World Champion Bottled Salsa Recipes

THE BEST CANNING SALSA

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, onions, vinegar, tomato paste, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, banana peppers, sugar, garlic, pickling salt, and black pepper in a large stockpot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Mix cilantro into salsa.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack salsa into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 35 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

CANNED (BOTTLED) SALSA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Blanch the tomatoes by dropping them into the boiling water for one minute. You will need to do them in batches.
• Transfer them to a large bowl or sink full of cold water.
• Fish them out and peel them.
• Chop them coarsely and sprinkle with pickling salt in layers as you go - I try to use about 4 tablespoons.
• Put them in a strainer and set in a cool place (but NOT the fridge!) to drain for several hours.
• When you are ready to procede, put all the canning jars in a large canner full of water to cover by one inch, and bring to a boil.
• Boil for 10 minutes.
• If your water is very hard, add a shot of vinegar to the water before it boils (to prevent lime build-up on bottles).
• Meanwhile, peel and chop the onions.
• Peel and deseed the peppers, and chop them.
• Peel and mince the garlic.
• Mix the tomato paste with cupful of the tomatoes until it is lump-free.
• Mix all the ingredients except the lime juice in a large kettle or pot.
• Bring the salsa to a boil.
• Lift the sterilized jars from the boiling water bath and empty them.
• (Most should be emptied into the sink, so the boiling water bath doesn't overflow when they go back in).
• Add 3 tbsps lime juice to each jar.
• Pack the salsa into the jars.
• Wipe rims, and seal according to manufacturer's instructions.
• (Generally, boil lids and rings for 5 minutes).
• Return the bottles to the boiling water bath and process them for 20 minutes. It may be necessary to do this in two batches; put as many in the canner as you are able to; when they come out add the next batch of jars to be sterilized while you fill the first set. Take them out and fill them as the first set of filled jars is being processed.
• Remove, allow to cool, and check seals.

WORLD CHAMPION BOTTLED SALSA

Steps:

• Mix tomatoes, onions, serrano peppers, jalapeño peppers, pressed garlic, and salt.
• Simmer approximately 5 minutes, then strain off and discard 5°C liquid.
• Add vinegar, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cilantro. Mix well and simmer another 5 minutes.
• Bottle and process in a water bath for 15 minutes.

SALSA FOR CANNING

Steps:

• Prepare the jars and lids:
• Wash all jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well. Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Using a pair of canning tongs, lower the jars in gently, tilting them to fill with the hot water. In a small saucepan, keep some water warm but not boiling; place the lids in the water. Have an additional kettle of water on to boil.
• Peel and core the tomatoes:
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Have a large bowl of ice water at the ready. Gently lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch them for 60 seconds. Remove with a strainer and transfer them to the ice water. Once cool, slit the skins; they should peel off easily. Remove the cores with a small paring knife. Discard skins and cores.
• Chop the vegetables:
• Wearing latex or plastic gloves, chop the jalapenos finely, removing veins and seeds if you wish to reduce the heat. (If you wish to reduce the heat further, replace some with regular green peppers, but do not increase the total weight of peppers in the recipe.) Chop the onion finely. Chop the tomatoes coarsely. Add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, lemon juice and salt to a large saucepan.
• Cook the salsa: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
• Fill and close the jars: Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner, carefully pouring the water back into the canner. Set next to the salsa in the saucepan. Turn the heat under the canner to high. Use a ladle to pour the salsa into the jars through a canning funnel, leaving 1/2-inch headspace at the top. Run a clean chopstick around the inside of the jar to dislodge any trapped air. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids on, and screw on the rings until just finger-tight.
• Seal the jars:
• Using canning tongs, gently transfer the jars to the canner, taking care to keep them vertical. When all the jars are in the canner, there should be at least 1 inch water covering them; if you need more, add water from the kettle until the jars are sufficiently covered. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove and cool:
• Using canning tongs, gently remove the jars from the canner and transfer them to a kitchen towel or cooling rack, again keeping them vertical. Do not set hot jars directly on to cool counter surfaces. Leave to cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. If any of the jars do not seal when cool, reprocess using the method above, or refrigerate and use immediately.
• Label and store:
• Add a label to the lid or side of your jar, noting the date it was canned. Remove the rings and store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.