Recipe

Canned Tomatoes Recipe

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Ingredients

Sweet banana or other mild peppers
3/4 c Vinegar
Mix of Anaheim; bell, New Mexico, Hungarian wax
9 qt Tomatoes; red, ripe, peeled, seeded & sliced,
Mix of red bell; Anaheim or numex
4 tb Salt
1 pt Hot fresh peppers red or green; seeded & sliced
106 oz Tomato sauce; large, institutional, sized can
2 bn Fresh cilantro; sliced
2 ts Garlic or 6 cloves; minced
5 qt Fresh green peppers; seeded and sliced
9 md Onions; white or yellow, roughly sliced
1 pt Red peppers; seeded and sliced

Directions

Step #1 Shopping list: about 14 lbs of tomatoes, about 4 lbs of onions, about 3 lbs of peppers, 2 bunches of cilantro.
Step #2 Hint: wear plastic or rubber gloves when working with the peppers or you'll get hot hands.
Step #3 Chop the tomatoes into about 1/2" cubes by hand as the food processor/blender or salsa maker will make them too mushy.
Step #4 Chop the red & green peppers & the onions in a food processor/blender or salsa maker to the desired size--small chunks for a smoother salsa, bigger pieces for a chunky salsa.
Step #5 You will need a very large pot, at least 20 quarts.
Step #6 I use my water canner to make the salsa & then transfer the salsa after it is cooked to two smaller pots.
Step #7 I found when I first began to use the water canner that its thin bottom caused the salsa to burn on the bottom.
Step #8 So I went to our local steel yard & found some 1/2" thick plate, 10" wide.
Step #9 I had the guy cut it at 12" long (cost about $15).
Step #10 I put this plate over the gas burner & then the canner on top of the plate.
Step #11 With this plate, I've yet to get more than a small amount of burned salsa on the bottom of the canner.
Step #12 Add the onions, tomatoes & peppers to the pot & mix well.
Step #13 Turn on burner & bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 1 1/2 hrs.
Step #14 I found that my original batches of this salsa were too watery.
Step #15 The problem is the liquids coming out of the tomatoes.
Step #16 So after the salsa cooks for 1 1/2 hrs, I scoop out about 2 quarts of liquid & pour it through a strainer into a large glass bowl.
Step #17 Return the chunks from the strainer to the salsa pot.
Step #18 DO NOT discard this liquid, as it makes a wonderful drink (you might have to dilute it 50:50 with tomato juice to reduce the heat level).
Step #19 While the salsa is cooking, Jalapeno, Thai, Serrano, Jalapa, take the hotter peppers, Habanero, etc.
Step #20 & put them into a mixer jar with a little water.
Step #21 Puree & set aside.
Step #22 After the liquid has been removed from the big pot, add the big can of tomato sauce & then stir.
Step #23 Add the hot pureed peppers a tbsp at a time to the salsa pot & mix well.
Step #24 Taste & adjust the heat to your level by adding more of the hot pepper puree.
Step #25 Now add the sliced cilantro, garlic, vinegar & salt to the pot, mix well & bring to a boil.
Step #26 Simmer for 30 mins stirring well every 10 mins or so.
Step #27 Bring to a boil just before canning.
Step #28 I find that 1 pint wide-mouth jars are best for canning this salsa.
Step #29 You will need 24-28 pint jars for a batch of this salsa & if you can the liquid you removed, you will need another 8 or so pint jars.
Step #30 Process in a water canner for at least 30 mins.
Step #31 Always use new jar lids.
Step #32 Be sure to allow 1/2 inch head space & follow the canning directions for tomatoes.
Step #33 Note: Measure tomato & pepper volume after chopping.
Step #34 I tired making this salsa with homemade tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes.
Step #35 The salsa had a 'too tomatoy' taste.
Step #36 The commercial tomato sauce made a better salsa.
Step #37 --.
Enjoy the Canned Tomatoes recipe