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    You Are Here Home » Appetizer Recipes

    Published: Oct 7, 2022 Updated: Oct 7, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    How To Can Salsa

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    canned salsa pin

    This canned salsa recipe is a new favorite! It's smokey, spicy, and easy to prepare. I'll show you how to can salsa so you can enjoy it all year long! Serve with my amazing California burritos, chicken enchiladas, or as an appetizer with chips!

    canned salsa with tomatoes in front of it
    Jump to:
    • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
    • 🔖 Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions
    • 🍅How to Make And Can Salsa
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🥑 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐 Why This Recipe Works

    • This recipe comes in really handy when you have a surplus of tomatoes and you are looking for ways to harness their wonderful flavor all year long!
    • Canned salsa has a long shelf life but it has to be acidic enough and processed correctly to keep it from spoiling.
    • Jarred salsa makes an excellent gift, just don't forget the tortilla chips so they can dig in right away!

    🛒 What You Need For This Recipe

    salsa ingredients, labeled

    🔖 Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions

    • Tomatoes: Fresh, home-grown tomatoes are used in this recipe. However, you can find amazing Roma tomatoes at a farmers' market or even a grocery store.
    • Peppers: Canned chipotle peppers bring the heat to this recipe. I thought about using fresh jalapeno peppers but decided on canned chipotles and so glad I did. They add so much roasted flavor!
    • Onions: You'll need one medium to a large yellow onion. Your favorite onion variety can be substituted including white onion, purple onion, or green onion.
    • Garlic: The garlic is slightly charred along with the tomatoes and onions. If you prefer to roast it, here is how to roast garlic. Roasting the garlic will mellow the garlic flavor.
    • Vinegar: To preserve salsa, you need acidity. I added apple cider vinegar but you can try other kinds of vinegar or lime/lemon juice!

    *Find the full ingredients list in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

    🍅How to Make And Can Salsa

    Step 1: Core tomatoes, roughly chop onions, and remove garlic cloves from a garlic bulb until you have approximately 5 cloves remaining. Slice the top of the bulb and wrap it in foil. Place the veggies on a baking sheet.

    tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a cookie sheet

    Step 2: Drizzle garlic with olive oil then broil the veggies on high for 3 minutes. Remove the garlic if it's getting too charred and flip the tomatoes over and broil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until charred.

    tomatoes and onions being broiled in the oven
    charred tomatoes and onions on a cookie sheet

    Step 3: Pour canned chipotles into a food processor. Add roughly chopped cilantro, peeled garlic, and onions. Peel tomatoes and add to the food processor.

    removing peels from tomatoes
    canned salsa ingredients in a food processor

    Step 4: Process salsa ingredients until you have the consistency you like. Pour salsa into a saucepan along with the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

    blending canned salsa ingredients in a food processor
    salsa in a food processor
    salsa being stirred with a wooden spoon

    Step 5: Ladle hot salsa into sterilized jars leaving ½ inch headspace (room from the top of the jar). Wipe rims with a damp paper towel, add lids, and hand-tighten. Gently place jars into a boiling water canner. Process for 20 minutes.

    Pro Tip: Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1" of water. Reprocess any jars that don't seal, store them in the refrigerator, or give them out as gifts!

    canned salsa on the counter with tomatoes around the jars

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    Do you have to boil salsa before canning?

    Boiling salsa for 10 minutes or so, brings all the flavors together and makes canning the salsa easier since the salsa is already hot when ladled into sterilized jars.

    Can you water bath homemade salsa?

    Homemade salsa should be processed in a water bath to seal and preserve the jars for longer storage.

    salsa jars in a canner, top view

    Can I use lime juice instead of vinegar when canning salsa?

    When canning salsa, you need to make sure that your salsa has enough acidity to keep it from spoiling. The acidity can be added in the form of vinegar or lime juice.

    Do you have to peel tomatoes for canning salsa?

    It's not absolutely necessary to peel tomatoes before canning them. However, taking that extra step ensures that those pesky peels don't get in the way of enjoying the salsa.

    How long does canned salsa last?

    Canned salsa should be good for up to a year when stored in a cool (50°F — 70°F) and dry location, for example, a pantry or a root cellar. 

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • This recipe makes seven 8-ounce jars (or 3.5-pint jars) but can easily be adjusted to make smaller or larger batches of salsa.
    • The heat level can also be adjusted. For less spicy salsa, don't use the whole can of chipotle peppers. If you prefer it hotter, reduce the tomatoes to 2 lbs.
    • My friend Lori asked if we absolutely had to add the cilantro to the salsa we were canning together. She despises cilantro like many people seem to. So much so that she didn't even want to store it in the fridge and sent it home with me. 😂 We did end up adding cilantro to the recipe and she STILL loved it. Cooking the salsa tames the flavor of the cilantro.
    • If you don't have a canner, you can use a large pot instead.
    • Label the jars with contents and date before you store them.

    🥑 Related Recipes

    • Arbol chili salsa
      Fire Roasted Salsa
    • loquat salsa
      Fruit Salsa Recipe (using loquats)
    • salsa verde with limes and chips around it
      Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa
    • Cranberry jalapeno dip on a cracker with goat cheese
      Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    canned salsa with tomatoes in front of it

    How To Can Salsa

    Everything you need to know about making amazing salsa and how to can it for longer storage!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Condiments
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 14 servings
    Calories: 31kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • 1 baking tray
    • 1 food processor
    • 1 Saucepan
    • 7 8-ounce canning jars
    • 1 canner

    Ingredients

    • 2½ lbs tomatoes
    • 1 large yellow onion
    • 5+ cloves garlic
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 12 ounce canned chipotle peppers
    • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
    • 1½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

    Instructions

    • Core tomatoes, roughly chop onions, and remove garlic cloves from a garlic bulb until you have approximately 5 cloves remaining. Slice the top of the bulb and wrap it in foil. Place the veggies on a baking sheet.
    • Drizzle garlic with olive oil then broil the veggies on high for 3 minutes. Remove the garlic (if it's getting too charred) and flip the tomatoes over and broil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until charred.
    • Pour canned chipotles into a food processor. Add roughly chopped cilantro, peeled garlic, and onions. Peel tomatoes and add to the food processor.
    • Process salsa ingredients until you have the consistency you like. Pour salsa into a saucepan along with the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
    • Ladle hot salsa into sterilized jars leaving ½ inch headspace (room from the top of the jar). Wipe rims with a damp paper towel, add lids, and hand-tighten. Gently place jars into a boiling water canner. Process for 20 minutes.

    Notes

    • If you find jars that did not properly seal, consume those first or store them in the fridge. The rest can be stored safely in the pantry. According to Healthy Canning, homemade jarred salsa has a shelf-life of 12-18 months. 
    • Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1" of water.
    • This recipe makes seven 8-ounce jars but can easily be adjusted to make smaller or larger batches of salsa.
    • The heat level can also be adjusted. For less spicy salsa, don't use the whole can of chipotle peppers. If you prefer it hotter, reduce the tomatoes to 2 lbs.
    • My friend Lori asked if we absolutely had to add the cilantro to the salsa we were canning together. She despises cilantro like many people seem to. So much so that she didn't even want to store it in the fridge and sent it home with me. 😂 We did end up adding cilantro to the recipe and she STILL loved it. Cooking the salsa tames the flavor of the cilantro.
    • If you don't have a canner, you can use a large pot instead.
    • Don't forget to label your jars with the contents and the date.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 270mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Jennifer Coffee says

      November 08, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      My husband loved this salsa....The chipotle peppers really give it a delicious flavor!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        November 08, 2022 at 5:46 pm

        I'm so glad, now you can make him some! 😉

        Reply

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