Canning is a bit of a lost art in our world of convenience. My brother offered to just buy me some salsa if I wanted it. Yet if you have an interest in the slow food movement or a bit of nostalgia for simpler times, canning can be a nice way to spend a couple hours. Technically it took me a few months to make this because I planted the tomatoes and jalapeños back in June but if you use tomatoes from the market or canned stewed tomatoes it is not quite as slow of a process. Beyond sentimentality, canning is also very eco-friendly and a good way to stock up on local and seasonal produce when it tastes best and costs the least. Like with anything homemade, you can control every step of the process, ensuring that the end product is free of pesticides and cheap additives.
Heirloom tomatoes are strains specifically cultivated with taste and nutrition in mind. Many of them have been passed down through generations and we are losing more and more of these varieties with the collapses of family farms. The tomatoes sold in most supermarkets are chosen based on their ability to travel well and not go bad for a long time. They are usually taken off the vine well before they are ripened and then during transport or upon reaching their final destination they are doused with ethylene gas to speed up the ripening process. From a technology perspective this is a pretty genius process but the price that we pay is a severe drop in vitamins and minerals, a more rubbery texture and a taste that is severely lacking. Thus, if you are going to go to the trouble of canning it makes a tremendous difference to get the best possible ingredients. I used a few different types of heirloom tomatoes, some were yellow and some were purple. The salsa looks just like what you would buy in the store but it has a fresher taste and a sweetness from the tomatoes that no amount of added sugar can replicate.
The method used requires glass mason jars with metal lids. The salsa yield is 9 cups so that can be distributed amongst jar sizes as desired. I like to use one cup jars that have a wide base so chips and vegetables can easily be dipped right in but that is completely up to personal preference. The metal lids will need to be new and unused so that they can seal properly and then they will not be able to be safely reused for canning. There are many sterilization methods out there and some are a bit quicker but boiling the jars for a minimum of fifteen minutes absolutely guarantees the most safety. If the lids do not seal properly then the salsa must be discarded, when canning, food safety should come first.
- 24 cups of whole heirloom tomatoes (or 3 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes)
- ⅔ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 red onions, diced finely
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 jalapeño, minced (seeds removed for less heat)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried chili peppers
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- First the tomatoes need to be peeled and deseeded. Fill a very large pot about three quarters full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Nearby, whether in the sink or in a large bowl prepare an ice water bath with cold water and ice. Once the water is boiling place the tomatoes in for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The skins will start to split and once they do use a wide slotted spoon to scoop them out and put them directly into the ice water. This process will make their skins start to peel off, remove any bits that are still attached to the tomatoes then cut each tomato in half and scoop out the seeds. Squeeze the tomatoes to remove any extra liquid then place the halves in a colander over the sink as you work through them all- this just helps any excess liquid still left drain out.
- Once the tomatoes are all ready, chop them up a bit then add them to a large pot with all the other ingredients and turn the heat to high, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium low, just enough to keep it gently boiling for 40 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the bottom doesn't burn. It should thicken up, taste it now and if it is not spicy enough for you add in a few more dried chili flakes.
- Reuse the very large pot used for the tomatoes to sterilize the jars. Place a cooling rack in the bottom of the pot, it is needed to keep some space under the jars so that the water can move around, otherwise they will burn the bottom of the pot. Place the jars on the rack and then fill the pot with enough water so that the jars are covered by a few inches. Bring the water to a raging boil on high heat and let it continue to boil for at least 15 minutes. Once the sauce is ready use tongs to remove the jars and place them face up on a towel. Turn the heat off under the water and place the lids in the pot. Dry off the jars with a clean towel and then scoop in the salsa, leaving around ½ inch of space on the top. Use a rubber spatula to press down all along the walls of the jar until there are no visible air bubbles left. Remove the lids from the water, dry them off and place them on the jars then screw on the rings and place the sealed jars back in the very large pot of water over high heat. Add more water if there is not enough to fully cover the jars by a few inches. Boil for 20 minutes then set the jars aside to cool for several hours then tighten the rings all the way and store somewhere cool and dark. Depending on the diameter of your pot and jars you may need to do the jar sterilization and salsa processing in two batches if there is not enough room.
