IF YOU’RE A FAN OF FRUITY SALSAS, THIS IS AN EXCELlent one to try. It essentially substitutes peaches for the traditional tomato, while keeping the rest of the standard ingredients intact. I can gobble down an entire pint with tortilla chips if given the chance. I also like to use a jar as a simmer sauce for chicken legs and thighs.
6 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches (about 4 pounds/1.8 kg)
1½ cups/240 g chopped red onion (about 1 large onion)
1½ cups/300 ml distilled white vinegar
1 cup/150 g chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
¾ cup/150 g granulated sugar
3 jalapeño peppers, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
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 peaches, onion, vinegar, chopped red pepper, sugar, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, and cayenne in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the salsa no longer looks watery. Taste and add additional jalapeño or vinegar, 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.