The Best Homemade Salsa
With over 2,000 5-star reviews you can trust that this is the best salsa recipe ever. It can be served fresh or canned to be shelf stable.
Included in the post is a step-by-step canning guide with tons of tips for proper home canning safety so you can store up jars upon jars of this salsa to last you all year.
Homemade Tomato Salsa Ingredients
For proper canning safety, this list of ingredients needs to be strictly adhered to. If there are variation options, I have listed them below.
- 10 cups peeled, chopped and drained tomatoes: any variety of tomato can be used; it’s important to let the tomatoes drain after chopping and then measure the tomatoes after draining.
- 3 cups chopped onion: white or yellow onions can be used.
- 1 ¾ cups chopped green bell pepper: any variety of bell pepper can be used. Do not increase the amount of bell peppers in the recipe as it can reduce the pH levels and affect canning safety.
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups finely diced jalapeños: leave the seeds and membranes in for more heat. The amount of jalapeños can be decreased (but not increased above the 1 1/4 cup amount).
- 7 cloves garlic, finely minced: the amount of garlic can be reduced, as desired.
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons canning or pickling salt: 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.
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro: do not increase the amount of cilantro; alternatively, it can be omitted or reduced.
- ⅓ cup sugar: the sugar is optional in this recipe and the amount needed will largely be dependent on the sweetness of the tomatoes and your personal taste preference.
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider vinegar: Don’t alter the amount of acidity (vinegar). You CAN substitute some of the vinegar for bottled lemon or lime juice (keep in mind this will affect the overall flavor; I’ve had good luck subbing in half bottled lime juice for half of the vinegar). DO NOT USE FRESH LEMON OR LIME JUICE.
- 16 ounces tomato sauce: this ingredient is necessary for safe canning/proper pH and is NOT optional (despite what other recipe reviewers have said).
- 12 ounces tomato paste: this ingredient helps thicken the salsa; however, it is OPTIONAL. You can add a reduced amount of tomato paste or omit it completely.
Reminders for Homemade Salsa:
- Use a tested recipe. Canning is a great 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. This recipe has been tested for home canning safety in a proper lab.
- 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.
- Peeling tomatoes is essential for this recipe (both from a texture and bacteria standpoint). See my easy method for peeling tomatoes below.
- Canning the salsa can be done with a water bath or steam bath canner. This recipe has not been tested (and is not recommended) for pressure canning.
The Easiest Way to Remove Tomato Peels
The easiest way to remove the peel/skin from tomatoes is as follows:
- Cut the tomatoes in half and place them cut-side down on a baking sheet
- Preheat oven to broil and place an oven rack 8- to 10-inches away from the broiler element.
- Place the pan of tomatoes in the oven and BROIL for 3-4 minutes (watch closely!). You’ll know the tomatoes are ready when they swell and look taut and begin to bubble just a bit.
- When the pan is removed and as they cool, the tomato skins will wrinkle and peel off very easily.
The oven broiling method to remove tomato skins is so much easier and less messy than plunging the tomatoes into a water bath.
Notes About Salsa Flavors
As written, this salsa is not overly spicy. You can increase the heat level by leaving the seeds and membranes in the jalapenos or use peppers with more heat, like serrano or habanero peppers.
IMPORTANT: the flavors of this salsa get better and balance more evenly with time. So if it has an overly strong vinegar taste after canning, let it rest on the shelf for a week or so.
The best batch of this salsa I’ve ever made used half apple cider vinegar and half bottled lime juice. I will make it like that from now on!
For a step-by-step visual on making this salsa, scroll below the recipe for a tutorial. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Made this this morning. It is by far the best homemade salsa I have ever had. Perfect!
—Diane
Canning Tools For Homemade Salsa:
*several products below are affiliate links to Amazon
- this over-the-sink colander is perfect for draining the tomatoes
- food processor – I’ve had this machine for over 10 years
- steam canner – this is the only way I can at home (approved by the National Center for Home Food Preservation)
- this simple canning toolset has just about everything needed for filling and handling the jars
The Best Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
- 10 cups peeled, chopped and drained tomatoes (see note)
- 3 cups chopped onion
- 1 ¾ cups chopped green bell pepper
- 5 medium jalapeños, finely chopped, membranes and seeds removed (leave in for extra spice) – about 1 to 1 1/4 cups
- 7 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons canning or pickling salt (see note)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup sugar, optional, depending on sweetness of tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider vinegar (see note)
- 16 ounces tomato sauce, NOT optional – necessary for safe canning/proper pH
- 12 ounces tomato paste, optional if you want a thicker salsa
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Fill sterilized pint-size canning jars within 1/2-inch of the top. Wipe the rim of the jar clean and seal with a lid and ring.
- Process in a water or steam bath canner for 15 minutes (add 5 minutes if you live at 1,001 to 3,000 feet; add 10 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet; add 15 minutes for 6,001 feet to 8,000 feet).
- Remove the jars carefully from the water or steam bath and let cool to room temperature. Check to make sure the jars have sealed correctly (lightly press the top of the lid; it should be firm – if the center bubbles up and down when you press on it, it hasn’t sealed correctly and will need to be refrigerated or re-processed).
Notes
Tomatoes: peel the tomatoes and let them drain first before measuring. The exact weight of the tomatoes varies GREATLY depending on tomato variety and how much the tomatoes drain. I tend to err on the side of over-draining the tomatoes so the salsa isn’t runny. A *general guideline* is to plan on about 20 pounds Roma/paste tomatoes OR 22 to 25 pounds non-paste tomatoes for a single batch of this recipe (or a combination of different types of tomatoes).
Salt: 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.
Peeling the Tomatoes: 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).
Chopping: 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.
PH: 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 or lime juice (this will affect the overall flavor). DO NOT USE FRESH LEMON OR LIME JUICE; it is not acidic enough. 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.
Canning Method/Jars: this recipe can be water bath or steam bath canned. It is not recommended to pressure can this recipe. Additionally, it is not recommended to make and process this recipe using quart-size jars.
Quantity: this recipe can be doubled or tripled (make sure you have a big pot ready!) or halved.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly (increased all the quantities appropriate for canning safety) from this recipe I found on the awesome GardenWeb site
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Do you use store bought tomato sauce? What brand. Thank you
I usually use Kirkland or Hunt’s brand
This recipe is great! Made it this year and last year and love it. When I made my first two batches this year, I mixed up the salt measurements and put in 2 1/2 teaspoons instead of tablespoons a and just realized this when I went to make a 3rd batch. The salt shouldn’t affect the safety of this recipe, should it? I thought salt was always just for flavor in canning recipes, but wondering if you could confirm
Hi Lins, the salt can be decreased without affecting canning safety.
Even after draining my tomatoes and cooking an extra 5’, my salsa is really runny. Will it thicken eventually or should I have cooked it down more?
You want it slightly runny – too thick and it won’t process safely for canning.
This is delicious!! My tweeks. No sugar needed. I did not peel the tomatoes-cut tomatoes onion and peppers in my startfrit onion chopper. Used 1/2 San Marizano 1/2 slicer tomatoes. Drained the some of the juice. Skin allows tomatoes to remain chunckier. Used 1/2 Lime Juice and 1/2 vinegar. yield 6 pints 3 1/2 pints. New favourite!!!
This was my first attempt at canning and I read one of the steps wrong l will be just storing it in the fridge / giving some away instead of canning. If I am not canning can I freeze some?
Yes, it can be frozen.
Hi Mel,
Love your site and fantastic recipes! Just curious- my family really loves cilantro in salsa. Is it okay to add dried cilantro to the recipe? Like a cup or so? Or will it make everything wonky?
Thanks!
Hi Kristin, I don’t know for sure and I don’t want to give advice that could affect canning safety negatively. Adding that much of a low acid ingredient can change the pH.
Just made this recipe, and I got 8 pint jars from it. The taste is amazing. Thank you for sharing!
Made this yesterday and will not use this recipe again. The tomato sauce and paste made it taste like nothing but tomatoe. Plus saying to drain it I think is a mistake, Was more like a spiced up tomatoe paste. Went to a lot of work for disappointment.
If using larger garden tomatoes, do you cut out the core? Seems like it would take a lot of effort to hand mash them and get the core out vs just chopping them and then draining. I’m new to canning salsa so unsure! Excited to try this recipe!
Hi Lauren, I do remove the core for larger tomatoes.
Excellent! Thank you! I did substitute lime juice for some of the vinegar. Delicious! I probably didn’t drain as much liquid from my tomatoes, I ended up with 7 jars. Just. so. good..
Amazing recipe. We made 6 batches last night – looking forward to salsa all year long!
What a great recipe! The tutorial starts that only tested recipes should be used… is this a tested recipe?
Yes, it has been tested.
I know you said this recipe can be cut or half but can I also quarter it? I want to make some to try it before I make a huge batch to can
Yes, you can.
I have found that using a salad spinner works wonders for removing the excess juice.
Great idea!!!!
Made it today and got exactly 9 pint jars. I subbed cherry bomb peppers from my garden for the jalapeños and increased garlic and cilantro to our tastes.
I have tried dozens of salsa recipes for canning over the years and this is my favorite. Thanks for posting!
Did your jars can okay increasing the cilantro?
Just finished my first batch of this using my garden tomatoes, peppers and garlic. It is so good. As Mel said super balanced, not too hot, salty, tart or anything. I can’t wait for more tomatoes to ripen. I too let the tomatoes drain 24 hours because I don’t like watery salsa. I substituted some lime juice for half the vinegar.
How big are your garlic cloves? Asking because mine range in size from extremely small to very large.
One can never have too much garlic!
Hi Connie, just average sized garlic cloves. Not tiny, but not huge.
Can you over puree it? I have a son who hates vegetables of every kind and while we are still working on that, one thing he does like is salsa, as long as there are not chunks in it.
Yes, you can chop or puree the tomatoes to the desired texture.
Hi there,
I am going to make your recipe as it sounds yummy
I have one question please,
When uou say tomato sauce do you nean ketchup or passata?
Regards
Nahla
Hi Nahla, tomato sauce would probably be the same as tomato puree (not ketchup). It doesn’t have any added ingredients, just a thick sauce of pureed tomatoes (no seeds).
This may be answered somewhere but if I use quart jars instead of pint do I process longer? I read on pickles it is better to use a smaller jar because you have to process a larger jar longer and it can make the pickle mushy. Do you know if it will change the taste of the salsa if I have to process longer? Thanks!
Previously in the comments I let people know quart jars can be processed for 30 minutes (based on an online recommendation, however, it’s been brought to my attention since then that most of the reputable canning sources (NFHP, Ball, etc) don’t recommend canning salsa in quart jars, and recommend using pint or half pint jars.
This is THE best! I have made it the last couple years. A family favorite!
Can I freeze my tomatoes as they ripen, then thaw to use in this recipe?
Yes, it works great! I do it every summer. The skins peel right off when the tomatoes thaw.
What about using lime juice instead of vinegar? If so, what
Quantity should be used?
I haven’t tried that sub, but others in the comment thread have, I believe. If I remember right, you’ll want the same amount of lime juice as vinegar to keep the acidity safe for canning.
This may not make it past the censors, whoever they are, but this is a helluva recipe! The taste each time I open a jar is as if the salsa was just made. I will never buy store salsa again. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I love this recipe having made it before. Tonight, I foolishly put in 2.5 teaspoons of pickling salt instead of tablespoons. I only caught this after I went through the canning process. I assume this means this isn’t safe to keep on a shelf? Could I keep it refrigerated and if so for how long? many thanks.
Hi Paula, I’m not sure how that will affect canning safety, but it can be frozen for several months or refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
We have made this recipe for the past 3 years. Always the best! We call it our “liquid gold”!
Can I use basil instead of cilantro?
It will change the flavor, but yes, in terms of canning safety, you can substitute fresh basil.
I am following the recipe, using garden tomatoes so draining them really well. I made a batch with habanero peppers instead of jalapeño peppers. And no cilantro because we don’t like it. Will the ph still be ok?
If you’re not making this recipe to can it, do you still have to do the boiling? I’m assuming if you’re not, you can just throw it all in the blender and pulse it? That’s what I’ve done with all other salsa recipes I’ve made. Thanks!
You can definitely try that – I think cooking it for a few minutes deepens the flavor, but you could see how you like the “fresh” flavor without cooking.
My recipe calls for 1/2 cup vinegar…do you truly use 1 1/4 cups ? All other ingredients are identical.
Yes, this recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups vinegar (for proper pH and canning safety).
Thanks for the recipe! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried adding 1 TBS lemon or lime juice instead of apple cider vinegar for the acidity? That vinegar flavor was so strong and not good to me. My only change was I didn’t add sugar, seasoning, or cilantro- I have a seasoning kit for salsa so this is a great base. I add the seasoning & cilantro fresh after opening my canned salsa to give it more of a fresh salsa appeal.
This recipe is good. I forgot to drain the juice, I added the tomato paste which helped thicken it up. I wished I didn’t add the sugar. I added it, only because I wasn’t sure about my tomatoes. Next time I will not add the sugar. Although sweet it had a nice kick to it. Very good.
I was half way down simmering the salsa, when I realized I forget to drain the juice from the tomatoes. Will it still be okay?
It still taste good.
It will be fine from a canning safety standpoint.
This was wonderful! Swapped some of the jalapeño for hotter peppers but left everything else exactly the same. Best salsa I’ve had in a very long time. The trick with the tomatoes saved so much time and work too!!
Just wondering if you could use lime juice instead of lemon juice?
A lot of people have made that substitution (I haven’t personally).
Can I use just lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar? I haven’t made this recipe yet. But I have made many of your other recipes. It’s great to find a site that you can trust when the cook says it’s good. I have tried some sites and thought what are you thinking… this tastes horrible. Thanks for all your recipes.
I believe others have subbed in lemon or lime juice for the apple cider vinegar. I haven’t done that personally and I’m not sure how it affects the pH or canning safety to make that substitution.
I looked online and it says you can for those interested. But it has to be lemon juice from the jar. Not fresh.
I smoked my 1015 onions, bell peppers and jalapeños for a smoked salsa. AMAZING!! Fabulous recipe !
This is my third year using this recipe. It is the very best. I have shared this recipe with other family members and they are in total agreement that it is the best. Thank you
Can I blanch and freeze tomatoes to use later in the year for your recipe?
Yes!
This was my question too. I’ve got quite a few ripe Roma tomatoes from my 2 plants but they have just as many that aren’t ripe yet. I was hoping to figure out how to go about freezing them? How do you blanch them?
Thank you!
Hi Missy, I actually just put the ripe tomatoes in a freezer ziploc gallon bag and freeze them without cooking/blanching. When the tomatoes thaw, the skins fall right off.
Do you put the entire tomato in the freezer whole and not cored? Or do you quarter the tomatoes? What if the canning tomatoes are large? Will that work as welll? I did a combination of canning tomatoes and romo tomatoes. I have an abundance of tomatoes that I want to freeze to make more later. Can you describe exactly how you freeze yours?
I don’t quarter them first, I put them in the freezer whole. It should work with any kind of tomato – the freezing and thawing process loosens the skins of the tomato.
OMG! AWESOME!!! Gave some to my friend and we’re canning double batch today!!!
So I chopped my romas before peeling. Will this recipe still work? Drain at this point? haven’t made this recipe, but had so many tomatoes from garden I wanted to can.
I’ve never made the recipe without peeling the tomatoes, so I’m not sure. The taste can be different (possibly bitter) with the peels, as well as the texture. And I’m not sure how leaving the peels on affects pH (I’m guessing not much, but I don’t know).
Peeling the tomatoes is also important for food safety – washing does not necessarily remove any bacteria, mold, or fungus on the outside of the fruit. This link has direct quotes from both the USDA food safety guidelines and National Centre for Food preservation.
https://www.healthycanning.com/peeling-tomatoes
Also – I love this recipe and it has surpassed the generational family recipe as the new favorite.
I love, love this recipe!! To drain the chopped tomatoes, I used a small colander over a bowl and stirred several times. By the time I was done, I had enough juice left to make a quart of tomato juice which I canned also. Great use of the byproduct. Thanks!
Is there something else I can use in place of a can of tomato sauce for the same ph? That’s the one thing I don’t have in my cupboard. I have tomato paste, canned tomato soup, a can of diced tomatoes.
I can’t recommend a substitute for the tomato sauce without compromising canning safety – sorry!
For the 16oz tomato sauce that is required for safe ph… does it have to be a store bought jar/can of sauce? Or can I use my own garden tomatoes to make the sauce (in addition to the 10 cups drained)?
I think that’s been discussed in the comment thread below…it really boils down to personal preference and judgment. For the most precise canning safety, I think the recommendation is to use storebought tomato sauce as the pH of homemade tomato sauce can change. How much? I’m not sure the differences, but that’s what I’ve gathered from reading the comments.
Very good flavor but too salt. over powers the flavor. I also used salsa peppers instead of. Jalepinos
This recipe looks delicious! Quick question, if I do not want to can the salsa, do I still cook it? Thank you!
No, it doesn’t need to be cooked if you aren’t canning it – it’s really a matter of preference (if you don’t plan to can it). The flavor is different cooked vs uncooked.
Hi! I have a question about the jalapeños. Where I live I buy the huge ones that are like 4 inches long. Do you have a weight conversion for peppers? I’d rather omit the bell pepper and add extra jalapeños or spicier peppers. Thanks!
I don’t have a weight conversion, sorry. I’ll weigh them next time I make this – but with the size of jalapenos I normally use, the five jalapenos called for in the recipe is probably roughly equivalent to about 3/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers. You can add more or less for less/more heat.
Made this and it’s awesome! Question, though…. I’m drowning in jalapenos and don’t yet have enough tomatoes for another batch. I need to can the peppers so they don’t go to waste. What’s your opinion on using water canned peppers or pickeld peppers? I know the process is different, but I’m concerned pickling them will impact the flavor too much. Thanks!
What about chopping and freezing the peppers?
This is what I do, and then just toss them in when the next batch of tomatoes is ready. It always works for me!
I love this recipe. I like poblano peppers over jalapeño peppers so i substituted and is awesome.
Love it! Was shocked at how easy your technique for peeling the tomatoes is!
This is the BOMB of salsa!!! Made 1 batch yesterday and back to the produce stand to buy 25lbs more Roma tomatoes today! Didn’t use all the tomatoes, will make marinara with the rest. Followed the recipe, my family went nuts! Fresh salsa, no more store bought jar stuff for us! Made 27 pints more today. Gonna make more when tomatoes are really plentiful.
Thanks for the best salsa recipe!!❤️❤️❤️
This recipe is a crowd pleaser! I’m not a canner, but I love making this salsa because everyone likes it so much. I often skip the processing and just put it in the frig. It disappears so fast there is no need to can it.
The recipe stated that the tomato paste was optional if you want a thicker salsa. Is that correct? I would have thought the added paste would make it thicker.
It is optional – meaning, use the tomato paste if you want a thicker salsa. Leave it out if you are ok with slightly thinner salsa.
Can I prepare the salsa and refrigerate it over night and finish cooking and canning it the next day?
Yes, I believe so.