Salsa
One way to use up all those tomatoes and peppers from your garden is to make salsa. Salsa has many uses besides being eaten with chips; it can be used in many dishes such as chili and casseroles, just to name a couple. Home-made salsa is a great additive to a gift basket of goodies.
- 8 jalapeno peppers
- 7 cups quarter cut tomatoes
- 2 cups quarter cut onions
- 1 cup quarter cut green bell peppers
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 can of tomato paste
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ½ tsp. of ground cumin
- 3 tsp. sugar
- For hotter salsa, add cayenne pepper to taste
This recipe will make approximately 5 pints of salsa. Prepare 5 pint jars for your salsa, making sure they are thoroughly washed and dried. Make sure you have new seals and that they have been sterilized. You can use a canning process for these in a water bath, processing the jars for approximately 10 minutes; but I have found that if the mixture is hot enough, the heat will seal the jars without the process.
With rubber gloves on, remove seeds from jalapeno and green peppers and set aside. Quarter cut tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Put all ingredients except cumin and sugar in food processor put setting on chop and process until all ingredients are the consistency you want. Put processed ingredients in large stock pot and bring mixture to a boil. Add the ground cumin and sugar. Continue to boil for ten minutes. Make sure jars are warm and not cold and then fill them with mixture to within one inch of jar top. Immediately wipe away any spills on top of jar opening with a paper towel and seal. Screw the jar rings on tight and wait for lids to pop. Store the jars in a cool dry space.