Canning!

I know I just posted about salsa, but with our bumper crop of tomatoes, I have ventured into the canning arena. I have canned strawberry jam in the past, but this is my first time canning salsa. Now, there are the websites that tell you that you need to buy a canner and rack and such. I have never owned those. And have still canned with good results. Here's how I did it--

To begin, you must clean your jars, lids and rings. That is key. Everything must be clean, clean, clean so you get a good seal on the jar to protect your food! To prep the jars, I boil them for about 10 minutes with the rings. The lids I wash in hot soapy water. Then place on a clean dish  towel until you're ready to use. Make sure your jars are upside down so nothing can get in them while waiting. Now you make your salsa! This is the recipe I used, which I took a little bit of the fresh salsa recipe that I had shared here and a little bit from two other canning salsa recipes that I had found. I mixed them all together and Hunny said it was really good.

4 medium tomatoes
1 red onion
1 green pepper
6 cayenne peppers (I use the seeds too)
6 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
4 Tablespoons of lime juice
2 T salt
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sugar

The way I did it is to puree all the vegetables in my food processor before putting in the pot. This saves on chopping. If you prefer a chunkier salsa, then just chop everything roughly. After pureeing the vegetables and cilantro, place in large pot. Add the lime juice, salt, oregano, cumin and sugar and mix well. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. While still hot, carefully ladle mixture into jars. This made 6 half pint jars. With a clean towel, wipe the tops of the jars carefully. Remember, clean, clean, clean. Place a lid on top and then tighten the ring to fingertip tight. Now place the jars in another clean large pot and cover with hot water. Make sure the water is hot so the jars don't break. Bring to a boil and boil 15 minutes. This is your processing time. Remove carefully from the water. I used hot dog tongs and a towel. Place on a clean towel and let sit at least 24 hours. While cooling, you should hear pops as the jars seal. This is a good sign. Now, your salsa is ready! They should keep up to a year.