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.
Is the pasta sauce a requirement ? ….
I’d like to know this as well…so you need tomatoes and the tomato sauce?
Yes, you need the tomato sauce for proper canning safety (the tomato paste is optional).
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!
Yes you absolutely can pressure can this recipe . I have been pressure canning the same exact recipe for years . I pressure can the salsa for 15 min. @ 10 pounds of pressure, that is for my elevation . It is actually “Annie’s Salsa Recipe which she tested for quite some time to get it just right . I do like the process Mel that you suggest about freezing the tomatoes first then skinning them, will save a lot of time. Annie’s recipe is one of the best !
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.