How to Can Salsa The Easy Way

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I am so excited today to share with you  the “recipe” for How To Can Salsa-The Easy Way.  Really.  It is soooo not as hard as you think it is!  And it is a great way to become more self-sufficient and build your food storage!  (If you don’t have a garden, that’s totally okay!  Just pick up the tomatoes at the farmer’s market and you are good to go!)  As for us, our garden is going CRAZY!  One whole section of my kitchen counter is covered in garden produce!  Tomatoes, zucchini (green and yellow), raspberries, herbs.  It. Is. Awesome!

How to Can Salsa – The Easy Way

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Now before we begin, I will tell you that reading the beginning of ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Jar lifter (so you don’t burn your fingers or drop a hot jar!)

A good knife for cutting tomatoes

A large spoon for stirring the yummy stuff

A ladle for scooping it into the jars

A funnel

OR

1 pkg Mrs. Wages Salsa mix 

1/2 c white vinegar

18 medium-sized tomatoes

7 tomatillos (optional)

Pinch of cilantro (optional)

You might think it is weird that I am talking about using a mix when it comes to canning salsa.  I am telling you…it tastes AMAZING.  For a first-time canner, being guaranteed not to fail is huge!  Just trust me!

*Note:  The whole process of canning salsa takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours, so make sure you do it at a time when you won’t have to be rushed!

It is important to note that it is NOT recommended to re-use canning lids. They may not seal properly, which can lead to foodborne illnesses.  Don’t do it!

Prepping to Can Salsa

The first thing I always do is load my jars and screw on caps into the dishwasher.  The jars need to be HOT when the salsa is put into them, so I wait to turn the dishwasher on until I put the tomatoes in a pot to blanch.  That way the jars are ready for me and hot, right when I need them!

When you are canning, there is a bit of multi-tasking involved.  Here’s what your stove set-up should look like:

Once the water has come to a rolling boil, carefully add your tomatoes.  I do that with a large spoon so that I do not get splashed with hot water.

Not gonna lie.  once the tomatoes have blanched (boiled for about ten minutes til the skin starts to come off) comes the suckiest (is that a word?) part of the process.  Peeling the tomatoes.  It isn’t fun…but hang in there, guys…it is so worth it!  I am telling you…you will never want to buy jarred sauce again after you taste this stuff!

As you are getting ready to peel the tomatoes, turn the heat for the burner that has your water bath canner to high.  Be sure the lid is on.  This water will need to be at a rolling boil by the time you put the jars in the bath.

While you are peeling tomatoes, you should have your lids going at a rolling boil to prep them.  They need to be hot when you seal the canning jars so that you will get a good tight seal.

While your lids are boiling, dice up the peeled tomatoes (and the tomatillos, if you did some) and place them in a large bowl.

You are almost done!

Canning the Salsa

Add the vinegar,  Mrs. Wages salsa mix, and a pinch or two of cilantro (fresh or dried).  Your salsa is ready to can!  Now wasn’t that easy??  (Come on now, nod your head and smile!)

To can it (Don’t panic.  This is the easy part!):

Hopefully, if you have timed everything well, your jars are hot and your lids are hot.  THIS IS IMPORTANT.  If they are not, get them hot before you proceed.  Putting salsa in a cold jar will cause the jar to break in the hot water bath.  Been there, done that.  The lids need to be hot to seal properly.  Don’t try to cheat on this…trust me!

Here’s a quick little video showing how to prep the jar of salsa to can it…written instructions follow the clip 🙂

One at a time, remove the hot jar from dishwasher, place funnel at the top of the jar.  Using ladle fill with salsa, but leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top.  Using your lid magnet, remove a lid from the boiling water. Carefully place it on the jar.  Wipe the bottleneck and top of lid dry with a towel and then screw on the cap.  Using your jar lifter, place it in the water bath rack (the water in your water bath should be boiling). Repeat until all of the salsa has been jarred.  Then, go ahead and sink the jars in the boiling water and replace the lid.  Keep them at a rolling boil for 15 minutes.  Next, turn off the heat.  Use your jar lifter to lift them out of the bath and set them on a towel on the counter to dry.  Once dry and cool, use a sharpie to label the lid with the date and “salsa”.  It is ready to go on your shelf!

If there is a little leftover that won’t fill a jar, put it in a container, and refrigerate it.  You have two weeks to eat it before it will go bad!  At our house whatever is leftover never even lasts a day!

Debra

How to Can Salsa-The Easy Way

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Ingredients

• 1 pkg Mrs. Wages Salsa mix
• 1/2 c white vinegar
• 18 medium sized tomatoes
• 7 tomatillos (optional)
• Pinch of cilantro (optional)
• Other supplies you will need:
• 6-7 pint jars with lids and screw-on caps (I recommend wide-mouth jars, but either type will work)
• Water bath canner with jar tray
• Jar lifter (so you don't burn your fingers or drop a hot jar!)
• A good knife for cutting tomatoes
• A large spoon for stirring the yummy stuff
• A ladle for scooping it into the jars
• A funnel
• Magnet to pick up lids (optional) (again so you don't burn your fingers getting them out of boiling water)
• a large cutting board (if it doesn't have a groove around the edge to capture the excess liquid then put a towel underneath it. Peeling tomatoes is a juicy job!)

It is important to note that it is NOT recommended to re-use canning lids. They may not seal properly, which can lead to food borne illnesses.

When water bath canning, the first thing I always do is load my jars and screw on caps into the dishwasher. The jars need to be HOT when the salsa is put into them, so I wait to turn the dishwasher on until I put the tomatoes in to blanch. That way the jars are ready for me and hot, right when I need them!

Once the water has come to a rolling boil, carefully add your tomatoes. I do that with a large spoon so that I do not get splashed with hot water.

Not gonna lie. once the tomatoes have blanched (boiled for about ten minutes til the skin starts to come off) comes the suckiest (is that a word?) part of the process. Peeling the tomatoes. It isn't fun...but hang in there, guys...it is so worth it! I am telling you...you will never want to buy jarred sauce again after you taste this stuff!

As you are getting ready to peel the tomatoes, turn the heat for the burner that has your water bath canner to high. Be sure the lid is on. This water will need to be at a rolling boil by the time you put the jars in the bath.

While you are peeling tomatoes, you should have your lids going at a rolling boil to prep them. They need to be hot when you seal the canning jars so that you will get a good tight seal.

While your lids are boiling, dice up the peeled tomatoes (and the tomatillos, if you did some) and place in a large bowl.

Add the vinegar, Mrs. Wages salsa mix, and a pinch or two of cilantro (fresh or dried). Your salsa is ready to can! Now wasn't that easy?? (Come on now, nod your head and smile!)

To can it:

Hopefully if you have timed everything well, your jars are hot and your lids are hot. THIS IS IMPORTANT. If they are not, get them hot before you proceed. Putting salsa in a cold jar will cause the jar to break in the hot water bath. Been there, done that. The lids need to be hot to seal properly. Don't try to cheat on this...trust me!

One at a time, remove hot jar from dishwasher, place funnel in top of the jar. Using ladle fill with salsa, but leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top. Using your lid magnet, remove a lid from the boiling water. Carefully place it on the jar. Wipe the bottleneck and top of lid dry with a towel and then screw on the cap. Using your jar lifter, place it in the water bath rack (the water in your water bath should be boiling). Repeat until all of the salsa has been jarred. The go ahead and sink the jars in the boiling water and replace the lid. Keep them at a rolling boil for 15 minutes. Next, turn off the heat. Use your jar lifter to lift them out of the bath and set them on a towel on the counter to dry. Once dry and cool, use a sharpie to label the lid with the date and "salsa". It is ready to go on your shelf!

If there is a little left over that won't fill a jar, put it in a container and refrigerate it. You have two weeks to eat it before it will go bad.

Note: The whole process of canning salsa takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours, so make sure you do it at a time when you won't have to be rushed!

Nutrition

Calories

81 cal

Fat

2 g

Carbs

15 g

Protein

2 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

7.8.1.2

4

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I am getting ready to can MORE salsa today (third time in 3 weeks).  We have so many tomatoes I will probably be doing it a few more times this fall.  That is fine with me though.  A little work now = homemade salsa all year long!  I love seeing canned salsa on my food storage shelves!  This past year we ran out Super Bowl Sunday!  Not gonna let that happen again.  The store stuff gets a big fat thumbs down from me!  If you try out canning, let me know how how it goes!  You will love the confidence that comes with becoming more self-reliant!

See you next time!

Deb

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