Lots of vegetables are ripening in the garden this time of the year. Tomatoes are growing like crazy. Besides making tomato sauce, I like to make what I call “Whatever is left in the garden salsa”. It consists of the most abundant produce grown in the garden. The end product is quite tasty. Here is my garden salsa canning recipe.

Garden Salsa Canning Recipe

I generally look around my garden to see what would work well in a salsa. This year tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, green peppers, and parsley were the best growers. I used two types of tomatoes-cherry and regular tomatoes. So I decided to make salsa using these vegetables.

Here is what you will need:

Canning:

Ingredients:

10 – Cups Tomatoes (I used 1/2 regular and 1/2 cherry tomatoes)

2 – Cups Green Peppers

1 – Large Yellow Onion

1 – Large Red Onion

8 – Cloves of Garlic

A Few Scallions

5 – Cups of Parsley

2 – Limes (not from the garden)

1 – Cup White Vinegar

Wash and Sterilize Jars

Your first step is to always wash and sterilize your jars and bands. Wash your jars and bands in hot soapy water. Then rinse and put them into your water bath canner to sterilize for about 15 minutes. The water should be almost to a boil to sterilize the jars and bands. Once the jars and bands are sterilized set them aside on a kitchen towel. I like to place my lids covered with water into a small pan on the stove. Keep them warm until you are ready to use them.

Prepping the Garden Salsa

Now it is time to start chopping and removing the seeds from your tomatoes. I like to chop mine into bite-size pieces. This may take a little time, so just put on some good music and start chopping. You can also chop your onions, zucchini, green peppers, garlic, parsley, and scallions.

Cooking Your Garden Salsa

Once you are done chopping all of your vegetables it is time to cook them. I like to start by sauteing the onions and garlic first for about 5 minutes and then add tomatoes, zucchini, green peppers, and scallions. Add your vinegar, lime, and parsley at the end. Let this mixture cook for about 10 minutes.

Jarring Your Garden Salsa

Once your salsa is cooked it is time to place the mixture into your sterilized jars. Bring your pot over to a nice flat surface and place a kitchen towel under the pot. Place a jar in the funnel on top next to the pot and begin ladling the hot salsa into the jars. Make sure to wipe each jar’s top clean with a kitchen towel.

Capping and Processing The Garden Salsa

Now place the cap on each jar using a magnetic lid lifter. Apply jar bands to each jar until hand tight. Place each jar into the canning tray. Bring your water to a boil and submerge the jars into the canner and place the lip on top of the pot and boiled for 15 minutes.

Date, Label and Enjoy

Once your 15 minutes is over, allow your jars to cool a bit. Then remove them with your coated jar lifter and allow to cool on a towel overnight. I like to place a kitchen towel on top of the jars to allow them to cool slowly. I find it helps in the sealing process. You should hear the lids start pinging which means your jars are sealing. Once your jars have cooled, remove your bands to make sure you have a good seal. If you have one that did not seal properly place it into the refrigerator and eat as a snack.

These are my go-to books for preserving and canning:

The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest

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Amazon:





Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving

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Conclusion

As you can see you can make salsa in many ways. This garden salsa canning recipe will be a nice treat for an afternoon snack. They also make nice gifts to give away to friends and family.