From the Garden
to the Table: Salsa!
FN-584, April 2001 (Reviewed and Reprinted April 2003)
Ron Smith, Ph.D., Horticulturalist
Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., L.R.D, Food and Nutrition Specialist
What's in Salsa?
Let's Make Salsa!
Recipe - Fresh Salsa
Preserving Salsa
Recipe -
Salsa (for canning)
Recipe -
Tomato Paste Salsa (for canning)
Salsa Storage
Over the past decade, Americans have grown to love salsa on everything
from scrambled eggs to the more traditional dishes of Mexican and Puerto Rican
heritage. While many excellent types of salsa are available in supermarkets,
you can tailor homemade fresh salsa to suit your own taste buds. By following
research-tested recipes, you can safely process salsa in a water bath canner
for later enjoyment. While you can make salsa by buying fresh produce, why not go
one better and grow your own ingredients
for an even tastier sauce?
While many variations will exist to suit individual tastes, a basic
salsa recipe will contain tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and
often, cilantro and spices. Juice from lemons or limes, the only ingredients
that can't be grown in a northern garden, may be added to put a little
"edge" to the flavor.
Tomatoes
The attractive red color of salsa comes from the vine-ripe tomatoes that are used
to prepare it. The resulting sauce attracts us to
dip chips into it or spread it over food. Standard tomato varieties will produce a juicy
sauce, while paste tomatoes will produce a thicker sauce. If you have never grown paste
tomatoes before, you will find them meatier, less
juicy, and rich in acid and sugar content that
contribute to great flavor.
All tomatoes grow best in a rich, loamy soil, with water and nutrients being supplied
on a dependable schedule for maximum productivity. Drip or micro-irrigation is best, but if
that cannot be provided, hand water carefully around the base of the plants, keeping
the water off the foliage. Fertilization should
take place at the time of planting
with a "starter" type (like a
10-52-10 or something similar)
that is higher in phosphorus
than nitrogen, and again once
a week for the next three
weeks. The remainder of the
growing season can have a more balanced nutrient source (like 10-10-10) added weekly.
While there are many reasons that tomatoes may not bear, the three most common
are too low a temperature, too much nitrogen, or not enough sun. Don't plant until the
soil temperature is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant them in a location with as much
direct sunlight as possible, and don't use any
left-over turfgrass fertilizer on them -- it's too high
in nitrogen.
Varieties To Consider:
Paste tomatoes
`Roma' is the most common variety of paste tomato on the market. In fact, it is
so popular that the name has become synonymous with the paste-type tomato. It is the
basic standby tomato that other paste-type
tomatoes use for comparison. It takes about 75 days
to mature and produces an abundance of 2-ounce fruits.
`La Roma' is a hybrid improvement that matures in about 62 days, with heavier
fruit, ranging in size from 3-4 ounces. Like the `Roma,' the taste is excellent.
`Mamma Mia' is the top yielder of the paste varieties, with fruits in the 3-4 ounce
size, but producing in overwhelming numbers. Because of this, `Mamma Mia' should be
caged for support and special attention paid to
the watering and fertilizing. It takes about 62
days to mature.
`San Marzano,' a rectangular shaped fruit with a deep red color, is an excellent tomato
for a thick, meaty sauce. It takes about 80 days
to mature.
`Rio Grande' produces large, blocky-shaped fruit in great abundance, making
an excellent sauce. This variety is good for areas where wide swings in temperature exist
during the growing season. It takes about 80 days
to mature.
Slicing tomatoes
Burpee's `Big Boy,' which produces big beefsteak tomatoes, is the comparison
standard. While this "beefy" tomato and its
relatives are a sight to behold, and a source of
"bragging rights" for the dedicated gardener, they
require a lot of work to grow, and their overall yield
is less than that of the standard large or slicing tomato.
In the slicing category, All-America Selection winners are `Floramerica,' a 1978
winner, and `Celebrity,' a 1984 winner. These
awards are not passed out easily. Winners must
show disease resistance and high quality
productivity across a wide spectrum of growing
conditions in North America to be given this
recognition. Both are mid-season producers (72-75
days) and make excellent "slicers" for
sandwiches and salads. They also are outstanding for
their canning quality. Their fruit size averages
between 8-10 ounces. Both are determinate in growth, so no pruning is needed; simply
grow them within a tomato cage.
Those who want a truly early tomato that can be classed as a slicer can try `Early Girl.'
This variety produces 5-ounce meaty and flavorful fruit in as little as 52 days. This is
a great variety for the upper Midwest because of the short growing season.
One of the best varieties for container growing is `Heartland,' with 6-8 ounce fruit.
It matures in about 68 days, doesn't need pruning and has large leaves that protect the fruit
from sunscald. For those who live in apartments or condos, this variety would be the perfect
choice to provide fresh tomatoes for meals.
All of these are traditional red-fruited varieties and worthy of consideration. Often
the question comes up about good yellow-fruited slicing tomatoes, their quality, acidity
and productivity. One of the best on the market is `Lemon Boy.' It bears clear lemon-yellow
fruit, inside and out, and has a sweet, mild
flavor. The fruit matures in about 72 days and
averages 7 ounces. This is an indeterminate
variety so it would need staking and some pruning. It
is commonly believed that yellow tomatoes are low-acid, but tests have shown
that their acidity levels are about the same as red tomatoes -- pH 4.6 -- which is the dividing line
between high- and low-acid foods.
Peppers
Peppers have the same basic growing requirements as
tomatoes: plenty of sunshine, water and balanced nutrition. Growing
peppers differs from growing tomatoes, because peppers need more time
to start as transplants and warmer soil temperatures for planting.
While tomatoes can be started from seed 28 days before transplanting,
pepper seed will require 8 to 10 weeks before optimum planting time. Most
will mature in 65 to 75 days from transplanting, although the hotter
varieties like the `Habanero' will require 90 to 100 days.
Sweet peppers produce large blocky fruits that are usually
harvested green. If the season is long enough and the gardener has
sufficient patience and allows the fruits to remain on the plant longer, the
fruit will turn fiery red, which increases their sweet flavor and makes them
a richer source of vitamins A and C.
Varieties to try include the many hybrids of jalapeno, especially
`Mucho Nacho Hybrid,' which has larger and hotter fruit than the standard
jalapeno. It is a vigorous producer and matures in about 75 days.
Garlic
To get the largest bulbs, plant the individual
garlic cloves in well-drained soil in the fall after the first
good killing frost, or sometime around mid-October.
Spring planting can be done, but the bulbs will be
smaller. Insert the cloves into the soil 2-3 inches deep with
the root end down. Most garlic is quite winter hardy, but
it still should be mulched to prevent heaving. During
the remainder of the fall, the roots will grow, but very
little, if any, top growth will be noted. If you are looking
for largest bulb production, select only the largest
cloves to plant. Cloves found in the center of the bulb can
be scatter-planted to produce garlic greens. The
cloves should be spaced about a hand width (4-6
inches) apart.
There are several types of garlic to consider.
The typical variety seen in supermarkets is the
softneck, Allium sativum. This variety stores the best and has
the strongest flavor. Because of its soft necks, this
variety can be easily braided. The bulbs are distinguished
by medium-sized cloves surrounding smaller cloves in
the inner two or three layers. The softnecks can be
grown in northern gardens, but for assured survival
over winter the stiffneck types (A. sativum
var. ophioscorodon) are better. These plants are
distinguished by producing a hard "scape" or flower
stem that makes a 360 degree coil and forms a cluster
of "bulbils" or miniature cloves. The stiffneck types
produce bulbs that are composed of a single layer of
large cloves and no inner ones. Their taste is milder and
they are considerably easier to peel than the softneck types.
When the "scapes" appear it is best to snip
them off and use them in stir-fry. Allowing them to remain
will result in the bulbs being considerably smaller.
Harvest garlic when the foliage starts to "flag" or turn
yellow. This is usually about mid-July to mid-August. Gently
lift them with a garden fork and store them in bunches
in an airy location.
Some garlic varieties to consider include `New York White' (softneck type), the typical market
garden garlic seen in the eastern U.S. Prized for its ease
in braiding, it has good flavor and is more winter
hardy than the West Coast garlic. `German Extra
Hardy' (stiffneck type) is one of the most winter-hardy
garlic varieties on the market, producing very large bulbs
and cloves. It has good flavor and stores very well.
Onions
Sow onion seed in the early
spring as soon as the soil can be
worked. Like garlic, onions should be
planted only in well-drained, fertile sites.
Standing water, after a heavy rain, will usually kill
off either crop. Sow seed in rows barely in the soil (about
½ inch deep), with about two seeds per inch. As
they germinate, thin to 3-4 inches to allow for larger
bulb development. Because onions are shallow-rooted
plants, water supply is critical to quality onion bulb
development. At least 1 inch of water/rain is needed each week.
Onion bulb development is daylength sensitive. Select
varieties whose latitude range includes your planting site
(Fargo, ND is 46 degrees N, for example).
Onion sets are often popular with home
gardeners, but typically a higher quality, lower disease
incidence crop can be grown by direct seeding. In the north,
some gardeners will sow the seed indoors in late February
or early March to assure a harvest before the arrival of
fall frost. When selecting onions for seeding, check the
"days to maturity" notation and attempt to select those that
are under 100 days. Anything beyond that should be
started as transplants two to three weeks before moving
outdoors. Harvest when the skins are evident and the
tops are starting to fall over. Simply pull them and
sun-cure seven to 10 days before cutting off the tops.
Some onion varieties to consider:
Storage onions have the strongest flavor but sweeten during storage. Onion flavor like/dislike is
very personal, so plant the variety and type that appeals
to you. Yellow globe onions are commonly seen in
supermarkets due to their long storage life and
increasingly sweet flavor in storage.
`New York Early' is a 98-day, 38-50 degree
latitude variety that has a firm but tender flesh that is
considered a better eating quality than the hard,
long-storage varieties.
`Super Star F1 Hybrid' is a 109-day,
All-America Selection winner for 2001. A day neutral, it cuts nicely
for salads and salsa but is not one for long storage.
It's advisable to start them indoors as transplants.
`Mars F1 Hybrid' is a reddish-purple skinned
variety that matures in 104 days and is suited for
the latitude range of 38-55 degrees. Start them indoors
as transplants.
Cilantro
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a plant species with a couple
of popular common names -- Chinese parsley and coriander -- but they
all refer to the same plant. When the foliage of the plant is used in
making salsa, it is referred to as cilantro. When it is used to garnish food
dishes and in salads, it is called Chinese parsley. When the seeds are used
to flavor foods and beverages, it is called coriander.
Cilantro is one of the easiest herbs to grow. Plant the seeds
12-18 inches apart in full sun, water in, and germination should be complete in
14 days. The difficulty in growing this plant is to keep it from bolting
and producing seed, since it is the fern-like foliage that is commonly used to
make salsa. Select cultivars that are known for foliage rather than seed
production. The leaves add a distinct flavor to any dish, so small amounts should
be added until the desired tasted is reached.
Cultivars to consider are `Santo,' `Leisure,' and `Jantar,' all of which
are slow-bolting and have been bred specifically for foliage
production rather than seed.
Let's make Salsa!
Salsa has even surpassed catsup in popularity. Not only is
salsa tasty, it's also nutritious. A two-tablespoon serving generally
contains about 10 calories and 0 grams of fat plus ample vitamin C and
other nutrients.
When preparing salsa, always start with high quality
ingredients. The quality of your end product is only as good as the quality of
the starting ingredients. Fresh salsa can be made to suit your taste,
so experiment with other ingredients. Some ingredients in fresh salsa,
like onions and garlic, store fairly well with little sacrifice in flavor.
Other ingredients, like tomatoes, peppers and cilantro, are best used as
fresh as possible.
Any salsa recipe can be safely frozen, but slicing tomatoes
will produce salsas with a more watery consistency. Follow
research-tested recipes and procedures if you plan to can salsa.
Salsa Ingredients
Tomatoes
Tomatoes were regarded as poisonous for generations but became known as "love
apples" and "apples of gold" in some parts of the
world after they were discovered to be safe -- and delicious.
These fruits (because of their seeds) are nonetheless considered vegetables on
menus. Tomatoes are low in calories and also
provide vitamin C and potassium.
There are many reasons to add tomatoes to your menu. Tomatoes, particularly in
cooked products like spaghetti sauce, may reduce
risk for certain diseases. Lycopene, a carotenoid pigment and powerful antioxidant, is
responsible for the red color of tomatoes and
protective effects. According to several research studies, lycopene may offer protection
against certain types of cancer, particularly
prostate cancer. Lycopene in cooked and processed tomatoes (canned salsa, canned
tomatoes, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce) is more
easily absorbed than lycopene from raw tomatoes. Lycopene absorption also is enhanced
by eating some fat, like olive oil, in the same
meal as tomatoes.
The type of tomato used will affect the quality and texture of salsa.
Paste/Italian tomato varieties such as `Roma' will produce
a thicker salsa, while slicing tomatoes will yield
a more watery, thinner salsa, particularly if you freeze the salsa. Tomatillos (green
tomatoes with a husk) may be substituted for other tomato varieties, but you must remove the
dry outer husk before using.
Choose fruits with a rosy color, plump shape, blemishfree skin and a texture
that's slightly soft to the touch. Tomatoes that
are overripe, bruised or sunburned with yellow or green areas near the stem are lower in
quality. For quality and safety, don't use
overripe tomatoes or tomatoes from frost-killed vines
in canning because their acidity may be affected.
Approximate equivalents
One bushel fresh tomatoes
= about 53 pounds
= about 18 quarts canned tomatoes
2.5 to 3 pounds fresh tomatoes
= about 1 quart canned tomatoes |
Peppers
Peppers are an excellent source of
vitamin C. Capsaicin is the chemical compound found in the ribs that give peppers their
"heat." Some research studies have shown
that capsaicin may reduce risk for certain types
of cancer.
Choose high-quality peppers that are fresh-looking, firm and thick-fleshed, and free
of disease and insect damage. Peppers vary greatly in taste and degree of heat, so you
can vary salsa hotness to suit your personal
tastes. One type of pepper may be substituted
for another type in salsa recipes for canning, but do not vary the total amount called for
in the recipe.
Hot peppers should be considered carefully by the beginner. The jalapeno is
the "standard" hot pepper used in making
salsa, although the heat connoisseur may choose to use chili or habanero peppers. The "fire"
in these varieties is often too hot for most salsa lovers, so if you decide to grow and use them
in salsa or other sauces, do so cautiously. Generally, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it tastes.
The perceived degree of heat can be expressed in Scoville Heat Units, which
give relative heat values among peppers. Following is a table describing some of the
pepper varieties that can be grown in our region:
Pepper
type
|
Description
|
Flavor
|
Scoville Heat Units
|
| Bell |
Thick fleshed, blocky
shape; dark green,
yellow, orange, red |
Mild, sweet |
0 |
|
| Poblano |
Resemble bell pepper;
dark green with a
purplish tint, red when
fully ripe |
Sweet, earthy |
2,500- 3,000 |
|
| Jalapeno |
Tapered, shiny
dark green, about
2 inches long |
Sweet, green |
2,500- 5,000 |
|
| Serrano |
Small and tapered;
dark green or scarlet
red when ripe |
Sweet, acidic, fruity, citrus |
5,000- 15,000 |
|
| Cayenne |
Slim, long, curved;
dark green to red |
Acidic, tart, pungent |
30,000- 50,000 |
|
| Thai |
Thin and elongated;
red when fully ripe |
Lingering heat |
50,000- 100,000 |
|
| Habenero |
Shaped like a lumpy
square; green to
orange-red |
Fiery, acidic heat |
100,000- 300,000 |
|
Preparing Peppers
Avoid direct contact with hot peppers, because
the volatile oils in them can cause skin irritation or burns.
Wear rubber gloves while handling them, and wash your
hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your
face. Hot peppers, such as the jalapeno, do not need to
be peeled but the seeds are often removed.
Wash peppers before peeling or chopping. If you choose to peel peppers, slit each pepper on its side to
allow steam to escape. Peel peppers using one of the
following methods:
Oven or broiler method: Place peppers in oven
(400o F) or under broiler for 6 to 8 minutes
until skins blister.
Range-top method: Cover hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers
on burner for several minutes until skins blister.
Allow peppers to cool. Place in a pan and cover
with a damp cloth to make peeling the peppers easier. After several minutes of cooling, peel
each pepper. Discard seeds and chop peppers.
Approximate equivalents:
1 medium bell pepper
= about 1 cup, chopped
1 large bell pepper
= about 2 cups, chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper
= about ¼ cup, chopped |
Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic are in the Allium
family. This family of vegetables contains sulfur
compounds, selenium and antioxidants. These compounds are believed to stimulate
the immune system, inhibit cancer growth and possibly decrease blood cholesterol.
Sulfur compounds also are responsible for their characteristic flavor and smell and the
tendency for onions to irritate eyes.
Choose onions that are firm and free from cuts and bruises. Fresh onions usually have
a thinner skin than storage onions. Store onions in a cool, dry place or refrigerate. To help
avoid eye irritation, onions should be cut from the
top and peeled down without trimming off the root/bottom end, since the sulfuric compounds
are concentrated at the base of the onion. Others have suggested cutting onions under
running water or refrigerating before cutting to
decrease the tendency of onions to irritate eyes.
Choose garlic heads that are firm, avoiding garlic with green growth. Store garlic
in a cool, dark place. Peel and chop
with a knife or use a garlic press.
Approximate equivalent
1 medium onion
= about 1 cup, chopped |
Cilantro
Select cilantro that appears fresh and green. If purchasing, look for cilantro with
the roots attached. At home, place the cilantro
in a sturdy container with water covering the roots; wrap the leaves loosely in a plastic
bag and refrigerate. Change the water every few days and the cilantro should last about
two weeks. If the cilantro has no roots, follow the same procedure, covering the stems
with water. Cilantro without roots will remain fresh about one week.
Acid Ingredients
Acid ingredients in canned salsa help preserve it. Additional acid -- bottled
lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar -- is needed
when canning tomatoes because the natural acidity of tomatoes may be too low. Low-acid
ingredients in salsa, such as peppers and onions,
also affect the overall acidity level. Vinegar
should be at least 5 percent acid. You can
substitute lemon or lime juice in a recipe calling
for vinegar, but do not substitute vinegar in a recipe calling for lemon or lime juice. Lemon
or lime juice is more acidic than vinegar. Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice may be used
in fresh salsa recipes but is not recommended for use in canning recipes.
NOTE: If you are using a recipe that has
not been research-tested, serve it fresh, store it
in the refrigerator and use it within a couple weeks, or freeze it in freezer-safe containers.
|
|
|
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 large onion, finely chopped
½ large green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ to 1 whole jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
3-4 large Roma (paste) tomatoes, chopped
1 small bunch of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Juice from ¼ lemon
Mix ingredients together and serve,
altering the recipe to suit your own taste preferences. Store covered in the
refrigerator. To keep calorie and fat content low, serve with baked tortilla chips.
(Note: This salsa recipe has not
been tested for safety for canning/
processing purposes.) |
Like other foods that are preserved at home, canned salsa comes
with a list of safety precautions. If you've created
a salsa masterpiece, you'd be better off freezing
it, for safety's sake, rather than canning it.
It's especially important to follow current
recommendations for food preservation, because old
food preservation recipes -- even Grandma's -- may not be safe based on current research.
The main foodborne illness associated with foods improperly
canned at home is botulism.
It's also the deadliest. Clostridium
botulinum, the type of bacteria that causes botulism,
thrives in an oxygenfree, or "anaerobic,"
environment, such as a sealed jar or can, where it can
produce a potentially fatal toxin. The hallmark symptoms are
double vision and paralysis, with death being the worstcase outcome.
Tips for Canning Salsa Safely
- Follow the formulation exactly and measure/weigh ingredients
carefully. Use bottled lemon or lime juice or vinegar as indicated.
- Handle hot peppers carefully: wear plastic gloves and wash your
hands before touching your face.
- In canning recipes calling for spices, you may safely
decrease the amount of spice (cumin, oregano, pepper, etc), but do not increase
the spice amounts.
- To alter the "heat" in salsa, you can safely substitute one type of
pepper for another, but keep the total amount of pepper the same.
- Do not thicken salsas with cornstarch before canning. If the
salsa appears thin, it can be heated and thickened with cornstarch, or
some of the excess juice may be strained away, after opening the jars.
- Before beginning to prepare salsa for canning, fill the water bath
canner about half full of clean water. For hot-packed food (like
the example salsa recipes), preheat the water in the canner to about
180 F. Use a rack in the canner.
- Start with clean jars, and heat them in a pan of hot water. Heat lids
as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Fill jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. After filling jars with food,
remove trapped air bubbles with a nonmetallic spatula, adjusting headspace
if needed.
- Wipe the rim of each jar carefully with a cloth or paper towel and
apply the lid and screw ring. Do not over-tighten the screw ring.
It should only be "finger tight" or the lids may not seal properly.
- Place jars in the canner using a jar lifter positioned below the
screw band of the lid. Keep the jars upright at all times.
- Add additional boiling water, as needed, to bring the water level at
least 1 inch over jar tops.
- Begin timing when water boils. Keep the canner covered during
processing. The water should remain boiling at all times.
- When the processing time is complete, carefully remove the jars
from the canner, using a jar lifter. Place the jars at least 1 inch apart
on cooling racks or towels to cool at least 12 hours. Do not retighten
screw rings. Do not expose jars to a cold surface or cold drafts,
which could lead to cracking or breaking.
- Test seals the next day. A good seal is evidenced by a concave lid
that does not move when pressed. Remove the screw rings.
Label sealed jars with contents and canning date.
- Unsealed jars may be safely re-processed
within 24 hours, or the
jars of salsa may be refrigerated for fresh consumption. To
reprocess, empty the salsa into a pan, heat to boiling and ladle the mixture
into clean, hot jars. Use new lids and process for the full
recommended time. The quality and nutrient content of twice-processed food may
be lower, but the product will be safe to consume.
Abbreviation Key
Tbsp = Tablespoon 1 quart (qt.) = 2 pints (pt.) = 4 cups (c.)
tsp. = teaspoon 1 Tbsp. = 3 tsp.
qt. = quart
|
|
|
Yield: 13 pints
7 qt. paste tomatoes, peeled,
cored and chopped
4 c. long green chili peppers, seeded and chopped
(about 12 chilies)
5 c. onion, chopped
(about 5 medium onions)
½ c. jalapeno peppers, seeded
and finely chopped
(about 2 peppers)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. bottled lemon or lime juice
2 Tbsp. salt
½ Tbsp. red pepper
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. oregano leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
Procedure:
Wash hands thoroughly before handling food.
Prepare peppers as described previously. Wear rubber gloves
while handling chili peppers or wash hands thoroughly with soap
and water before touching your face.
Prepare tomatoes: Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water
for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split, then dip in cold water.
Slip off skins and remove cores.
Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano
and cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring
frequently. Reduce heat and boil 10 minutes. Add herbs and spices
and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle
hot into hot pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims.
Cap with properly pretreated lids. Adjust lids and process in a
boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
Note: This recipe is best suited for paste tomatoes.
Slicing tomatoes require a much longer cooking time to achieve
a desirable consistency. You may decrease the amounts of
spices, but increasing the amount is not advised. You may make
adjustments to suit your tastes after opening the jars.
|
Tomato Paste Salsa (for canning)*
|
|
Yield: 16 pints
3 qt. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 c. green peppers, chopped (about 2 large bell peppers)
12-oz jar jalapeno peppers (in vinegar, drained)
1 c. long green chilies, seeded and chopped (about 3 chilies)
3 c. onions, chopped (about 3 medium)
3 c. celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 12-ounce cans tomato paste
2 c. bottled lemon juice
1 Tbsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
Procedure:
Combine all ingredients in
a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and
continue boiling for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa
into hot pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims.
Cap with properly pretreated
lids. Adjust lids and process in
a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
|
* Adapted from "Salsa Recipes for Canning" -- Pacific Northwest Publications (PNW395) by Val Hillers
and Richard Dougherty, Washington State University, 1996. Recipes also appear in "Canning Salsa
Safely" -- Wisconsin Safe Food Preservation Series (B3570) by Barbara H. Ingham, University of
Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, 2000.
Store canned salsa in a cool dark place and use within a year for best quality. If
jars have become unsealed or there are signs of spoilage like bulging lids or bubbling or if
the mixture has an odor, do not taste. Discard the jars and contents carefully --
away from
possible contact with humans and animals.
For additional salsa/tomato canning
formulations, request "Canning and Freezing Tomatoes" (FN-175) from your local office
of the NDSU Extension Service.
For more information about horticulture
and food/nutrition issues, visit these NDSU Extension Service websites:
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/horticulture.htm
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm
National Center for Home Food Preservation:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/
FN-584, April 2001 (Reviewed and Reprinted April 2003)
|
