Salsa...and not the Dacing Type...thank heavens

21 ....make that 20 bottles of restaurant style salsa sitting on my table...#1 decided he needed nachos...
the bottles are slowly making the little pop of a sealed lid sound, it secretly makes me giddy..because

we have been out of salsa for the last two months...well...if you don't count the jalapeno salsa....but there is only one in our household that can eat it...the rest of us always regret it the next day........"ooooouuuuyyyyyyyy mama"

and because i feel like i did something wonderful and brilliant and life altering by making my own salsa that is pure and good and free of preservatives and corn syrup....

pop!

i will share the recipe below that i adapted from The Pioneer Woman, man... want to be her friend...or maid...or something!!!

we have tried a variety of recipes..and we love them all, my kids drink salsa.....but this time around I wanted to mix it up.....this recipe does just that! and although it seriously took me all day to get it done...because I used fresh tomatoes...it was so worth it...just don't ask my baby back...

...and my baby back better suck it up cuz we still have green chilies to bottle, more bread and butter pickles because we are almost out..already!  freeze green  and red peppers, bottle umpteen million tomatoes.....(if we can get enough at the Day Farm), pickled beets, green beans, pickled eggs...boy, am I missing those! SERIOUSLY!  don't knock em till you tried em!  and I want to try a green tomato salsa....if I had my own garden with enough tomatoes i would probably try ketchup....maybe in the future! oh yea...and sauerkraut...love me some sauerkraut.....

but until then, chow....away!



ReNee's Restaurant Style Salsa adapted from PW

270 ounces of pureed tomatoes (I used my blender)...and this was just under 3/4 of a bushel of tomatoes
2 onions
14 Big Jims
7 jalapenos...seeds and all
8 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons cumin
4 cups cilantro
4 tablespoons lime juice

I gave the tomatoes a water bath to skinned them,diced them and separated the seeds and as much as the juice as possible, then pureed them, along with the onions, peppers and cilantro, add all together in a good and heavy pot (tomatoes scorch easily if not watched!) along with the spices and simmer on the stove to a boiling point....

I ended up leaving my salsa on the stove on the lowest setting possible as I went to my #1's football game and then until I got the mctwins some dinner and nursed a wee one...and probably peed in there somewhere.....

I then bottled and processed for 35 minutes in a water bath.  Since there is no vinegar (you must read PW's post on this...hil-ar-i-ous!) i processed as I would regular tomatoes to be on the safe side!!  I ended up with 21 pint bottles..with one being opened immediately and one given to my sweet friend who saved my with chocolate zucchini cookies....those were good... ate them all myself and was a little put off when the kids thought they should have one....

love yer salsa guzzlin' guts!


b

Can you SALSA?

I started this post FOUR days ago.......DANG!
But in between this and that I have put up pickled beets, some kosher pickles and zucchini mustard relish that is to die for!  Thx Rach!!!  It is supposed to go on hot dogs and if you eat hot dogs it would be good....but I don't eat hot dogs...so I need to discover an alternative to just eating it out of the bottle...by itself...plain......mmmmmm...tastes like bread and butter pickles!

And I am a sucker for pickles...I like them almost as much as salsa! Zesty salsa, black bean salsa...mackdaddy's jalapeno salsa, traditional salsa, pcio de gallo.....which qualifies in my book as salsa!, roasted tomato salsa...

you name it we will eat it...though sometimes we pay for it....in the END! 

Anywho lame potty joke, I know!  But after putting up well over 100 bottles of it this year...I can joke all I want and becasue I am usually chasing these two outta the potty room!!!!  At the request of my Idaho cuz here are a few!!

Zesty Salsa

Makes about 6 (16 oz) pints or 12 (8 oz) half pints
 10 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (about 25 medium)
  5 cups chopped seeded green bell peppers (about 4 large)
  5 cups chopped onions (about 6 to 8 medium)
  2-1/2 cups chopped seeded chili peppers, such as hot banana, Hungarian wax, serrano or jalapeño (about 13 medium)
  1-1/4 cups cider vinegar
  3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  1 Tbsp salt
  1 tsp hot pepper sauce, optional
  6 (16 oz) pint or 12 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.)COMBINE tomatoes, green peppers, onions, chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, cilantro, salt and hot pepper sauce, if using, in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
3.) LADLE hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot salsa. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS both pint and half pint jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

ALICIA'S FRESH SALSA

8 Medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

½ onion, chopped fine

½ Cup celery chopped fine

4 small jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

½ Cup oil

4 T. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. mustard seed

2 tsp salt

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and chill

Variations:  add small chunks of avocado, minced garlic or anything else you would like.  Fresh garden tomatoes are the best!

Macdaddy's jalapeno salsa

Yields about 3 pints......we quadrupled this recipe!

3 cups, chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes.....I didnt do any of that.....Just threw it into the blender! as well as the onions and peppers.... smooth restaurant  quality that the hubs loves!I win!! but you can follow the directions however you like!)

3 cups chopped jalapenos

1 cup chopped onions

6 gloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp cilantro, minced 

2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 c cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least ten minnutes.  Ladle into hot jars and process for 15 minutes in a hotwater bath.

And pullleaze don't forget Black Bean and Corn Salsa, you can find the recipe here!

AMAZING!  and of course Fresh Peach Salsa. 

Now if I could just dance the salsa to work this all off...well the chips that is! Life would be even better!