Canned Mexican Salsa
Ingredients:
4 quarts tomato puree (about 8 – 10 lbs. of tomatoes)
6 – 8 cloves garlic, minced
2 – 3 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp. Real Salt
1/4 c. minced onion
1 – 3 tbsp. minced jalapeno
Juice of 1 lime
Directions:
1. Start with fresh tomatoes. A friend picked some up for me at a local farmer’s market. I rinsed them off (they’re organic) and then quartered them.
2. Stick them in a blender. Keep going until the blender is full.
3. Now, blend on low. You want it to mostly puree…but with some small chunks left in it. This is the easiest way I know to get it to the proper texture. Pour the puree into a 4-quart soup pot.
4. Turn this on medium-high and let it come to a boil. It will get all foamy and bubbly.
5. This is a normal phase the tomatoes go through while cooking down. Let it keep boiling, until it becomes clear and like thick tomato juice.
6. Add your garlic. I minced mine up very, very small. Then, add your onion. I use only a tiny bit because I mostly want the garlic flavor to come through.
7. Add your Real Salt. You may add a bit more to taste in the final stages, but this amount seems to work well.
8. Add the cilantro. I started with an amount that was around 2 tbsp. and I choppedvery finely. You don’t want big green leaves in your salsa. You can start with this and add a bit more at a time until you get it the way you want. The cilantro flavor will become more pronounced as the salsa cooks, so don’t add too much all at once.
9. Add your jalepeno. Mince it up very small and try not to touch any part of it with your hands.
10. Add your lime juice.
11. Now, let it cook down for a good hour, on low. It needs to blend flavors and all that good stuff. Then, scoop a tiny amount into a bowl (this cools it off so it will not burn you) and taste with a small spoon or a chip, if you prefer. Add a bit more Real Salt, lime juice, cilantro, etc. as desired.When the salsa is done, use a ladle to scoop it into clean pint jars. Add a lid and ring. Place your finished jars into your canning pot.
12. Fill with water, and process for 20 – 25 minutes.
13. Then your salsa is done! Allow it to cool before putting it away. This should make 5 – 6 pints, depending on how much you let it cook down. I like to keep mine a bit on the thinner side.
You can find this, and other delicious recipes from Kate Tietje at modernalternativemama.com