Salsa
Servings: 8-10 half pints
Ingredients
5 cups tomatoes peeled and chopped (drain some of the juice)
1/2 cup jalapeno peppers chopped (depending on the heat of the peppers that year I add more or less)
1 1/2 cup onion chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic (I usually add more than this)
1 cup vinegar
1 6oz can tomato paste
Steps to make it
You will want to take off the skin of the tomato, so put them into boiling water until the skin cracks, then put in ice water to stop it from cooking.
You can also put tomatoes in the freezer and skin peels right off when it thaws but I always forget about tomatoes in the freezer.
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Process in jars in a hot water bath for 20 minutes (the amount of time this needs to process is based on where you live in the country, so look it up if you’re not in Minneapolis).
They say to sterilize jars by washing and placing in hot water, but I wash them in the dishwasher and nobody has died of botulism from eating my salsa.
It’s good for 2 years from the time it was canned.
This week is Tammy’s birthday. We met when I first moved to the twin cities and worked at MPR. Tammy is great at finding interesting concerts, plays, restaurants, recipes, and incredibly functional creative projects. She is a big reason I became so enamored of cooking in addition to baking because the things she makes are so delicious and accessible. One of my favorite creative projects to help her with was making a brick pathway in her yard using the chimney bricks when she had to have the chimney replaced at her house. We got to use a sledgehammer AND she made a fantastic lunch AND she planted creeping thyme in the spaces between the bricks so it smelled amazing when you walked the pathway.
She is endlessly curious and always fun. She made this spice rack which is huge and holds so much! She has been an integral member of my bookclub for years, but this year moved to Oregon so we are sorting out how to still have her attend bookclub Christmas when she is in town for the holidays, though I think a bookclub visit to Oregon would be lovely as well.
I have been cooking with friends in their kitchens for 7 years now. It’s one of my favorite things and an opportunity to see layout and learn about fun tools folks love. I haven’t had a recipe not turn out at all until I went to cook at Tammy’s house which is funny because we are both really good cooks. We meant to make pasta and have it look like the pasta on the left. Not the mess we made on the right. We had to have a do over cooking day because it was so hilarious that it had not worked out at all. One of the other things we experienced was having a crummy stove that broke all the time. GE Chef series double oven was the absolute worst. My Kitchenaid induction convection oven is a real Pearl in comparison (thus I named her Pearl and often pet her in joy that she continues to consistently work and cook/bake evenly).
I got this recipe from Tammy when I mentioned to her that I had learned to can jam. She invited me to her mom’s house to help them can salsa using a pressure canner. It cuts the processing time in half, but I’m too nervous that a pressure canner will explode so I use the regular old canner. When her mom passed away, it was the recipe her mom was well known for so she had it printed it out on cards and handed it out at the funeral luncheon. I loved that idea, but I have so many recipes that I love and want to share with folks that I started this series to get working on it. I’ll compile these and everyone will get a book. I could never refine it to a single recipe.
I am now well known for this recipe myself and it also provides comfort to me. Years ago I started canning it in 1/2 pint wide mouth jars because it was easier to open the jar to dip chips in and then I didn’t have to share so much. Because I LOVE this salsa recipe and so does nearly everyone who tries it. When my dad died suddenly my mom reminded me to go find his estate paperwork. I completely forgot to do that but I did bring loads of salsa to share at his wake. I’ve brought this to Spain to introduce to Anna’s family and given as wedding gifts. It. Is. So. Good.
I’ve taught others to can using this salsa recipe. I keep all my recipes in 3 ring binders and showed up at Laurie’s house where her friends said not only did we have the same name (though mine is spelled correctly ;), we were the same person because we are always improving process. She had a genius idea to put cutting boards inside cookie sheets so tomato juice wouldn’t go everywhere. It is a great way to have kids help as well without so much of the mess. Another tip I learned the hard way is to wear rubber gloves when cutting jalapeños. And when you take off the rubber gloves wash your hands in lemon or lime juice, then with soap and water. I’ve rubbed my eyes and after too much exposure Tenessa, Sarah, and I had really spicy hands after a salsa making session. During Covid I did a zoom salsa canning session and also learned not to keep a potholder too close to the big canner on a gas stove. It took out the potholder and charred my countertop. It’s still so much fun to make this with friends. Highly recommend it.
I always fondly remember Tammy, her mom, and all those I’ve enjoyed this salsa with over the years. I hope you like it too.
Supplies
(I’ll get a small cut if you click on these links and buy them)
1/2 pint wide mouth canning jars
All the other things you need for canning in one handy package