Gina Bowen, a neighbor across the street, asked Kathy if she had a waterbath canning pot that Gina could borrow. She explained that she made homemade salsa and would trade a jar for the use of the pot. The salsa was so delicious that Kathy asked Gina for the recipe! Some alterations have been made over time: Kathy uses less sugar, fresh Anaheims instead of canned, and added cilantro and lime.
Ingredients for 7 Quart Batch (preserved)
12-14 cups fresh ripe tomatoes (about 10 lb whole tomatoes)
1 lb fresh Anaheim peppers (or 2 cans chopped green chilis)
1-3 jalapeño peppers
5 bell peppers (3 green + 2 red)
1 bunch cilantro
7 med onions (5 yellow + 2 red)
8 (6 oz) cans quality tomato paste
1¼ cup quality apple cider vinegar
juice of two limes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
⅓ cup non-iodized salt
⅔ cup sugar
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ Tbsp cumin
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Hardware
Quality hand chopper
1 bag of ice
waterbath canning pot
steaming tray
8+ quart cooking pot
ladle
funnel
jar lifter
7 quart jars with lids
Measurements for Small Batch
2 lb peeled, diced tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp chopped chilis
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ Tbsp salt
2½ Tbsp sugar
½ tsp chili powder
⅛ tsp cumin
Optional: jalapeño, cilantro, black pepper, lime juice, crushed garlic
Roast the Anaheims: pre-heat oven to 500°F. Place peppers on racks and bake for 10 minutes, turning peppers over after 5 minutes. Skins will blister and blacken. Place peppers in a paper bag and fold down top. Set closed bag on heat-proof surface to cool.
Sterilize quart jars in dishwasher or water bath pot on stove. If using dishwasher to sterilize jars, fill water bath pot with hot water to about 1″ above bottom of wire rack with rack set in the upper position. Place on stove over low heat to keep water hot but not boiling. If using pot method, make sure they boil for 20+ minutes and then keep them hot until ready to use. Heat lids along with ladle and funnel in large pot on stove (extra hot water from pot will go into water bath to cover jars).
Trim off ends of cilantro stems, rinse, and soak in cool water. Bring ~5“ of water to boil in Dutch oven, and fill one half of sink with 5” of cold water and ice. Fill steaming tray with tomatoes and lower into boiling water for 30 seconds. Lift tray out of water and use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatoes to the ice water. Fill tray 3 times for one batch.
Slice tomatoes in half, slip off skin, cut out core and bad spots and chop in hand chopper to desired chunkiness. Measure and place in cooking pot. Add paste, vinegar, lime juice, and spices. Stir to blend.
Wear disposable gloves when handling peppers. Chop off stem end of cooled Anaheims, split open, remove seeds and skin. Chop inner flesh in hand chopper. Cut off stem end of Jalapeños and chop in hand chopper (for a mild salsa remove seeds). Add to pot.
Place the pot over medium heat as you finish adding ingredients. Drain cilantro on paper towel. Chop bell peppers, onion and cilantro in hand chopper, then add to pot. Bring pot to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat and simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle salsa into hot jars, leaving ½“ head space. Wipe rim of jar with moist paper towel and screw on lid. When all jars are filled, lower them on wire rack into water bath. Use water from lid pot if necessary to cover jars with about 1” of hot water.
Cover pot and bring to boil. Adjust heat to maintain a slow boil and time for one hour at 5000 ft. elevation. After an hour, turn off heat, lift rack to upper position, and use jar lifter to remove jars. Place jars on a soft towel on kitchen counter away from drafts. Allow to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Remove bands, date jars, and store in a cool, dark place.
Yields: about 7 quarts
Time to make: 3 hr (if canning)
Source: Kathy Hoffman