Homemade salsa

by Justin Segelstrom

This homemade canned salsa is perfect for preserving the fresh flavors of summer tomatoes. It's simple to make and tastes better than anything you can buy at the store. Plus, it makes enough for two taco pizzas and leaves some for your tacos!

Ingredients:

• 10 cups of tomatoes, peeled, chopped, and drained (refer to the note for tips)
• 3 cups of diced onion
• 1 ¾ cups of chopped green bell pepper
• Approximately 1 to 1 ¼ cups of finely chopped jalapeños, with membranes and seeds removed (for an extra kick, leave them in)
• 7 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 ½ teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 ½ teaspoons of coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 ½ tablespoons of canning or pickling salt (details in the note)
• ⅓ cup of chopped fresh cilantro
• Optional: ⅓ cup of sugar, depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes
• 1 ¼ cups of apple cider vinegar (details in the note)
• 16 ounces of tomato sauce (essential for safe canning and proper pH)
• Optional for thicker salsa: 12 ounces of tomato paste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients and bring them to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Fill sterilized pint-size canning jars, leaving about 1/2-inch of space from the top. Wipe the rim of each jar clean, then seal it with a lid and ring.

3. Process the jars in a water or steam bath canner for 25 minutes.

4. Carefully remove the jars from the water or steam bath and allow them to cool to room temperature. Check the seal of each jar by lightly pressing the top of the lid. It should feel firm; if the center bubbles up and down when pressed, the jar hasn't sealed correctly and will need refrigeration or reprocessing.