I FREQUENTLY HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN’T just put their beloved fresh salsa recipe in a jar and preserve it. Because salsa contains so many low-acid ingredients, you’ve got to balance them out with plenty of acid to ensure a safe product. I offer up this salsa recipe as balm to that particular disappointment. Though it’s cooked, this salsa retains some of the same bright, fiery flavors and is miles better than any cooked salsa you’ll find on your grocery store shelves.
6 cups chopped Roma or paste tomatoes (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg tomatoes)
2 cups/320 g chopped yellow onion (about 2 medium onions)
1 cup/150 g chopped red bell pepper (1 large pepper)
1¾ cups/420 ml cider vinegar
¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar
3 jalapeño peppers, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup/16 g chopped fresh cilantro
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the tomatoes, onion, chopped red pepper, vinegar, sugar, jalapeños, garlic, lime juice, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the salsa no longer looks watery. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
Taste and add additional jalapeño, lime juice, or salt if necessary.
Ladle the hot salsa into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (see page 11).
When the processing time is up, remove the canning pot from the heat and remove the lid. Let the jars sit in the pot for an additional 5 minutes. This helps to prevent the salsa from reacting to the rapid temperature change and bubbling out of the jars.
