Canning Salsa
We eat a lot of salsa around our house. In fact, it is a good thing that I can my own or a large portion of our grocery budget would be dedicated to salsa. I remember when I first got married and salsa went on sale, I spent almost our entire grocery budget on salsa that month! No one complained.
If you are new to canning, or a professional, salsa is a food that is great for everyone to try. And It is economical if you grow your own peppers and tomatoes! You can make a jar of salsa for less than $1.00!!
Step #1
Step #2
tomatoes
Step #3
Step #4
Step #5
Step #5
| Altitude | Altitude | Altitude | |
| 0-1000 ft | 1001-6000ft | Above 6,000ft | |
| Time |
15 |
20 |
25 |
Step #6
Note: This post is not intended to be a guide on canning, but a particular salsa recipe that I use that has been tested. I highly recommend going to other sites for information about canning. I do not develop any canning recipes, and I personally don’t recommend doing anything other than following a recipe from an official canning or USDA website for canning. Please seek answers regarding canning from other resources if you are not experienced in canning.
Canning Salsa
Ingredients
- 14 cups chopped tomatoes
- 5 cups diced bell peppers (red + green)
- 1 cup diced jalapenos
- 4 cups diced cucumbers
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried marjoram
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup cilantro
Instructions
- Blanch, peel and roughly chop tomatoes.
- In a food processor, dice the bell peppers, cucumbers, jalapenos, onion, cilantro and garlic.
- Combine everything in a large stock pot.
- Add marjoram and vinegar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Ladle into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.
- Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water canner according to your elevation.
Nutrition
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Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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I love homemade salsa, but normally make small batches that we eat in a day or two. I have always left the peel on and have never cooked my salsa. Are these requirements for canning?
Is it possible to can “fresh” salsa or do I need to boil it first? I have tons of tomatoes right now (with more coming) and would love to be able to use them all to make my salsa and can it. I have no canning experience.
When you are canning, it is important to follow a tested recipe because the amount of vegetables you put in can change the acidity. This can effect if bacteria will grow in your product. If you have a local state extension service, you can call them and ask them questions about specific recipes you have.
Maria – Yes these are requirements for canning. There are certain procedures you need to follow to ensure the safety of your product
The cucumbers are listed in the ingredients but not mentioned in the directions… I am assuming they go in with the rest of the veggies… AND skinning these tomatoes… I have a Victorio Food Strainer-can I skip that part? Thanks!
Dina – if you use your food strainer, then you definitely don’t have to peel them! That is actually one way I make spaghetti sauce. I just like my salsa chunkier.
Looks great. Any way to approximate how many of each ingredient before chopping? I’m not sure how many to buy/gather from the garden to make 14 cups tomatoes, or 4 cups of sweet peppers, for example. I’ve never canned anything before (why is it called “canning” anyways, and not “jarring” 😉 ) I’m going to freeze mine in pint jars.
Kim in MA –
Converting this recipe to weight it would be:
7 pounds of tomatoes
2.5 pounds of peppers
.5 pounds of jalapenos
2 pounds cucumbers
I like my salsa a little thicker, would it make a difference if I simmered it a little longer?
Definitely. The longer you simmer, the thicker it will get.
Do you peel your cucumbers?
Yes I do peel the cucumbers.
can you leave the cucumbers out of this recipe?
This recipe has been tested for a specific acidity. I really can’t say if you leave the cucumbers out how it will change that. Since I always error on the safe side when canning, my response would be that I would follow the recipe as it is written.
I want to add more cucumbers than tomatoes, I wonder if the cucumbers will stay crispy?
i want to make a small batch of this to take to a party. Could you recommend amounts to use for that? I am nervous to do the whole canning thing but really want to try this recipe.
If you are planning on canning the recipe, then I would probably not change this recipe because it is tested for a specific acidity. If you are just making it to eat, then definitely experiment and add more cucumbers!
Just cut the recipe into 1/4 by dividing all of the ingredients by 4 and that should be a good amount to take to a party!
How long will this last, Canned?
would be better if you have videos to go with it. but.. i love your website anyway! 🙂
oh by the way, how long can they stay in the fridge? thanks 🙂
If you properly can this and process for the correct amount of time according to your elevation, it will stay good for up to 2 years.
If you don’t process this, and just put it in your fridge after you make it, then it should stay good for up to 2 weeks.
I followed this recipe exactly and made 7 pints of delicious MILD salsa. Next time I will leave seeds in the jalapeños. Very good! Thanks!
Second time making this recipe this year, family already ate 3 quarts. A little cheat for using tomatoes in salsa or spaghetti sauce, use an emulsion blender and all the tomato skins get caught in the hike by the blade and then you can just toss those.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing. So happy you like this recipe!