from left to right:

- fresh-cut cilantro
- sweet onions, plus some from the garden
- several different type tomatoes [slicing, sauce, meat-like varieties]
- habaneros
- garlic [typically a fresh hot italian type, but i didn't make to the farm yet this year]
- jalapenos
- assorted green, red and mottled-brown bell peppers
- assorted spices and seasonings

I'll add more details and pics as the 'making' progresses, right now I have to get all the veges washed up and ready to go.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

first step:
chop, puree and liquify a sufficient number of tomatoes to fill an 8 quart stew pot to being just shy of 2/3 full.



then:
do the same with...

- 1 medium onion
- 3 to 4 small-medium size bell peppers
- 1 head [not clove] of garlic (use 1/4c. white vinegar) ... keeps it from sticking to the sides + a needed ingred.
- a half dozen or so jalapenos [depending on size]
- 2 to 3 habaneros
- a good fist full of fresh cilantro



that should bring the pot up to or slightly over 2/3 full.

add:

- 1/2T. cumin
- 1 and 1/2T. salt (I use a coarse-ground kosher)
- 1/2T. coarse ground black pepper

bring it to right at or just shy of a boil .... let simmer.

we're making a sort of 'stock' here.

stir occasionally until it's cooked down about an inch or so ...

*you'll have a fair amount of froth and 'foam' on top during the cook down process, just keep stirring ... once the froth and 'foam' is gone let it simmer down for about another half hour so ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

while the 'salsa stock' is simmering down ...

start chopping up the bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos, habaneros, onions, cilantro, and garlic.

* the garlic is again done best in a food processor with a 1/4th to 1/3rd C. vinegar*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

an hour os so later should leave you with a nice foamless 'salsa stock' ...



should have/be simmered/reduced down to just above half full.

now you want to add the sliced, diced, chopped and pureed 'chunkiness' and 'flavor'



the remaining tomatoes, onion, cilantro, bell peppers, jalapenos and minced garlic ...




^^ you should have quite similar to the above, at this point ^^^

let it simmer until it's dropped a good inch - stirring often.

*then turn off the heat, put a lid on it, seal the rim with foil and let sit overnight*

we'll can/jar it up tomorrow

A for effort
not really the place for food but ........I do love salsa and am interested in the canning will check back tmrw

Originally posted by theblackirish7
......I do love salsa and am interested in the canning will check back tmrw

After leaving it sit overnight, so all the flavors could mingle and 'get to know, become acquainted with one another', I poured it all into a larger 12qt. stock pot and added 7-8 large tomatoes [chopped], another healthy fistful of fresh cilantro [chopped], and a 14oz can of tomato paste.

Brought it all back up to just shy of a boil and let it simmer down about an inch - Stirring Often.

It was then time to jar it up.

I actually had already placed my jars, lids and rings into the canner and had them boiling to sterilize while I was finishing off the salsa itself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canning steps are as follows:

You will need:
- a canning pot with wire rack
- mason jars [I used a variety of sizes for this batch as I'll be shipping several out to friends and family]
- an equal number of lids and rings for the jars. [you can reuse the rings but never the lids]
- a canning funnel [about $2-$3 and well worth it]
- a set of canning tongs [only coupla bucks and again money well spent]



*wash your jars thoroughly in hot soapy water. rinse & dry*

- fill the canning pot about half way full with hot tap water
- fill the jars all but full with the same and place them into the rack.
- lower the rack into the canning pot and continue filling with hot water until the jars are covered by and inch or so.
- drop your lids and rings in so that they too are submerged.
- put the lid on, place over high heat and bring the pot to a rapid boil
- let boil for at least 20min. to sterilize the jars, rings and lids

Once your lids, rings and jars have been sterilized, it's then time to start filling them.

At this point some folks do it differently, but I prefer to minimize the amount of time that a jar is empty and exposed to air as much as possible - to avoid the possibility of any sort of airborne contamination.

- lift the rack from the canning pot and hook it to the sides of the pot.
- one by one use the canning tongs to take a jar from the pot and empty out the hot water.
- place the canning funnel into the jar and fill to 1/4" from the top.

*be sure to check the rim of the jar and wipe clean of any excess or overflow, as even the slightest presence can prevent a proper seal*

- put lid and ring on the jar & tighten firmly
- place the jar back into the canning rack
- repeat as necessary until all the jars have been filled and are back in the rack
- lower the rack back into the water and again fill with hot water to ensure they are covered by an inch or so
- put the lid back on and bring it all back up to a boil.
- let it boil for at least 20min. [I typically give it another 5 or 10 for good measure]

Once the jars have boiled for 20min. or so you can remove the lid, lift out the rack and use the canning tongs to place them on the counter.
[it's good to have a clean hand towel under them to absorb any residual moisture]

As the jars are cooling you will begin to hear very distinct *tink* sounds, and at the same time you'll notice how the lids have gone from convex [slightly bulged] to concave [slightly depressed] - the sign of a good and proper seal!

That's about it!

The salsa is ready to eat at any time, but I prefer to let it set for a few days so that the myriad of flavors can continue 'getting to know each other', so to speak.

Store them in a cool, dry place, such as a pantry or on a shelf, etc., and they are good for at least a year or so.

Just be sure to refrigerate them once they've been opened.

This particular batch made a little over 9 quarts and it tastes absolutely fantastic, with the only things that didn't come straight from the garden being the 14oz can of paste and the garlic.



NOW... where's the damn tortilla chips? ... over easy eggs? ...scrambled, even?

... and the list for manners of consumption goes on and on and ...

[ETA]

FWIW:
This is the official 'secret sauce' of the Crypto Pond Secret Society Summit ... who meet up here once a year to discuss and plan our eventual takeover of ... uhm ... ... oh. that's right.
- It's A Secret

Back in San Antonio now for 4-5 months or so ... 's time for some Salsa-Makin'

guess I'll be updating this , here, soon.

stay tuned