Winter wouldn't be complete without some hot salsa. Today was the day to make a batch. The basic recipe is one mom was inspired by and then changed to her liking. I more or less stick to her recipe, but I'm not sure I've ever made it exactly the same way twice. The versatility of it makes it a great go-to salsa.
I cut the recipe in half today since I only had 3.5 pounds of tomatoes ripe from the garden. This gave me 4 pints of salsa and a serving for the fridge. Here was today's version:
3.5 pounds of fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped, 1 large red onion chopped, 2 large bell peppers chopped, 2 small cans tomato paste, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 3/4 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (if you want it hot), 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/8 cup white sugar, 1/8 cup brown sugar. Mix all this up in a pot and simmer until reduced to the thickness you like. Depending on the type of tomato you use (I plant Romas which require less reduction), this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Sterilize jars, leave 1/4" headspace, water bath for 15 minutes.
The cayenne can be cut in half for mild salsa (mom's version) or it can be substituted to your liking with fresh chopped jalapeños. Half of the tomato paste can be substituted with tomato sauce (mom's version). Also, if you want some color variety, substitute banana peppers or red and yellow peppers for the green bell peppers (mom uses red peppers). Overall you'll have a similar flavor with these changes.
Image credit: Cale Ruiz
I cut the recipe in half today since I only had 3.5 pounds of tomatoes ripe from the garden. This gave me 4 pints of salsa and a serving for the fridge. Here was today's version:
3.5 pounds of fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped, 1 large red onion chopped, 2 large bell peppers chopped, 2 small cans tomato paste, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 3/4 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (if you want it hot), 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/8 cup white sugar, 1/8 cup brown sugar. Mix all this up in a pot and simmer until reduced to the thickness you like. Depending on the type of tomato you use (I plant Romas which require less reduction), this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Sterilize jars, leave 1/4" headspace, water bath for 15 minutes.
The cayenne can be cut in half for mild salsa (mom's version) or it can be substituted to your liking with fresh chopped jalapeños. Half of the tomato paste can be substituted with tomato sauce (mom's version). Also, if you want some color variety, substitute banana peppers or red and yellow peppers for the green bell peppers (mom uses red peppers). Overall you'll have a similar flavor with these changes.
Image credit: Cale Ruiz