Canning Salsa

This is the recipe I used, but I halved it.  Well, I almost halved it!  I forgot to half the jalapenos!  Thankfully, it is not too hot! Also, I did not wear gloves when chopping the jalapenos--big mistake!  Trust me!  Wear gloves!

30 tomatoes peeled and chopped

                                                    2 green bell peppers

2 red bell peppers

10 cups chopped onions

10 cloves garlic 

1 cup chopped jalapenos

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

2 cups vinegar

8 teaspoons pickling salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 large cans tomato paste

Step 1:

• Gather all supplies and ingredients.  
• Put your jars in the dishwasher and choose your sanitize setting.
• Put your lids and rings in a pan of water.  You will bring these to a boil later when you are almost ready to actually put the cooked salsa in the prepared jars.
• Remember:  hot salsa, hot jars, hot lids

 my pint jars

 the lids and rings in the pan of water...waiting to be heated

 the tomatoes---all from Julie's garden

Step 2:

• Bring a very large pot of water to boiling.  I use my canning pot for this.
• Core tomatoes and have them in a bowl, ready to dump into the boiling water.
• Prepare a dishpan or other large bowl full of ice water.
• While water is coming to a boil, chop the onions, peppers, and jalapenos.
• Mix all chopped ingredients and everything else except tomatoes in a large pot. 
• When water boils, put the tomatoes in, and let them boil for 2-3 minutes or until the skin begins to crack.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove tomatoes from boiling water and place them in the ice water.
• Let them cool a minute, and then slip the skins off.  Put the peeled tomatoes into another pot. 
  
• Using your clean hands, squish the tomatoes.  You may have to use a knife of kitchen scissors to chop them into small pieces.
• Add the tomatoes to the pot of other ingredients.  
• Bring the salsa to a boil, and simmer, stirring often for at least 30 minutes but up to an hour or longer--until desired thickness is achieved.

Step 3:

• Toward the end of the salsa cooking, bring your lids and rings to a boil.  Prepare canner according to instructions.
• Using a canning funnel, ladle the salsa into your hot jars (remember, they are hot from being washed and sanitized in your dishwasher).
• Carefully wipe off the top of each jar.
• Use tongs to remove the lids and rings from the boiling water and place a lid and screw on a ring on each jar.
• Process the jars in your water bath canner.  Process 35 minutes for pints.
• Place jars on a dishtowel on the kitchen counter to cool.
• You should hear each lid suction down to seal.  If one does not seal, just eat that salsa right now.

Step 4:

• Proudly display your homemade canned salsa!