salsa until it loosed up a bit and I was happy with the consistency.
Am currently on the third batch this summer (couldn’t wait for the garden to produce)…so I substituted 6 – 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes and deleted the tomato paste and sauce and the recipe is still awesome. Thank you..now on to pickles!
Catherine… when using the crushed tomatoes, did you drain any of the juice off using a colander first before cooking the salsa?
Great recipe! My new go to favorite. I added but more cilantro and some other hot peppers I had in my garden. Delish!
We use almost the same identical recipe. I add some fresh lime to add some acidity to the canning process. Also the recipe my wife was given doesn’t “can” in the traditional way. After jars & lids are sanitized & filled, put lids on & tightened down, they are placed in a preheated 200 degree oven for 40 minutes. The oven is then turned off & left in oven overnight to cool off. We’ve made it this way for 4 years now & are teaching several others this fall
https://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html
Oven “canning” is a really bad idea. Steam canning is so easy and safe; give it a try! Don’t mess around with botulism.
Delicious, but labor intensive
My husband is not a fan of cilantro…can I omit and it still taste good???
You can definitely omit it – I can’t vouch for how the flavor will change because we always add it, but you don’t need the cilantro for canning safety.
I would like to omit the jalapeno peppers all together. Will it still be safe?
Yes
I made this and the flavor is good, but you can tast the apple cider vinegar. Is there a way around that, because it’s too strong?
Usually a little time on the shelf or fridge will mellow that flavor.
I made your salsa recipe today and it was so good! I didn’t have to add the sugar because my roma tomatoes were really sweet this year. Thank you for a GREAT recipe. It’s a keeper!
I made this last year and everyone loves it. I add ghost and habanero peppers for extra heat and it’s the best salsa I’ve ever eaten. In fact, everyone who’s tried it has said the same thing.
Oh, I also didn’t peel my tomatoes. Too much trouble and it tastes great without doing it.
I made your salsa recipe yesterday. It was really good except too sweet. I have never put sugar in my salsa. Wish I hadn’t done it. I made it very hot, which I love. I use it for cooking as well as eating with chips. I think I will use this for cooking, sweetness won’t effect it. I got 7 pints from a doubled recipe. Also I did not drain tomatoes, because I like it a little juicy. By the way I used broiler for skinning tomatoes. Great idea. I had 150 pear shape tomatoes, not quite as big as Roma’s. Next year I will raise Roma’s. I did 3 trays. All in all great recipe. Thank you.
Hi there… the recipe yields 8-9 pints but your images seem to show 1/2 pint jars. Just double checking, I don’t want to use the wrong jars. Really looking forward to making this recipe!
Hi Tracy – the jars in the pictures of my post are pint-size jars. 🙂
Perfect… we’re making it as I type this. It smells AMAZING!
how many pint jars does this recipe make?
8-9 pints.
I am doing to try this for my first first canning/home salsa attempt ever. After reading your reviews in the comment section I think it should be a hint if I do it right on my end. That being said I have two questions. 1.) If I wanted a little more heat (LOVE all things spicy) do you have a recommendation? 2.) What is the ideal storage and what the self life? I don’t expect them to last that long, but still!!…. Thanks!!! Chuck in SC
Hi Chuck – increase the jalapenos for more heat! That’s the best way to get more spice in there. If canned properly, they can last up to a year in a cool, dry spot.
I use jalapenos, ghost and habanero peppers in mine. I don’t decrease the amount of jalapenos, I just add the others as extras.
Wondering if anyone has sub’d in some chipotle peppers in adobo ?
I do in my salsa recipe
Loved the recipe, the only thing I can add would be to catch all the drippings and not let them go down the sink. I got 3 and a half quarts of yummy tomato juice that I caned right along with the salsa. No waste and two products at one time!
Jim
this is my first year ever canning and I also don’t want to waste the juice. Can you tell me did you cook it down, add salt/spices before canning it Jim?
Made this salsa as is. Got rave reviews from friends. They requested a repeat erformance. So making again, yeah!!
First time trying homemade salsa and canning. We love love love salsa and I brew my own tomato plants this year with my foster sons and so we decided to try salsa.
Questions:
1-can I use minced garlic that’s in the jars in olive oil?
2-How can I do the canning method to seal if I don’t have the pot you recommend. Do I have to buy that?
3-Whatvare the canning tools I need? Link sent me to something totally different.
Thank you
I think that garlic will work fine. You can use a water bath canner or a steam bath canner – but you need either one of those to properly seal the jars. Sorry for the incorrect link. I’ve fixed it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DDVMH/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=melskitcaf0b-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0000DDVMH&linkId=2b53645dcd7f209be06b0641dbb4edab
I just made this. It’s great. The prep time and cooking time combined took me 6 hours. I did it all by hand. Also, I used only 6 garlic and will probably go down to 5 next time. I only used half the tomato paste and it’s still too thick, so next time I may sub half the paste with another can of sauce if that’s ok. Otherwise, the taste is great. Is there a faster way to cut and chop everything and remove all the seeds? The tomatoes took the longest by far. It tool about 3 hours just to core, cut, seed and strain them. I used to make tomatoes and I used about 12-15 pounds.
How many pint size jars, will this recipe make?
8-9 pint jars.
I made a double batch today and was surprised at how delicious it is. Thank you for sharing. This will definitely be a keeper. ❤️
I just made this and it’s still hot(temperature wise). I know it will be much better after it sits but it’s pretty good hot. I added less sugar and would add even less next time. Instead of bell peppers I added a large poblano pepper. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I used 10 lb of Roma’s.
Hello..I did not see note on salt. Do you know when you add the canning salt?
Awesome
How long does this last if not canned? It will be stored in the refrigerator once cooled. Just made this and it is delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Probably 1-2 weeks.
You can also freeze salsa!
I am glad you said that you could freeze the salsa. Sounds like a great recipe. I am not a canner! Thanks
this is my 4th time to make this. it is such a hit I’ve been asked to make it several times. today i decided to try using my home canned tomatoes from last year to see if it worked. So much easier and may I say less time consuming than working with fresh tomatoes. It taste just as good if not better with my canned tomatoes. I used 4 quarts of qt. size tomatoes and it was perfect
Awesome salsa recipe! I made 30pts.. there all gone!!
This is the best salsa recipe EVER!
I remove the tomato seeds as well as the skin. The seeds tend to be bitter and removing the seeds gives the flavor a better finish, in my opinion.
I have tried canning salsa in the past and ithe reminded me of stewed tomatoes. I will try yours it looks like a great recipe.
Oh my goodness. Awesome. Thanks for the salsa and
Jams & jelly recipes. I can a lot. Looking forward to more recipes. Thanks
I made several batches of this salsa last year. The very best salsa. Everyone loves this salsa. Planting a lot more tomatoes this year. Plan on making & canning a room full of this salsa. I can’t wait for canning time. The very best salsa ever. Gave so much to friends & family & everyone wants more. I even decorated my jars & gave some for gifts. Love it
This looks simple enough with easy directions, gonna make a batch today, the only alteration is I will be adding several more hot peppers as we like a salsa with som kick
can u put pure pumpkin in this salsa ? i do plan on making it this fall
It would change the pH level for canning, so I can’t say how that would affect food safety.
I was wondering how this recipe would work out with smoking the jalapenos first. What are your thoughts? My husband would like to try to make a smoked pepper salsa, we are looking for some good recipes and I think yours sounds like it would be delicious!
Thank you for any advice and helpful hints 🙂
I haven’t tried that, Jackie – but it sounds like a delicious variation!
I am making a batch now where I smoked the peppers first. I can’t wait until it’s done.
BEST salsa i had made…nv expect to be so easy and delicious
Very good!
This is absolutely the best salsa I have ever tasted and enjoyed. I’ve made 3 batches already and planning on another batch tomorrow. YUMMY!!!!!!! Thanks for a super recipe. I don’t ever want to run out of it.
This recipe must be fantastic because it is so confusing and still a high rating. Will try soon.
Sometime late September I made a batch of salsa using this recipe. It WAS the best salsa I’ve ever had. Like you said just the right balance of flavors and not too spicy. I have a jar to a friend and her guests loved it too. I don’t have much left so will make sure I make more next. The tomatoes I used were from my garden – two varieties plus some Roma tomatoes. It’s the mix of tomatoes that helps make this recipe so good. Thanks to you for making it available.
Thank you for all the information. I use canned tomatoes. Can I still cann salsa using canned tomatoes?
I’m not sure…I don’t know how that changes the safety factor and the pH.
This recipe is perfect! I Played around a little with it but not much. Are used about a quarter tomatillos and three quarters roma tomatoes. I used about 20 lbs total of this mixture. Are use six Tabasco peppers, because that’s what I had on hand. I roasted the garlic and used nine large cloves. I used a cup and a half of the vinegar to get the pH where it needed to be (4.5). I processed using a pressure cooker. It was a big hit in our house!
As far as SAFETY, will it affect anything to just completely leave out the tomato sauce & paste?
You said you can sub lemon juice for some of the vinegar… could I also safely sub lime juice for the vinegar?
I think you can sub lime juice for the vinegar, but I’m not 100% sure. The tomato sauce is necessary for the canning safety (based on the original recipe that was tested in a lab) but the tomato paste is not.
Could you explain that to me?
LOVE this recipe! I have tried many…this one beats them all. I didn’t put much sugar, didn’t have full amount of green pepper or onion but it is delicious!
Have made this recipe with quart jars if so how long to bath?
I haven’t, sorry!
I left my quart jars for double the time. (30 minutes)
Do you have suggestions for the water/juice that drains from the tomatoes? I hate to see any waste at all!
I’m not really sure, Margie. You could try refrigerating and adding to pasta sauces or other savory dishes?
Can it!
Are usually make tomato sauce and salsa at the same time. I reserved the liquid from the tomatoes and just threw it in my tomato sauce.
This is absolutely the first salsa I’ve ever made, and canned. Perfect! The best I’ve tasted. I’ve just begun gardening, and was able to use all ingredients from my own garden. Successful and delicious!
I love this recipe. I made it my own using hot Hatch green chilis and medium Hatch Sandia chilis. It came out great and with our added chilis, it was a hit with my husband too. Thanks putting it out for everyone to make. It is great. And I live in the South west, grew up in New Mexico and live in Arizona so you know you did good.
Just made this recipe and it is amazing salsa. I used the tomato paste and sauce as well as chopping my home grown tomatoes in a food processor (very brief chop!). This sauce has great flavor and this will be my go to recipe for red salsa. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I live in WI where there are no fresh tomatoes in the winter. I would like to make some more salsa. I was wondering if you could use canned tomatoes.
I haven’t tried it with canned, sorry!
Thank you so much, very informative. I had some tomatoes home grown that I need to use. We love homemade salsa so i think i will give it a try. Our salsa usually is green and i dont uses vinegar but i guess thats in there for the canning right as well as the paste and salt etc. ?
Wonderful flavor. It took way way to long to peel and core tomatoes so I cored with knife tip stem end blanched then snipped into tiny pieces. It took me maybe 20 minutes while it took me nearly two hours your way. Otherwise great recipe thank you so much. Just wanted to let others know if they were having problems like me
Can this be frozen instead of canned? I’m not a canned and I don’t have the supplies. Just a mountain of tomatoes and peppers.
Yes, I think so. I’m not sure how the texture fares…or the flavor…but I know several people in the comments have frozen it (I believe they cut down on the vinegar slightly since it doesn’t need as much acidity if it’s not being canned).
Do you know what pressure your canner uses. Mine is old and I usually use 5 lbs. to can tomatoes.
Thanks,
Betty
I don’t pressure can this salsa – I’ve only ever water bath or steam canned it (which doesn’t rely on a certain # of pounds of pressure, if that makes sense).
My brother made this for thanksgiving for a potluck. I have canned many salsas over the years, and this was the best I’ve ever had. Thank goodness the weather is cooperating in southern Ontario and romas are still very plentiful for picking. I will be making my own batch tonight. Thanks for the great recipe
Oh man! The garlic just kicks off my salsa! I love it! I made a few alterations. But all in all, delicious!
I would like to try this recipe, how many jars will this recipe yield ??
The yield is right above the recipe title: 8-9 pints.
This is REALLY good salsa, I’m making more today. I made one batch as written, and a second test batch with green tomatoes without the addition of the paste and sauce and it was also good. You might want to move that great infographic up higher on the page, I totally missed it until I came back to comment after making the recipe :). Thanks for sharing, great recipe!
Hello,
I cut this recipie in half and we don’t like green bell peppers but added radishes. Can I do that? Also, in cutting this recipie in half, I used 3 Serrano peppers and 1 jalapeño. I also forgot the tomato sauce as I just didn’t see it and I added 6 oz of tomato paste. I really cut everything in half but as far as changes I’m not sure if they are safe changes or not because I don’t know alot about canning salsa other than I really want to. Can you please help me out?
Hi Holly – I’m honestly not sure in regards to food safety. From what I understand, the ingredients that can be altered without affecting food safety are: leaving out the tomato paste (not sure about the tomato sauce), altering the spices like cumin and salt and cilantro, etc., and modifying the amount of jalapenos. I don’t know the pH of radishes and how the would sub in for green peppers – and of course the amount of tomatoes and vinegar (for the main acidity) need to stay the same.
Hi! Thank you for the recipe, I’m very excited to make it. I was wondering, how long is the shelf life? Also, if there sitting on the shelf for more than a month will it drastically change its flavor?
Thank you!
Hi Samantha, yes, the flavor will change over time, but all for the better (see the comment a few below yours). The shelf life is a year if kept at cool temperatures.
ThNks for getting back to me :). Excited to try in a month
I picked this recipe solely on the method for skinning tomatoes. Then I noticed that it sounded like a good recipe! What kind of adjustments are safe to make for canning and personal taste? Can I up the cumin and jalapeños? What about using bottled lime instead of vinegar?
Ps. I’m telling all my friends about your brilliant broiler method. I have a 1yr old and don’t like blanching when he’s around. What a life saver!
I’ll repost once I complete the recipe!
Yes, you can change both the cumin and jalapenos – you don’t want to change the amount of tomatoes or acidity (or drastically change the peppers). I think others in the comment thread have said bottled lime juice works ok as a substitute. I can’t speak to the canning safety on that, but it’s probably fine. Glad the blanching skin method is working so well!
You can’t really appreciate this salsa until about a month after canning. I’ve tasted many versions of homemade canned salsa and this is the best! Has a very nice consistency. Here’s what I found: I tasted it during the canning process and was somewhat disappointed at the vinegar taste but that pretty much disappeared after it cured for a month. I had added almost all of the sugar to counter the vinegar flavor and was sorry I did because it was a little sweet after curing. (I used Big Boy and Early Girl tomatoes.) The ground pepper was also very strong during the canning process but mellowed after a month. I like a medium hot salsa and was a little shy on the jalapenos…used only 3. I would definitely increase that to 5 or 6. In the meantime, I’m stirring some red pepper flakes into each jar as I open them. I also couldn’t taste the cilantro after curing so I would increase that as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Made this and we loved it!!
It is the best salsa I have ever made!!! My grandkids love it too!
The. Best. Salsa. Ever.
I’ve made this my only salsa recipe this year and the results were superb. I used dried cilantro, kosher salt, and cooked the mixture a bit longer because I didn’t drain the tomatoes enough. I used a combination of romas and stewing tomatoes so it was s bit watery.
I canned these in a water bath without a problem. Throwing all my other salsa recipes away… And THANK YOU for the broiler skinning method!! I’ve been telling all my friends about it! Way easier than using all that water.
Truly the best salsa ever!
Last night I wasn’t so sure about the acv. Today, I LOVE this salsa! Ill be pinning it so I never lose it. I did cut back on the green pepper, sugar, and jalapenos. I used about 8 Anaheim, a couple of serannos. Yum!!
I have never made salsa or canned anything. My plan is to smoke all the vegetables for a couple hours first. Then follow the recipe. See any issues with doing That?
Sounds like it will add delicious flavor – I don’t think there should be any issues with it as long as you use the same amounts called for in the recipe. Good luck!
Probs a dumb question but is that 10 cups after the peeling seeding etc?
Yes, measure them after peeling and draining.
Made a double batch today. Excellent salsa! Next time I would use less salt but that’s just me. I can’t stop eating it – thank you!
I made this and took it to work. I’m a welder and most of the guys and gals I work with like spicy food. I don’t really know if there is a link between the 2 or not but I’ll let you decide. Everyone loved it and I got praise for days. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Do you have to peel the tomatoes if you are not canning?
No.
I made this recipe. And my friends and I thought this was the ever. Thank you Che-Che myher.
Mel, I followed your recipe almost exactly for what it called for except I laid back on the jalapenos, since we don’t like our salsas too hot. Both my husband and I love this recipe and wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I made this for the first time the other day (first time making anything really…) and it turned out great! Just wondering if you have any tips for making it any sweeter? Would using brown sugar be a good idea?
Yeah, brown sugar would be delicious – and you could always up the sugar amount.
Made my second batch today. First batch was a just over a week ago and yielded 8 jars. It was quickly apparent this was not enough!! lol Family is raving about this recipe. I didn’t add the sugar either time, don’t miss it. I used the jalepenos with all the seeds and membranes the first time. Quite spicy but not unbearable. This time around, I used the seeds and membranes from 3 of 5 of the jalepenos (per batch; I doubled the recipe this time, hoping to keep some in the house for more than a couple of weeks.) It’s perfect to my taste.. probably a medium to hot level compared to store bought. My family doesn’t like chunky salsa so I threw the tomatoes in the food processor for a couple of pulses, and used the food processor for the peppers, and onions. SUCH a great tasting recipe. All I hear are complaints that we keep running out of nacho chips 😉 Thanks for sharing!!
Wait, do I need to add the vinegar if I am just making it to eat fresh??
You could probably add less vinegar, but I do think the acidity is crucial to the overall flavor, canned or not.
I made several batches of your recipe! However, I ran out of tomato sauce for one of the batches and instead used tomato paste and water to dilute it (since paste is thicker than sauce). Should it be ok as far as PH levels, acidity, so it remains safe for canning?
I’m not 100% positive but I think it should be fine, especially since you didn’t alter the vinegar which is the main source of acidity.
Thank you! I’m excited to try it. My first time canning.
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious! Loved the tip about the tomato skins. I have never heard this before. I was there with your grandmother. Not any more! Thank you for sharing this recipe. God bless,
Question: Is it safe to leave out the black pepper?
Yes
This salsa is AMAZING! It is packed with flavor without being too spicy. We have already canned 2 batches, and I don’t think they are going to stay in the shelf long because we are eating it so quickly! It is delicious!
Made this tonight.. had some good friends taste it..YUMMY .. I used 5 jalapenoes and it was mild.. very good.. easy to make.. loved it.. thanks for sharing
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Looking to make multiple batches and can as wedding favors. How long would I process for 4 oz jars?
My best guess is that the processing time would stay the same (safest to do that since I’m not sure how much to cut it down for smaller jars).
I did make it and it was delicious. I actually froze the tomatoes until I had time to use them. I washed them and froze them whole in gallon size freezer bags. When time to use, I defrosted tomatoes on counter top for about two hours, the skin came off easily and chopping the tomatoes up wasn’t a mess because it was still semi frozen. This method worked perfectly actually. Then I followed the instructions for this recipe. The salsa turned out perfect. Very tasty. I canned several for later enjoyment. Excellent recipe, thanks for sharing!
Made this! Turned out great! The hubby thinks it’s to garlicky. Next time I will not put in so much!
Awesome! Thanks
Taste is exceptional.
Squeezed and drained tomatoes.
Added paste and sauce.
Yet, some of my jars have 1 inch of liquid in the bottom.
I’m planning to make a half batch and not can it. Do you think I would still need to add this amount of salt? Thanks
I think the salt is needed for overall flavor – so I’d still add half the amount of salt for a half batch.
I was looking for a new salsa recipe that I didn’t have to cook down for so long…this is the one! It is very tasty too
This recipe is wonderful. The only thing I did different is left the juice and strained it off and hot water bathed as chili starter!
Can you freeze it
It should freeze ok.
So I just got done putting all ingredients in the pot and all I smell is vinegar. Is that going to improve? I’m afraid I did something wrong but I followed recipe exactly except I omitted the sugar.
I haven’t ever omitted the sugar…it should be ok.
I omitted the sugar and used fresh yellow peppers(as I had an overabundance of them) instead of the green peppers. It was pretty sweet.
I have always poured boiling water over my tomatoes to peel them; today I tried your broiler method…I’ve been converted! You have turned that hateful job in simplicity, thanks 🙂
This recipe is great! Wondering if I can add corn next time or will that affect the ph??
That would mess with the pH…not sure if it would still be safe for canning.
You can add corn, but at that point, you would need to pressure can instead of water bath or steam canning. The acidity needs to be at least 5% I believe to be safe for that method. I have made corn and bean salsa and have to pressure can it. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love salsa and I am always looking for new ones to try.
This is the first time I’ve ever made salsa
And my family really loved this recipe. I would cut down the sugar to about 1/4 cup next time but would definitely make it again.
Best Salsa Ever!! Used my over supply of heirloom tomatoes. I did not put in green peppers, sugar or tomato paste. Will be making this recipe again and again. Thank you Mel!!
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe it really is the best salsa. My family is very picky when it comes to salsa, especially my husband. We tend to pick favorite Mexican restaurants more by their salsa than the menu items. This salsa is delicious and very much like a restaurant style salsa. I’m making my 3rd batch now and I’m excited to have this on hand for my family. Thank you, for sharing!
Just wondering how many jars the expected yield is from this recipe, I can’t seem to find it anywhere (it’s probably somewhere, I just can’t find it..), and the pictures show 8, sometimes 5. Im thinking about doubling, just trying to figure out how many jars I’ll probably need.
Ha.. literally found it 30 seconds after posting. 8-9 pints.
Oh good! The yield is always above the recipe title.
Can the salsa be made and put into the jars on one day and processed in the steam canner a couple of days later?
Hey Ann – I would recommend making the salsa and refrigerating (as a large batch), reheating on the day you want to process, and then putting the hot salsa into warmed jars before processing. Proper food safety for steam canning means the jars need to stay as warm as possible before filling, during filling, and right as they go onto the steam canner.
Made a batch of this salsa today and it is absolutely delicious. The best canned salsa I have tried so far. Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe! My friend and I made it in an evening and we have a neat tip: after roasting and peeling the tomatoes, put them in a salad spinner to drain out juices! Works super well and you can freeze the juice for using later in soups, stews, chilli, etc!
i would have to agree…this is the best homemade salsa! thank you for sharing! i did a little research and found that i could sub lime juice for the vinegar. i omitted the sugar too.
OMG, I’m so late with this post, how did I miss it! I need to start canning, and of course you made the most detailed infographic ever! You rock so much Mel!
Is canning salt different than regular table salt? It said to check the notes but i didn’t see a reference? Thank you
Hey Beth – sorry about that. The notes somehow went missing. I’ll add them again, but here’s a great article about canning salt. Basically, you can sub in kosher salt or even table salt (although use a bit less since the granules of table salt are finer)…it’s best to try to use a kosher salt without any additives (canning or pickling salt is pure salt without any anti-caking agents) if possible.
http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-pickling-salt-do-you-really-need-it-193108
By far my favorite salsa of all time! I added a little chipotle in for a smoky flavor and my whole family looooves it!
Thanks, Macy!
Looking forward to making this salsa! However, my family doesn’t care for cilantro….is it safe to omit this if I’m canning?
Yes, you can leave it out.
Delicious!!! As far a second knowing how many tomatoes to use, you mentioned somewhere that it was three sheet pans of halved tomatoes. Using this information, I collected my garden tomatoes on my counter by placing them on my baking sheet. When I had my baking sheet full plus another half, I knew I had enough tomatoes (or at least that I would be close once I drained them). Turned out great!! Even my daughter who can tell handle spicy foods LOVES this salsa!
Amazing. I had about half amount of prepared tomatoes so I divided the other ingredients in half pretty much. I only put 1/4 cup apple vinegar in. I’m so proud of myself! Tomorrow I will can the mixture in a hot water bath. No time today.
I wouldn’t cut the amount of vinegar as that might jeopardize food safety in canning.
Delicious! But I just canned it, and then realized I forgot the sauce…it should be fine anyway, right?! So good without it…but I will add for my next batch!
I’ve read so many forums on this dang salsa recipe (it originated on the gardenweb forum) and to be honest, I’m not sure. There are a lot of people that say don’t deviate from the recipe for food safety and others say the tomato paste and tomato sauce can be optional because mostly you just want a mixture that sloshes around freely (if it’s too thick, apparently it can’t be heated through well enough to prevent bacteria from growing). My gut feeling says you are ok…but you’ll just want to use your best judgment.
Have been making salsa for many years,always a different recipe. Mel this recipe is the bomb. You can’t buy salsa this good. Only thing I changed was adding more jalapenos with seeds. Got rave reviews from family and friends. Thank you.
I made the recipe as is and loved it!
Made this salsa yesterday and out turned out amazing! This was my first time canning, and now I’m addicted. I used a variety of whatever tomatoes were ripe in my garden: Roma, Big Beef, and San Marzano.
I also referenced the Ball cookbook which states that fresh lime juice can safely be used in salsa recipes, and since I wanted a fresh lime trade in my salsa, I used only 1 cup apple cider vinegar and the juice from 4 fresh limes.
Other modifications: I used 4 cups chopped onions instead of 3, and roasted my peppers and garlic under the broiler. Instead of trying to measure the cilantro, I just used the whole bunch. Placed everything in my Ninja for easy chopping .
Thank you for this wonderful recipe . I’m so proud of it! My hubby tasted it then said “Don’t go giving away all these jars of salsa!” I ended up with 10 pint jars and a little extra to snack on.
Great recipe! Thank you! I adapted it slightly and fire-roasted the tomatoes, jalapeños and garlic and my husband and I LOVED it! Thank you for all the instructions, will DEFINITELY be making more!
Delicious with a bit of spiciness.
Followed recipe exactly. Tastes like Apple cider vinegar. I am trying to figure out how to save the batch as well. Such a waste of my garden veggies and hard work.
The same thing happened to me. I think the flavor would be great if it weren’t for the strong vinegar taste…
I use red wine vinegar. Kroger brand. Way better than apple cider vinegar…I get rave reviews….and I just gave away my secret ingredient ! Enjoy!
Thanks Mel for sharing done lil bit of changes but hardly any that is amazing salsa
Salsa is amazing really really good thanks for sharing Mel!
Yummy!!!
Hey Mel, thanks for this awesome tutorial on canning! I had my first garden this year, and therefore my first canning experience. You’re step-by-step instructions were amazing, thank you!
Can I use canned petite diced tomatoes?
In place of the fresh tomatoes? I’m not sure about that, sorry!
Strong vinegar taste and I followed directions strictly. Next time I would maybe leave out the tomatoe sauce because it really has a strong tomato taste. I’m currently trying to figure out s way to tone down the vinegar and tomatoe taste so I can save this batch.
Do u take seeds out of t omatos ???
I don’t – but you can if you like.
This Salsa is Delicious & very easy to make. I definitely give it a 5 star rate.
Thanks for the great recipe! I made some this afternoon and my whole family loves it.
Hi Mel,
I’m allergic to onion. Can I just leave them out? Or do I have to replace them with someone that has a similar pH balance?
I read through some of the questions and didn’t see this one…
I read somewhere you could sub in an equal amount of peppers for the onions…but I can’t say 100% that it’s safe for canning if done that way.
Hi there! Do you think I could half this recipe? I got way less out of my tomatoes than I thought I would!
Definitely!
This salsa is amazing! I made it last year but didn’t leave a comment, probably because I was too busy eating all the salsa. Just finished a batch today and thought I would add my two cents that I used about 18 pounds of roma tomatoes to get the 10 cups for this recipe. Perfect salsa every single time! I used 5 jalapenos and it has just a hint of heat, which is perfect for me, a self-proclaimed spice wimp. Thanks for another fool-proof recipe, Mel!
Since many of you have asked about a weight measure for the 10 cups of tomatoes, as I’ve been canning the salsa the last few days, I’ve done a little experimenting/research. Basically, I’ve found it varies GREATLY depending on variety. When I used SIX pounds of Roma + every day garden tomatoes, after taking the skins off, lightly crushing, and draining, the yield of tomatoes to use in this recipe was about 2 1/2 cups. When I used TWO pounds of only Roma/paste tomatoes, after taking the skins off, lightly crushing, and draining, the yield of tomatoes to use was a little over one cup. I tend to err on the side of over draining the tomatoes, if anything, so that makes a difference as well. For me, because I usually use paste tomatoes in this recipe, I would plan on around 18-20 pounds (give or take) of Roma/paste tomatoes to get the 10 cups for this recipe…and even more if using tomatoes with a higher water/lower flesh content.
I’m gonna try this! I like very thin, restaurant style salsa. Can I skip draining the tomatoes?
I think so – as I type that, I’m not sure if it affects the pH levels, but I think you should be fine.
This was incredible to make. I’m so thankful I found this recipe. I did double it as I had enough tomatoes from the garden to do so. I even let them sit overnight in the fridge in a container to help them lose a bit more water content. I also used different peppers. I did half green bell peppers and half poblano. I didn’t have enough sweet bell peppers yet in my garden. I also didn’t have any jalapeños so I subbed in the heatless habaneros I grew just for the purpose of trying them in salsa. They were perfect. All the flavor of the habanero but none of the burn. Bought the seeds from Bakers Creek for those wondering about them. I’ve been asked by my family to forgo all of the chili sauce and stewed tomatoes I also make from my garden bounty and to just make the salsa. Thank you again for such a wonderful recipe. I have been going about it so wrong for years.
Do you need to add the tomatoe sauce?
Yes – otherwise I’m not sure how omitting it would affect the canning safety.
I absolutely love this recipe. I made a double batch and it tasted fabulous and the consistency was perfect. I was wondering what you would add to this recipe to make a medium heat salsa? Thank you, thank you, thank you!
More jalapenos or other type of hot pepper should do the trick!
Yes, this is the best I have made via canning! My husband and kids ate it up very quickly and now I have a recipe to use for all my tomatoes! Thanks for the great tutorial on how to skin the tomatoes! That really worked great! My search for finding a yummy canned salsa recipe is finally over!! Whew!! You da best!!
OMG…….was SOOOOO looking forward to making this as it sounds fantastic…..this is the WORST recipe that I have ever made……no one should ever make this without decreasing the paste and I don’t know..:.just find something that actually works. …just wasted 2 hours of my life that I will never get back
Just made salsa the aroma of salsa is the bomb! Followed recipe exactly and I taste tested before canning this is the best salsa recipe I have ever made! Thank you for publishing this wonderful recipe!
I measured tomatoes by recipe which I used 3 baking sheets of tomatoes cut in half then baked to remove the skins.
Hi!
Love this recipe! Question on the amount of tomatoes.
Below in a comment from early August it said to get the 10 cups it would be about 8-12 tomatoes. I used about 30 medium size roma type tomatoes (filled 2 large sheet pans) and after peeling, chopping and draining I only end up with 6 cups of tomatoes. Did you meant o say 8-12lbs and not tomatoes or am I doing something wrong ? I ask because I change the ratio of ingredients off of that and do not want to mess the PH if somehow I am measuring wrong though not sure how I would be.
Great question, Liz…and very timely. I’ve been making batches of this salsa for the last few days and keep forgetting to weigh the tomatoes for a precise measurement. I am making another batch tomorrow and will do so and report back! So much depends on the variety and exact size of the tomato, so I’ll get a weight measure that will take the guesswork out of it. You definitely want to use a full 10 cups of chopped tomatoes for proper pH levels.
I meant to measure too (even bought a scale) but forgot! 🙂 I think my recent batch that I produced 7 cups worth was about 12 lbs of tomatoes. If you do measure or count the tomatoes please let us know. Excited to plan ahead next year to make even more salsa!
Would substituting lime for part of the apple cider vinegar be alright also?
I’m not sure how that would affect the pH levels, Amy – it’s best to follow this recipe (for canning) as precisely as possible so it’s safe for canning.
Delightful salsa! My new favorite. I put parchment on the jelly roll pan and a cooling rack on top so that the tomatoes drained as they broiled. Your directions were letter perfect. It drives me nuts when I give out a recipe and someone changes it . Don’t mess with perfection!
Brilliant idea with the cooling rack!
Recipe looks great! We are just curious about using citric acid instead of vinegar for the acid. Any thoughts on that?
Hi Amy – I can’t really say for sure. I have no idea how/if it would mess with the pH levels for safe canning. You might try to do some searching online for sure, but my best recommendation is to stick with the recipe to ensure proper food safety.
I used to use a recipe very similar to this that called for honey instead of sugar. If I used it that way in this recipe would it hurt anything? Also could you leave out the cilantro?
Do I double the water bath time if using quart jars?
Tried more than a few salsa recipes out there and tried a couple batches of this one this weekend. Really good balance of heat and acid but added a bit more peppers and onion (used red and white cuz I like lots of goodies in my salsa). Left out the tomato sauce on the second batch and still was great (used the paste for both batches). Used some perfect field toms (well drained) and will try with roma’s next. This is a GREAT salsa and now my “go to” recipe! thanks!
I messed up….I doubled everything in this recipe but I forgot to double the tomatoes…it yields 12 jars…is it still safe to eat it canned them all.???
we are a pint right while we were canning it and it tastes great but now that I realize I messed up and didn’t double up the tomatoes I am wondering if the PH will be bad and not safe to eat?? 715 571 6236 [email protected]
Hey Paula, you can definitely refrigerate it; it will be fine that way. But for canning purposes, it probably isn’t safe (pH levels) if the tomatoes weren’t doubled as well.
What temp do you cook the tomatoes in oven for peeling ?
I messed up….I doubled everything in this recipe but I forgot to double the tomatoes…it yields 12 jars…is it still safe to eat it canned them all.???
we are a pint right while we were canning it and it tastes great but now that I realize I messed up and didn’t double up the tomatoes I am wondering if the PH will be bad and not safe to eat?? 715 571 6236 [email protected]
I use the broiler and preheat to high.
She said BROIL…there’s only one temp on broil…your oven will set it automatically.
I have a broil high and a broil low option on my stove……
A quarter cup too much vinegar I mean
If it’s only 1/4 cup extra, I think it should be fine.
I read the instructions wrong and accidentally put in a 1/4 cup of vinegar. Will thus still be edible. I’m making it right now. Lol. This is my first attempt. I have never canned before.
The only salsa recepie you’ll ever need, so stop looking, this is it!! It has the perfect blend of everything, I have an abundance of tomatoes this year and I am on my 4th batch, I have followed the recepie exact, except for the last batch I made and that was because I wanted a bit more heat. Easy to follow recepie, thanks, I hope to see more of your posts,
I’m so excited to try this recipe out. The reviews are fantastic! It’s my first year canning and I was wondering if I can use quart size bottles? We go through salsa like crazy around here. Will I need to adjust the processing time at all? Thank you so much. I know anything you blog about will be amazing and turns out every time!
Yes, you can absolutely use quart size jars! If so, double the processing time. Hope that helps!
Just made this recipe, it turned out absolutely amazing!!!!! Will be making it again.
Made this today and it came out very good. Nice, easy recipe. I loved the tip about putting the tomatoes under the broiler for easy peeling, so much easier than dinking around with boiling water and ice baths. I am taking the lazy way out and freezing it in serving portions as I am all “canned out” for this summer. I used the rest of my garden tomatoes, which were a generic slicing type and tons of red grape tomatoes. I didn’t plant any romas this year as they failed last year.
The recipe looks good except for adding factory canned tomato sauce and paste! Ugh. I make my own and would use it. If I didn’t make my own I would simply cook it longer to thicken. You sort of lose the whole meaning of “home canned” if you add factory food in it, don’t you think?
You can certainly make your own tomato sauce and tomato paste!
We’re on a low salt diet. Can we omit the salt or reduce it?
Sure, you can experiment with the salt levels – they aren’t critical to the pH levels for safe canning.
How long do the jars keep in the fridge once opened?
Probably a week or two.
How many pints does this receipie yield?
It’s listed right up there above the recipe title – 8 to 9 pints.
I boil the lids in a pan and do rings and jars in dishwasher.
No need to head to southern Oregon for an armwrestle, Ms. Mel! You win hands down on the salsa recipe! My husband and I made one batch lickety-split last evening between my building a house with Habitat for Humanity all day and Beauty and the Beast at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at 8:00 pm! Luckily he was here to chop the onions, peppers, garlic because rather than 7 jalapeno peppers he said, “Let’s try one and add more when we eat it should we choose.” Smart Man, indeed! Our jalapenos, fresh from the garden, must be the very hot type as even with just one, there is still some kick to the salsa! I’ve given small jars to some of my foodie friends here in the hood to get their opinions and share the love!. Suffice it to say that I am “home” with your recipe! Thanks for sharing so completely. I too am a new Steam Canning advocate. As a Master Recycler as well, the idea of using so much less water is right up my alley and for years we’ve known steam is hotter than boiling. I’m off to Toastmasters, my belly full, healthy and happy! I really appreciate your site and your presentation style!
Thanks, Jesse! Phew! Your account of your day had me very tired. 🙂
Would it work to put corn and black bean in as well?
Adding ingredients like that would be fine if you are refrigerating the salsa, but if you are canning, it will change the pH levels and alter the food safety.
Can you freeze this recipe?
Yes!
Making this salsa now. Do you leave the seeds in?
I leave the seeds in for everything but the jalapenos – sometimes I take them out if I want the salsa less spicy.
Do you think this recipe could be quartered? Or should I stick with just trying to do it in half?
It probably can – I’ve never tried it so I don’t know if the flavor would be at all different, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be scaled down like that.
I made this but omitted the sugar and it was so good! I don’t like any sweetness at all in my salsa!
Question though. I have about a million more tomatoes and I’m sick of canning. Have you ever frozen this stuff? 🙂
I haven’t but I’m guessing it would freeze pretty well.
Awesome! I’ll try it and if it doesn’t turn out I will let you know! But I’m assuming the same. Thanks for the reply. 🙂
I freeze tomatoes all the time, it is my simple way of peeling them, once they are thawed the peel comes right off. I have been canning 30 plus years. I freeze as I pick them and make 1 huge batch rather than several little batches.
Can white vinegar be used instead of cider.
Yes I think you can use either – although the flavor will change somewhat
Hi Mel! I’m in the middle of canning this salsa and after peeling, coring and draining the tomatoes, I don’t have enough to equal the 10 cups called for. Could I use a can of good quality store bought canned tomatoes to make up the difference? Thanks in advance!
Yes, I think that should work ok!
Hi there! This salsa looks wonderful and it might be exactly what my husband is looking for (something less “tomato-y” on his taste buds). I’m wondering though if there is a good way to make a smaller amount to test it out. Would cutting everything in half work or would that alter the taste too much? I’d appreciate any thoughts or wisdom you have to share! 🙂
Yes, you could definitely halve all the ingredients!
Is 10 minutes enough time to cook this salsa? Seems like it needs to simmer longer.
You can definitely cook longer if you’d like…I stick with the 10 minutes and it works great.
How many pints does this recipe yield
The yield is listed right above the recipe title. It’s 8-9 pints.
Very good, I did half sugar and half splenda…
3 jalapeños instead of 5, left out sauce and added about 3oz paste
What kinda of tomato sauce do you use? marinara sauce?
Canned tomato sauce (not marinara) that comes in 8-ounce or 16-ounce cans.
Made your recipe last week exactly as written, except for the jalapenos. Used 12 jalapenos and left seeds in. Turned out perfect. The sugar and the spices gave it a great sweet heat. I’m 67 years old and this is the best salsa I’ve ever made. Thank You for sharing your recipe.
I’ve never canned salsa before, this turned out fabulous!! The flavor was delicious! Definitely need to drain the tomatoes!
Any idea how many pounds of tomatoes you started with?
Right around 10-12 pounds.
The recipe looks fantastic but I was just wondering if I could use lemon juice instead of cider vinegar as I am not a fan of it. Would I use the same amount of lemon juice as well.
I think you could sub lemon juice if you are making small batches and keeping in the refrigerator, but changing out the acidity at that level will affect the overall pH which may make a difference in canning safety, so I can’t say for sure whether it would still be safe to can.
Easy to make, and the baking of the tomatoes was brilliant. And it taste great.
What kind of apple cider do you recommend using? I used Bragg’s and the taste of vinegar was so strong it was nearly inedible. I had to use baking soda to even out the flavor. (I’m not going to can this batch, just because I’m not sure the acidity is correct with my adjustments.) I followed the recipe precisely so I know I didn’t add too much vinegar. Any thoughts?
That’s interesting, Megan. Last summer, I’m pretty sure I used the organic apple cider vinegar from Costco (not Bragg’s brand).
Thank you! I’ve been looking for a good recipe for canned salsa. I love to make it fresh, but don’t always have time for that. I don’t love sugar in salsa. After trying a recipe once, I almost always omit the sugar the next time (same goes for any kind of pizza or spaghetti sauce). How crucial is the sugar?
I think the sugar really helps the overall flavor, but you could experiment leaving it out.
We canned this salsa a few weeks ago, loved it!!!
The best salsa ever, making more today!!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!!
Made a half batch last weekend and loved it. My Roma’s finally started ripening this week so we just made a full batch. Instead of putting the tomatoes in the oven to peel the skins, I fired up or grill (Big Green Egg) with some extra hickory chunks and smoked/roasted all of the veggies first. Peeling was still a breeze and now our salsa has a delicious smoky kick to it. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!
What a great idea!
Ohhh, I bet that was good. I’m definitely doing that next time.
I read once you can freeze whole tomatoes and use them later.. me being lazy last year decided to do that with my abundance of garden tomatoes. Have you ever tried that? I’m wondering if I can pull them out and make this..?
Freezing them first shouldn’t make any difference. In fact, I read yesterday that you can peel ‘maters by freezing first, then put them in a sink of warm water. Peels are supposed to all but drop off. Haven’t tried it myself, but do have tomatoes in the freezer! I’m thinking they’re going to be mushy, but it’s salsa-who cares!
Awesome! Thank you! 🙂
I’ve never done that – so I don’t know if they would work, but I’m guessing they will, especially if they are well-drained.
Yes, I do this every year! Saves me when I’m behind on my canning or waiting for more to ripen so I have a large enough batch. I usually let them sit at room temp overnight before I need to use them because they can take a while to thaw and frozen hands hurt 🙂 . I wouldn’t eat them like fresh tomatoes, but it works great for any canning recipes.
I totally am going to make this tomorrow. Question though, can I can it in quart jars? We are a big family lol.
I think so! You’ll need to increase the processing time to account for the larger jars.
This is so good. I thought I had my go-to recipe but this has now replaced it. I love how you don’t have to simmer the salsa all day before you can it. I also like your way of removing the tomato skins. Thanks.
can you use regular vinegar
Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean by regular vinegar.
She means instead of Apple cider vinegar.
I think she means white vinegar.
Best homemade salsa EVER!! I get compliments from everyone who tries it–including a Hispanic friend from Mexico. I love it and will be growing a huge salsa garden every year for the purpose of making this recipe!
Question. I used my food processor to chop up tomatoes. Probably took 1/2 bushel of Roma tomatoes for 10 cup. Do you think this is too much tomato for this recipe. Tomatoes pulp really looks nice and I think is the righ consistency.
If the tomatoes are in the 10 cup range, it should be fine.
Thank you. Both batches I made were 10 cups. I did add a cup of lemon juice besides the vinegar everyone is raving about the salsa. So I think it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe
How many Roma’s did you use to get 10 cups? Did you measure the 10 cups before or after you broiled the tomatoes? I am making this now but wasn’t quite sure how many tomatoes to use.
It really depends on the size of the tomatoes. I measure the 10 cups after peeling, chopping and draining.
This salsa is wonderful. My son, whi does not care for tomatoes asked if he can take all of the jard to college with him. Thank you!
Good afternoon from the great state of West Virginia. I’ve searched for a week looking for a vesty homemade salsa for canning, I have to say your recipe sounds and looks easy too prepare and looks delicious too!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us 🙂
Will post pictures to your Instagram account! Thank you again.
Sincerely , Cindy. S
Well I have a question, what about super peppers? I like it hot and have some reapers and ghost peppers.
Would these extraordinary hot peppers effect the canning process? Or would we just feel the burn?
Thanks
My understanding is that if you leave the tomatoes and acidity (vinegar and such) the same, you can modify the peppers according to heat (just don’t add significantly more or less than the amount called for).
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Truly is the best!! Love the flavor and texture! Thumbs up from my family and friends!
Made this this morning. It is by far the best homemade salsa I have ever hsd. Perfect!
Thank you for a great salsa recipe! I’ve made it twice now. The first time I did vinegar as stated and it was great but the vinegar taste was a little strong….it will still be gobbled up! The second time around I researched the USDA guide for tomatoes and found it said you can add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each jar as you fill it! Now to test them and see which we like better!
Rachael, did you still put the full amount of cider vinegar into the batch of salsa and when putting into jars, individually add the lemon juice to each jar…if so, were they pint and how did this batch turn out? Thanks, Nancy
Wow! This recipe is amazing and by far one of the tastiest I’ve had. Certainly won’t last a year…maybe a few months! I have other salsa Recipes I was going to try but no need. This recipe will be the only one I need
I am this recipe and canned it today. We enjoyed eating the little amount left that wouldn’t fill another jar. It is delicious! I will use this recipe from now on! Love it!
Just made this salsa. Husband says it’s the best ever. I went to store to pick up Cilantro as it was the only ingredient I didn’t have on hand. I forgot to add it. It still is the best. I canned 8 pints and drained off almost all liquid when filling jars. I plan to add cilantro as we use it. It is amazing!
Very, very tasty. I highly recommend this recipe.
I read some comments below and came back for a quick reply.. I noticed someone questioning the sugar in the recipe. Please dont omit it. You cant taste the sweetness at all. It is necessary for the salsa to retain its color in the jars for a longer period of time. My late Mother was a GREAT home-,maker and I will never be quite as good a ‘canner’ as she was, but she swore that if you leave out the sugar, that the salsa will darken quicker.
I havent tried omitting it, but she was 92 and just KNEW things.. As a matter of fact, I put a teaspoon of sugar in all my canned tomatoes (for soups) as well as the tsp of salt that most recipes require. She did it, I didnt question. Your mom knows best, right??!! Never know it is there.. Trust the recipe..perfect !!
Dont worry that it will be sweet, it is perfect..
I love the canning advice of those great homemakers of past generations. Thanks for sharing!
This is IT!! Made this last year, and all the jars are gone! My family LOVED it , and this time I am pinning (in case i lose it again!!) I followed the recipe almost to the letter, adding a little extra salt (we like salsa on the salty side) and omitting the cilantro (personal preference, I HATE it, kiddos and hubby can add fresh when it is on their plate)
The addition of tomato paste and sauce is the ticket. Gives the salsa a richness, and helps to thicken. Just perfect. The cumin and black pepper take it up another notch. Making first thing on Monday, and will triple the recipe. Dont forget to drain those tomatoes guys, it is KEY as mentioned in the article. This is one GREAT recipe!!
My family loves this recipe, but after it was canned and stored for a bit, it kinda had a little bit of a sour taste..Is this normal? Did I do something wrong?
I’m not really sure, Donna – I don’t notice an overwhelming sour taste when opening a jar of this, but I suppose the flavor can change over time.
Looks and sounds delicious. Hopefully, I am going to make it this weekend. I enjoy salsa very much. Been looking for a great recipe for quite a while. The comments were all praising the recipe for its looks, texture, and taste, so how could I go wrong, right! Did I overlook the yield of this recipe? If not, how many pints does this make?
I missed it too. I have all ingredients ready, but dont know how many jars to get ready. YIKES
Ok, found at top of recipe. 8 to 9 pints
The yield is right above the recipe title. It yields about 8-9 pints.
Approx. how many tomatoes equals the 10 cups that your recipe calls for?
It really depends on the type and size of tomato, so it’s really hard to give an estimate. Maybe about 8-12 medium size tomatoes?
We just sampled this salsa and it is absolutely fantastic!!! I thought that all of the ingredients complimented each other. Way to go Mel! This is my third year in a row making red salsa. I make it to enjoy at home and to share with family and I also enter certain canned specialties each year in our local state fair. Two years ago I won Third place for my red salsa. Last year I did not receive a ribbon. This year I suspect I’ll be in good running for ribbon contention! Our North Carolina State Fair is held in October. I’ll be sure to let you know the outcome!
Yes! Do keep me posted. I’ll be excited to hear how it goes!
Love this Salsa. My family also loves it.. So glad you shared this
I made this salsa yesterday and it is so good! It was my first time canning anything so I was really nervous, but it wasn’t as hard as I expected and the taste is amazing. I can’t wait to make more!
Awesome best recipe ever for salsa!
When you say green peppers….what kind of green peppers? Not bell I hope.
Yes, I use green bell peppers. I updated the recipe to be more clear.
I’ve made this 3 times now and my favorite batch I added chipotle with sauce. About three. It added smoke the the batch. Thank you so much for this recipie. Have about 20 jars.
I also changed bell pepper out for Anaheim.
No one in my family likes bell pepper. Since you caution to keep quantity of veggies the same, do you have a suggestion for sonething to use instead. Or, could I increase the tomato by a cup and the onion by 3/4 a cup to make upbfor the 1 3/4 cups bell pepper?
Thanks!
Hi Pam, honestly, I don’t know how that would work. All the vegetables have different levels of acidity – and that’s what makes a recipe have the correct pH balance for food safety. You might be better off googling a homemade salsa recipe without bell pepper.
I used Anaheim instead because I don’t like green bell pepper. Maybe try that or use yellow bell?
Made this recipe today and it was our first attempt at salsa from homegrown veggies from our garden. Very easy to follow the directions and it is delicious. We already planning our second batch. Thnx
Love this recipe my husband and I opened a jar before it cooled down and ate the whole thing in one sitting. I come from a long line of homemade salsa junkies and this recipe is my favorite. Thank you!
My wife and I have made 20 pints of this and doing the tomatoes to do another batch. This IS the salsa we have ever had including restaurants. I give this 10 and recipe is printed off for next season. Thanks for sharing recipe. Mike
Thanks, Michael! So happy you are enjoying this recipe!
When do u use the kosher / canning salt i dnt see when u use it in the step by step process
It goes in at the same time as all of the other ingredients in step 1 of the recipe.
My question is can I use lime juice in place of the apple cider vinager or even do half and half lime juice and white vinager in place?
I’m not sure, to be honest. The recipe has been tested to be food safe for canning (based on the pH levels). I’m not sure how altering those amounts would affect that.
I used half lime juice and half vinegar.
Thinking of making this but I’m from Texas and I like my salsa spicy. I don’t like salsa that tastes like bland tomatoes or like a can of Rotel. I like it spicy but not lips on fire hot. If I left the seeds and membranes in the jalapeños would it be too hot? I’m also not sure about sugar or green peppers in the salsa. I definitely don’t want sweet salsa. What recommendations can you give me to make the salsa with some kick to it?
Hi Debbie – try leaving in the seeds of the jalapeños and see how that goes! It’s hard to know exactly because everyone’s spice tolerance is different!
I just tried this recipe for the first time and it is delicious! My husband and I love spicy so I added 4 habaneros to the batch (seeded of course). It has a great kick but not too much. I also added a bit more cilantro because we love that flavor as well. It turned out great. I will vary the amounts as I continue to use this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
This is the best salsa everyone love it I canned mine. thanks for the recipe.
How long will this keep refrigerated and how long will it keep canned?
It’s fine up to a year canned if kept in a cool spot and I’d say it’s good for a week or so in the fridge.
Do I have to use that many jalapeños? I made it today to eat fresh and only used about half and it was delicious! Curious if cutting back on jalapeños would mess with the canning safety.
The jalapeños are completely adaptable based on taste – so you can use what you prefer and it’s still safe to can!
I would prefer to use canner. How long would I do the points for at a pressure of 10
Hi Kacy – I’m not entirely sure what you are asking. Do you want to pressure can the salsa?
The recipe calls for green peppers . What kind do you recommend?
I use green bell peppers.
Thank you so much for adding the high altitude adjustments for this recipe. With all the tomato plants in our garden this year (my husband started 24 plants from seeds) I will probably be looking for uses for our bounty. Especially since he gave some of the plants to our neighbors…
Can you use lime juice in place of lemon ?
I’m not 100% positive, but I think so. Basically the recipe needs enough acidity to can properly and be food safe. You might google and see if you can sub lime juice in canning recipes for the lemon juice.
You can use lime juice or lemon juice but it absolutely has to be the bottled type, not fresh and I would only replace half of the vinegar with it. As Mel said, the PH level is critical to safe consumption of canned foods. Fresh citrus fruits tend to vary in their acidity levels.
I just made this wonderful salsa a couple of days ago with roma tomatoes. I 4X the recipe and ended up with 32 pints of salsa. We liked it so very much I am thinking of doing more with the 1 1/2 bushels of regular tomatoes that I have. Do you think that the regular tomatoes would have too much liquid in them or would the draining take care of that problem? I didn’t add the paste last time so I would probably add it for sure to make it thicker.
I think by draining them and using the tomato paste, you’ll be fine!
Maybe this is a silly question, but what kind of onions do you use? I’m so excited to try this recipe, I want to get it just right…
Also, do you put in the tomato paste? (It says it’s optional.)
Yep, I add it. 🙂
I just use yellow onions.
After not having made salsa for 10 years, this recipe was a very delicious success. Slam dunk! It is the best Salsa recipe I’ve ever tried!
Can you use canned sauce and paste with the fresh tomatoes in it?
Hi Mary Beth – I’m afraid I don’t know what you are asking…the tomato paste and tomato sauce in the recipe is referring to canned. Does that help?
If you are going to eat this fresh, do you still cook it first?
No, you don’t necessarily need to cook it, although I do think it helps develop the flavors to do so.
I made the salsa today and it is by far the best I’ve ever had!
Yay!
Will it be okay if I omit the green pepper, in terms of acidity?
I’m pretty sure it’s fine – usually the issues come when you add too many peppers/veggies and that makes it unsafe to water bath can.
Hi! Would it be possible to can this using the boiling-water canning method with an InstantPot?
Hi Caitlin – I’m not sure – the method is entirely different with an InstantPot (it uses high pressure to can). I’ve read that the pressure doesn’t get high enough in an InstantPot to safely can foods so you might want to check into that before trying.
Even when I have a recipe I love, I feel compelled to try Mel’s. ☺️
This was too spicy for me (not mild!) and very vinegar-y! I know the acidity is important, but tomatoes seem pretty acidic on their own, right? I’ll stick to my old recipe (which is time tested from my mother in law, but I’m not sure if it’s officially approved by a lab) but I do like your skin slip method. Took longer than 3 min for mine. And the less ripe store-bought Romas didn’t really slip off. Garden ones did, but they weren’t Romas.
I agree about the vinegar- my husband tasted it and said he can’t eat it because of how strong the vinegar is. So I’m kind of sad because it took me a really long time to make this. I am sure it will get eaten, but I’d be interested in a recipe without the vinegar if that’s possible. I loved this method of peeling the tomatoes, much less painful.
The vinegar is needed for food safety but you could try subbing in bottled lemon juice (I don’t love the flavor which is why I stick with vinegar) or search for a recipe with a different lineup of ingredients. Sorry you didn’t love it; if I were your neighbor, I’d come take it off your hands. My husband would be thrilled! 🙂
I substituted some of the vinegar with lemon juice and it tasted wonderful! I also used sweet onions and red onions. I used half green and half yellow peppers. Do not use the insides of the jalapeños if you want it more on the mild side. I used store bought Roma tomatoes and it took more like 5 minutes but the skins did pull off pretty easy. I made a double batch and got 16 jars. It was a HIT with my family and they are asking for more plus my friends all want the recipe!
Could you post yours? I’m not crazy about the vinegar. I prefer lime juice
Kami, could you e-mail me your mother-in-laws salsa receipi, I’m concerened about have a salsa to vinegary. Thanks, Nancy [email protected]
Made this last week, and loved it! I didn’t can it, because I wanted to make sure everyone liked it first, but now it’s time to can. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe! Should I adjust the canning time for quart jars? We go through salsa extremely fast.
Hey Andrea – I remember reading somewhere that salsa shouldn’t be canned in quarts because of the density (it doesn’t get hot enough, I believe, when processing) but you could definitely try googling to see if you come up with information that will help you. Good luck!
Mel! You never disappoint. The legend continues! I’ve long wanted to make my own salsa but never had the courage to try it until your recipe. I knew you wouldn’t let me down. This turned out so delicious. I usually like mild salsa and I think this is closer to medium but it is perfect! Thank you for yet another amazing recipe.
Hi Mel, I’m trying to find where the original tested recipe came from. Can you help me? I went to the link you mentioned and still can’t find it. I am super careful on my canning recipes to only use those that are absolutely tested scientifically. TIA!
Hi Heather – from all the reading I did on that recipe, the lady who created the recipe, Annie, developed it and had it tested at her local extension office years ago. There are a lot of threads on the Garden web forum – I looked for a few minutes and couldn’t find the original thread I had read but here’s a couple that might help (there’s LOTS of discussion on there about the proper way to make the salsa without messing up the pH levels and making it unsafe):
http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions/2766092/annies-salsa-recipe
http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3337509/annies-salsa-the-approved-tested-recipe
Do you think the tomato peeling method would work with peaches too?
Reporting back that it DOES work! The skin didn’t pucker up though, so you do need to really watch it and check them after about 3 minutes
Yay! That’s good to know!
I have a beloved salsa recipe I have used for years. I canned a ton of it last year and thought I would try your recipe for some this year. I have a daughter who does not love cumin. Is the cumin flavor really strong in this salsa? I think the rest of my family would love it! Also do you have a good spaghetti sauce recipe for canning? Thanks for all you do! I have followed your blog almost from the beginning, my family always jokes when I give them a new recipe to try and say “is it from Mels?”
Hi Jennifer – you could definitely leave out the cumin (although the flavor isn’t really strong). I’m working on a spaghetti sauce recipe! 🙂
Great! Thanks.
Can I freeze this salsa instead of canning it? Thanks!
Absolutely!
What does it matter if I leave the skins on? It would be one less thing to mess with. I made fresh salsa with the skins on and I did not cook anything. All fresh and delicious! Is there a reasons to cook the salsa for 15 minutes besides softening the veggies?
love salsa
I have the same question about leaving skins on. My Roma tomatoes are all puny, and I’d rather blend them all up than peel them. Also what about using cherry tomatoes if I have a bazillion of them? Just blend? Thanks!
Hey Jan – the recommendation for not using the skins is mostly because the bacteria increases when using the skins but I know there are a lot of people that still use them. I haven’t tried this salsa with cherry tomatoes but it would obviously be a pain to take the skins off of those babies. 🙂
Thanks! I did some skins and some not, but mixed it all together. It turned out pretty good, but a little sweet….I didn’t add any sugar. Could it be the apple cider vinegar or possibly the cherry tomatoes? Thanks again!
Hi Jan – sounds like your tomatoes are extra sweet!
Judy – it’s really up to you but it’s not recommended to can salsa or tomato products with skins on due to the increase in bacteria. I make fresh salsa with the skins on, too (I agree, delicious!) but when canning, I always remove the skins. Yes, the cooking time softens the vegetables and increases the flavor a bit.
I’ve been searching for a good salsa recipe for years and have always been disappointed with the end product. I made the recipe today and it is fabulous! Thank you, my search is at an end!
How would fine sea salt work in this?
As long as it doesn’t have additives or iodine, it should work great!
I bought 25 pounds of scratch and dent canning tomatoes at the farmer’s market today and I’m making this salsa now. (The extra tomatoes will become frozen tomato puree.) I’m very excited to see how this salsa turns out!
Just updating my own comment to say that the salsa turned out great! I left one jar unprocessed to eat right away and it’s delicious. I did add the optional sugar and the taste is an interesting combination of sweet and tart with a good kick from the jalapenos.
Mel! This was so great! My neighbors and I just finished 4 batches! Hurray! We love your recipes so much- were a little fan-girlie over you!
Now we’re wondering if you have a canning recipe for spaghetti sauce because we’ve got tomatoes coming out of our eyeballs!!! Save us!!!
I have one in the works, Krista – been perfecting it the last couple weeks. I hope to get it posted next week!
Yay!!! You are amazing!
How crucial is the cilantro? Could I sub basil or oregano or a mix therof? I have a few cilantro-haters in the house. But tons of fresh basil & oregano available!
Not crucial at all – just a personal preference because I love it. You could leave it out or definitely sub in a different herb.
Can you cut this recipe in half? I don’t have enough tomatoes!
Yes! You can definitely halve the recipe.
I make a very similar salsa recipe and am very intrigued by your method of removing skins. To tell you the truth, I always leave the skins on (gasp!) because I hate peeling tomatoes, and can’t say I notice a difference in taste/texture, although maybe it makes the salsa more acidic? Salsa making/canning is the plan for today, and I’m going to try your oven method for the skins. Thanks, Mel!
I have never bough store salsa, my mom and I have always made lots of salsa every fall with our produce from our garden! I’m willing to give a few toes to bet it’s the best. salsa. ever. EVER! 🙂 However, it requires a lot more time and more romas than your recipe, so I stayed up last night after putting the kids to bed and made yours. I loved your trick of putting the romas in the oven – life changing! The salsa is delicious, thank you! I will definitely continue to make my mom’s recipe, but this recipe comes close and will stay in my recipe binder. 🙂 Thanks!
I’m glad you liked it, Jessica! If your family recipe isn’t secret and you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to hear more about it!
Very similar to the recipe I have used for 30 years but I don’t use the tomato sauce, paste, sugar OR vinegar. All fresh. I also love to use Roma tomatoes but have used lots of different kinds, depending on the garden. LOVE your recipes!
My favorite “fresh” salsa is The Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Salsa. My husband would like me to make it three times a month so we never run out. I just make sure I buy Muir Glen whole tomatoes so it tastes good every time.
My mom canned salsa when I was growing up, but I’ve never tried it. Maybe soon! Thanks for such a thorough tutorial!
P.S. somehow I just discovered your blog and my kids actually ate the two skillet recipes I made! We’re putting them on our rotation along with the broiled fish tacos. They didn’t like those, but my husband raved about them so the kids are out of luck. 🙂
Can I bring a chip over and taste it before I make it? LOL!! I’m sure it’s amazing!! Everything you cook is amazing!!
Haha. How about I exchange you a jar of salsa for my pressure canner? 🙂
If I’m going to eat it right away and not can it, do I still need to cook it for the 10 minutes?
Not necessarily…although I think that simmering time helps develop the flavors a bit (and soften some of the vegetables). Totally up to you!
Yesterday I told myself I was going to make some salsa to can, but I didn’t have a good recipe for it. Then I checked your post and you delivered once again! Thanks for your psychic skills. 🙂 I can’t wait to try this.
Haha – glad the timing was spot on!
I’m a total salsa snob. So hard to find a good store bought salsa. I’d love to try this to see if I approve but I hate cilantro. So I’m scared to make a batch if I end up not liking it. And scared it won’t be a winner without it.
Oh, I think you could leave it out and be just fine (having said that, it isn’t very noticeable either – definitely not a predominant flavor).
Can I use red, orange, or yellow peppers in place of the green ones? I love your recipes! Thank you!
Yes! It will change the flavor but will be fine. Just make sure the total number of peppers doesn’t exceed the amount called for (for pH levels).
I just made and canned homemade salsa for the first time last week. I used this recipe: http://www.theyummylife.com/roasted_salsa … it is amazing. I was surprised how easy and delicious it was. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I’ll have to compare the two and see what the differences are. If yours looks milder I may give it a try.
Lime juice concentrate has the same acidity as lemon juice. I wonder if a lime juice /vinegar combo would handle the acidity issue? I would think it’d taste better.
Your Divine One Minute Salsa has been my go to salsa for years, & my whole family loves it! I cannot imagine liking anything better than that, but am interested in giving this new recipe a try. Thx, Mel 🙂
Oh, I love that one, too, but I never can it so this one is my canning winner. 🙂
This looks delicious, Mel! We must be on the same wave-length because I am canning salsa today already! We have a recipe we love and when I branch out my family rebels, but yours looks worth trying for sure! There is nothing like seeing all those pretty jars all lined up when they are finished!
You’ll have to share your recipe, Kelsey! Unless it’s a secret. 🙂
I have 2 Victorio brand steam canners that I love hard. They both have temperature gauges on top and show when you are in the correct temperature range to start timing. It’s been life changing! I had two other steam canners without the gauges that I got rid of and replaced with these. I have also found by watching the temp gauges that I can turn the heat down to med-low and still keep the temp in the correct range. Yay! It saves propane! (I can outside on my camp stove.)
Cool, Angie!
Can’t wait to try this! On another note, do you know how I can get your recipes to print without the ad in the middle? The ad used to show up but wouldn’t print. Now it’s printing and I can’t get rid of it. I’ve tried going to “ad options” but I believe that just changes the types of ads I see, not taking the ads away. It’s just annoying that a lot of the recipes are printing in 2 pages now because of it. Any direction you can give would be great. Thanks!
Oh, the ads should NOT be printing, Stacy! Clear your browser history/cache. That should do the trick. I tried it on my computer (Safari and Chrome) and the ads aren’t printing. I agree, that’s annoying. If you can’t get it to work, let me know and I’ll troubleshoot on my end.
Oh this looks delicious Mel! Your recipe is so, so similar to mine! We go through it like it’s water. I made sure I canned plenty last summer to get us through the winter. I have tomatoes coming out of my ears again this year. Looks like I need to get busy! I kind of cheat though and don’t put mine in a steam bath. I just let my salsa come to a boil and keep my jars in a warm oven and the lids in simmering water. I pour the boiling salsa into the warm bottles, then put the lid on and screw the ring on and tip the bottles upside down and let them sit overnight. The lids seal every time. Don’t call the canning police on me !
I do this with my jam! 🙂
Awesome! I just tried your method last night, Jodie, and the jars were all sealed this morning! This is so much easier. How warm do you keep your oven for the jars? Thank you!
Thanks, Mell, for this recipe! I love your method of removing the skins from the tomatoes. How close to the broiler do you put the tomatoes? I think I had them too far away. Still had to work at getting the skin off. Thank you!
Hey Terry – just keep in mind that it isn’t recommend from a food safety standpoint to keep the jars at room temperature (on a shelf) without properly processing in a water bath, steam bath or pressure canner. Simply letting them seal from the heat of the salsa doesn’t preserve them properly. You can google some of the reputable canning guides for more information but I want to make sure I give that disclaimer so no one gets sick and comes back to blame me. 🙂
I usually put my oven rack a few inches away from the broiler – maybe 3-4? Hope that helps!
My recipe is very similar but with my overload of garden tomatoes I omit the tomato sauce/ paste, use 18 cups tomatoes, and cook the salsa on the stove for 2 hours to evaporate more water.
Thanks for all your great cooking tips! I’ve used so many of your recipes over the years.
Thanks for including your adaptations, LaRene!
Can this be processed using the water bath method? If not, I’ll pick up a steam canner but I do have a traditional pot that I could use if it is possible. Thanks!
Absolutely! The instructions in the recipe and step-by-step photos include a steam canner or a water bath canner. 🙂
Ha! Sorry, I just saw that you put steam or water in the photo section. I guess I’ll save myself some money!
Could I make this with store bought canned diced tomatoes? I seriously hate processing fresh tomatoes.
I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. Of course he flavor will be different but the real key is to check to see about the pH level and food safety. You might try googling to find out. Do you hate the peeling part? I used to hate processing tomatoes, too, until I started broiling them to remove the skins. So much easier than boiling.
Canning salsa is on my list to do today. I will have to try this recipe!
Looks delicious! I think you are putting them in half-pint jars here, though? But maybe your pint jars just look skinny on the computer screen 😀 if so, disregard. I’m going to add this to my list of things I want to can!
OH! And your peeling method??? Wow wow wow THANK YOU! When I can tomato sauce, I freeze the whole tomatoes first. Then as they thaw the skins slip off, and the mushy tomatoes are perfect for cooking down into sauce. But I am so excited to do this instead of the blanching method!
It seriously made me fall in love with processing fresh tomatoes again. I hope you like the method of you try it!
Oh I’m glad you posted this! My friend said she freezes her garden tomatoes as they become ripe and turns them into salsa and what not so I’ve been throwing them in my freezer and was scared it would ruin it! Yay!!
Nope, they are real, live pint jars. 🙂
How many pint jars did this recipe make?
8-9 pints.
Yum! i’ve never made homemade salsa before, but this looks amazing!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
HI Mel. I have a hard time getting *good* fresh tomatoes – but I LOVE making salsa. I’m embarrassed to ask, but what do you think about using canned tomatoes? (gasp – hide my eyes)
Haha, always worth the question! I just don’t know about pH levels and food safety of using canned so you might try googling to see if any of the main canning experts (Ball, NCFHP, etc) have anything to say about it.
Hi Mel ,
I know this recipe like the back of my hand . It is a well posted on the internet “Annie’s Salsa” , as you have said . You are so right, its the best . I say phenomenal ! Awe …. gee whiz, I don’t like to point out a typo but for the tomato paste addition, it should be to add if one wants a thicker salsa . For canning I use an ” All American ” pressure canner ” , I can fit 19 pints for one processing time . Time is everything for me . I love my “All American” pressure canner ! I can year round, making soups, canning potatoes, pinto beans, northern beans , meats , broth and the list goes on . I too, love canning .
Thanks for the heads up on that, I’ll fix it! And yes, this is a popular recipe around the internet for good reason. So, for some reason, I didn’t think it was recommended to can salsa in a pressure canner (or perhaps it’s just that it’s not well publicized on the timing). How long do you process your pints of salsa in a pressure canner?
One can indeed use a pressure canner for canning salsa . I always use Roma tomatoes and never use the tomatoe paste (optional) in the recipe . It never turns out to liquidity or mushy ,not ever . Very certain the reason for that is the Roma’s are a meaty tomato. I have tried the water bath method as well with this recipe , both have the same consistency. I pressure can at 10 lbs. of pressure for 15 min. Adjust lbs. of pressure for your elevation .
Thank you so much! I have a beloved pressure canner and can process a lot of pint jars at one time so you’ve convinced me to try it!
Hi Mel
I like your method for skinning the tomatoes, I just do not know if it will work for pressure canning salsa ? Cooling them quick keeps them from cooking any further after blanching . Also if pressure canning you can add more cilantro and chilies ( chipotles in adobo ) are a excellent addition . Cheers !
This salsa looks amazing!!!!!
I’m dying for an update on the success of your eBook and efforts to raise money for Mentors? Can we get an update? Can we? Can we? Can we? 🙂
Hi Danielle – thanks for being interested! I’ve been posting a few updates to Facebook and Instagram but the latest total was over $32,000! It’s been incredible. Additionally the eBook has raised almost $15,000!
That’s amazing! You must be so happy 🙂 I am not on fb or Instagram. I have to avoid those time traps to devote more time to my one true past time….food blogs 🙂 (PS, I follow 26, but yours is number one…hands down the best in my book)
thanks for the recipe – is it one of the new ball recipes? Anyways… the use of steam canners was approved for use last year by one of the university extension offices, and is on the NCHFP website – with a disclaimer they have been approved for anything under 45 minutes. They added a statement they will be updating their pages to reflect that.
I just got my steam canner about 2 weeks ago and wow – i love it compared to having to boil 5 gallons of water in the traditional pot.
Oh, that’s great info, Janet! I agree, I love my steam canner and the lesser amount of water. I’ll try to find the link to that article on NCHFP and link to it in my post.
awesome! your recipe will be on the list for next year, already have 50-60 pints of salsa done for the year.
Wow, Janet! That’s a lot of salsa – totally amazing!
So if you typically use romas, how many pounds (approximately) do you need to end up with 10 cups of chopped/peeled/drained tomotoes? I have a (fresh) salsa recipe I love, but your post has me intrigued…
Hi Alicia – I use about 10 pounds of tomatoes, give or take, which often yields 10 cups of tomatoes (after they’ve been peeled, chopped and drained). I hate throwing out that exact pound amount because so much depends on the variety of tomato and how long they drain, etc, but it’s a good starting place.