Melba's Jammin' wrote:

I recommend using a tested and blessed recipe for salsa, Karen; the old
ways may not be acidic enough to satisfy current recommendations.
Tomatoes are now considered to be borderline safe for simple waterbath
processing and when you throw low-acid vegetables (peppers and onions)
into the mix, you're swimming in murky waters. Make half (or a third)
of a recipe to see if you like it. There's a new BBB out this year -
it's the 100th anniversary for it. And check out www.uga.edu/nchfp for
the most current info on the whole topic of food preservation.


Here's the salsa recipe I use. I use all jalapeños and/or Serranos
(with the seeds) for the peppers. I like it hot, and they don't have
to be roasted and peeled. Two pounds of wimpy grocery store jalapeños
will give a nice "medium" salsa.

If I'm using fresh tomatoes and they are especially juicy, I add a
8-oz can of tomato sauce. Not necessary with Roma (etc.) tomatoes.

My next experiment is to use a #10 can of whole tomatoes or crushed
tomatoes -- less than $3 from Sam's Club.

/Bob

Chile Salsa
(from USDA bulletin 539) yield: 6 to 8 pints

5 pounds tomatoes
2 pounds chile peppers
1 pound onions, chopped
1 cup vinegar (5%) [I use 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 bottled lemon juice]
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper [I also like to add a big pinch of dried mint]

Roast and peel peppers if they have tough skins; remove seeds and
stems, chop. Scald and peel tomatoes; chop. Combine all ingredients
in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle into
pint jars, leave 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in
boiling water bath for 15 minutes.