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 essential 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.

Broiling Tomatoes to Remove Peel

The easiest way to remove the peel/skin from tomatoes is to cut the tomatoes in half, place them cut-side down on a baking sheet, and pop them under the hot oven broiler for 3-4 minutes (watch closely!). 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 not dread the process of peeling tomatoes; it’s the only way I do it.

4) 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.

There are lots of other details and notes down below in the homemade salsa recipe and the step-by-step picture guide below, 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!

The Best Homemade Salsa

Yield: 8 -9 pints

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

4.65 stars (2417 ratings)

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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

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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. Using FOUR pounds of garden tomatoes + TWO pounds of Roma, the yield of tomatoes (after peeling, lightly crushing and draining) is about 2 1/2 cups. Using TWO pounds of only Roma/paste tomatoes, the yield of tomatoes (after peeling, lightly crushing, and draining) is 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. I usually plan on around 18-20 pounds paste tomatoes and 22 pounds (give or take) non-paste tomatoes for a single batch of this recipe. 

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.

Author: Mel

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Recommended Products

Over-the-Sink Colander

Steam Canner

Breville Food Processor

Essential Canning Supplies

Recipe Source: adapted slightly (increased all the quantities appropriate for canning safety) from this recipe I found on the awesome GardenWeb site

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