Canning homemade salsa is a delicious way to preserve the harvest. This tomato jalapeño salsa recipe is made from tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, onions, and cilantro from the garden. It also uses fresh lime juice instead of vinegar for a more authentic flavor.
We eat lots of salsa in this household. So when I plan the vegetable garden each year, I make sure to include plenty of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs, specifically to preserve salsa to enjoy all year.
We love salsa spooned on our favorite Mexican meals, including fajitas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and as a dip for tortilla chips. Salsa is also delicious added to scrambled eggs, stirred into cooked rice, and layered on burgers and sandwiches.
This tomato jalapeño salsa has become my favorite canned salsa recipe. It is an easy, small batch canning recipe that doesn’t require hours and hours in the kitchen. It also uses fresh lime juice instead of vinegar, which adds better flavor to the salsa.
Tips for Making Tomato Jalapeño Salsa
As with any preserved product, select good quality vegetables at the peak of ripeness with no signs of rot or disease. Tomatoes should be evenly ripe with firm flesh that gives slightly when pressed. Jalapeño peppers should have no damage or soft spots. Fresh onions feel hard when you squeeze them and should have tight papery skins.
Use Paste Tomatoes for a Thick Salsa
The type of tomato affects the quality of salsas. Paste tomatoes, also called sauce, pear, or plum tomatoes, have firmer flesh, fewer seeds, and produces a thicker salsa. Slicing tomatoes usually yield a thinner, more watery salsa than paste tomatoes. Some examples of paste tomatoes include Amish Paste, Roma, Opalka, San Marzano, and Viva Italia.
Red or Green Jalapeños for Fiery Kick
Both red and green jalapeños come from the same plant. The difference between these two peppers is simply age. Jalapeño peppers start out green in color as they grow and eventually turn red if they are left on the vine to mature.
As jalapeños age, they get hotter and may develop white lines running the length of the pepper. Jalapeños with lines are usually hotter than smooth skinned peppers. Both colors are hot, but red jalapeños are hotter with a slightly sweeter flavor.
Wear gloves when working with hot peppers so you don’t burn your hands.
White, Yellow, Sweet or Red Onions for Flavor
Any type of onion will work for this recipe since the sharp onion flavor mellows a bit as we cook and process the salsa.
- White onions are often used in salsa because their pungent flavor blends well with tomatoes.
- Yellow onions are a great all-purpose onion that tastes sharp raw, but mellows after cooking.
- Sweet onions are also a good choice to balance the heat of the jalapeño pepper.
- Red onions have a milder flavor and are a great to use if you want a less oniony flavor.
Use Fresh Lime Juice
Yes, you read that correctly. This is a safe tested recipe that uses freshly squeezed lime juice!
Normally when we follow canning recipes, they require bottled juices because they are precise with the amount of acid in the juice. The acid ingredients used in canned salsa help preserve it so jars can be stored on the shelf.
Jarden Home Brands, the company behind the Ball canning books, have their own food labs for testing, and developed this recipe using fresh limes. They state, “… Be assured that any recipe that calls from fresh lemon or lime juice has been thoroughly verified safe…” If you don’t have limes, you can use bottled lime juice for this recipe.
Only use fresh lime or lemon juice if it is called for in a tested safe canning recipe. If you are using a canning recipe from another source, use bottled juice or vinegar as instructed.
Use Fresh Cilantro
Also differing from most canning recipes is the use of fresh cilantro. Most canning recipes require dried herbs because fresh can affect on the pH. This recipe has been tested and approved using fresh cilantro.
Not a fan of cilantro? Just leave it out. For a stronger cilantro flavor, add fresh cilantro just before serving the salsa.
Steps for Making Canned Tomato Jalapeño Salsa
When canning, it is important to use a recipe that has been scientifically tested. This is a tested safe canning recipe from The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving.
If you are new to canning, it may be helpful to review this article on water bath canning at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
A more detailed and printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this article, but these are the general steps for making and preserving tomato jalapeño salsa in a water bath canner:
Step 1: Gather Your Canning Gear
- Water bath canner or large pot with canning rack
- 6 half-pint canning jars
- Canning lids and bands
- Canning tools: lid lifter, jar lifter, canning ladle, funnel, and bubble popper
- Plus basic kitchen supplies such as a large prep bowl, large pot, medium pot, small pot, knife, cutting board, and clean kitchen towels.
Step 2: Prepare the Canning Jars and Lids
Wash your canning jars, lids and bands with warm, soapy water and rinse well.
Place the jars on the canning rack in the water bath canner. Fill with water, and boil the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Warm your lids in a small pot of water over low heat. Keep everything warm until you are ready to can.
Step 3: Prepare the Vegetables
Tomatoes: Wash the tomatoes well under running water. Remove the skins, seeds, core, and chop. You should have about 4 cups of chopped tomatoes depending on the size of the cores. Add the tomatoes to a medium sized pot.
Onions: Remove the skins and use a sharp knife to cut the ends off the onions. Chop into 1/4-inch pieces and add to the pot.
Jalapeños: Wash the chiles under running water. Slip on a pair of gloves so you don’t burn your hands with the pepper juices. Cut off the stems, remove the seeds, and mince. Add the jalapeños to the medium sauce pot.
Cilantro: Remove the stems and finely chop the cilantro leaves. Measure 1/4 cup and add to the pot.
Instead of cutting by hand, you can use a food processor to chop your vegetables. Just add the vegetables to the bowl of the food processor and pulse several times until chopped. You want uniform chunks, not a purée.
My new favorite kitchen tool is this vegetable chopper. Just cut the pieces to fit, apply pressure, and the tool dices the vegetables into uniform 1/4-inch pieces.
Step 4: Cook the Salsa
Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring the salsa to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Can the Salsa
Ladle the hot salsa into warm jars, remove air bubbles, and process in a water bath canner. Let the jars cool, test the seals, label and date the jars, and store the canned salsa in a cool, dark location.
Tomato Jalapeño Salsa Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds paste tomatoes chopped (about 4 cups after removing skins and seeds)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice from about 6 limes
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt optional for flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the canning equipment:
- Wash the canning jars and lids in warm, soapy water and rinse well.
- Place the jar rack into the water bath canner, set the clean jars in the canner, add water, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize.
- Warm your lids in a small pot over low heat. Keep jars and lids warm until they are ready to use.
Make the salsa:
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium pot. Bring the salsa to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
Can the salsa:
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to lift the jars from the canner. Drain the water back into the canner, and line up the jars on the towel.
- Use your canning ladle and funnel to fill the canning jars with salsa, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims of the jars. Use your magnetic lid lifter to lift lids out of the warm water, center lid on the jar, and screw on band until it is fingertip tight.
- Use your jar lifter to place the jars back into the canner leaving space in between them.
- Once all the jars are in canner, adjust the water level so it is at least one inch above the jar tops. If you need to add water, use the hot water from the small pot your lids were in. Pour the water around the jars and not directly on them.
- Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, continue boiling the jars of salsa for 15 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 feet (Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary).
- When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the canner to cool and settle for about 10 minutes.
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter; remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face. Use a jar lifter to lift the jars from canner and place on the towel.
- Allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24-hours. You should hear the satisfactory "ping" of the jar lids sealing.
- After 12 to 24-hours, check to be sure jar lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate the unsealed jar and use in a week.
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark location for up to a year. Once the jar is open, refrigerate and use up within a week. Yields about 6 half-pint jars of tomato jalapeño salsa.
Notes
- This is a tested safe canning recipe from The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. Altering the recipe may make it unsafe for canning. If you make changes, freeze the salsa instead.
- All times are at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjustments must be made for altitudes greater than 1,000 ft.
Nutrition
You May Also Like:
- How to Grow a Salsa Garden
- Tomatillo Salsa Verde Canning Recipe
- Homemade Flour Tortilla Recipe
- Other Ways to Preserve the Harvest
Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden
Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.
Lacey says
Do you have to “can” this recipe or can you make it the same way and chill and serve?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Lacey, Yes, you can chill the salsa in the refrigerator and eat it right away instead of canning it. It won’t stay fresh long, so be sure to eat it in a week. You can also freeze it for longer storage.