The Best Homemade Salsa for Canning
Canning Homemade Salsa isn’t as difficult as you might think and the flavor is definitely well worth the effort! Learn how to make homemade salsa for canning as well as some tips for water bath canning salsa.
Making this Homemade Salsa for Canning
A few weeks back our grocery store had on the vine tomatoes on sale for $0.67/lb. On the vine tomatoes are usually at least $1.50/lb., even at Costco they are about $2.20/lb.
I figured if I was ever going to experiment with making and canning fresh salsa, this was my chance.
Things to Know About Canning Homemade Salsa
Canning with tomatoes can be tricky. The pH has to be just right to water bath can rather than using a pressure cooker – which I do not have.
Tomatoes are borderline, not quite acidic enough so you have to follow recipes carefully if you don’t want spoilage and you typically add either apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Is it Hard to Make Homemade Salsa for Canning?
The actual process isn’t too difficult, but the prep-work is a little time consuming to do alone. Cooking is always more fun with a friend!
Adjusting Canning Process Time for Altitude
You will need to adjust the time if your altitude is different than sea level. Here are the altitude adjustments for canning salsa in pints or 8 oz jars:
- 0-1,000 feet above sea level – process jars for 15 minutes.
- 1001-2,000 feet above sea level – process jars for 20 minutes.
- 6,000+ feet above sea level – process jars for 25 minutes.
Tips for Making this Homemade Salsa for Canning
Want to make sure your homemade canned salsa turns out? Here are a few tips:
- Use clean, sterilized jars: Pint canning jars should be sterilized in the dishwasher.
- Buy new lids: You can only reuse the rings, not the flat lids. You will need new lids each time.
- Purchase the right lids: The type of canning lids you’ll need are thin, flat, metal lids with gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar.
- Adjust the peppers according to your heat preferences: remove all of the seeds from the peppers (mild), remove some of the seeds (medium+), or leave all of the seeds in (hot+).
- Don’t change the tomato and vinegar ratio: You cannot adjust the amount of apple cider vinegar if you want to water bath can this salsa and be able to store it at room temperature.
- No interest in canning? No problem! If you don’t wish to can this salsa, you can store it in airtight containers in the freezer.
Homemade Salsa for Canning FAQs
Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
How Many Tomatoes Do I Need?
Start with 15 pounds of fresh tomatoes. Once you remove the skins and seeds you should have approximately 3 quarts of chopped tomatoes.
How Long Do I Process the Salsa for My Altitude?
You will need to adjust the time if your altitude is different than sea level. Here are the altitude adjustments for canning salsa in pints or 8 oz jars:
- 0-1,000 feet above sea level – process jars for 15 minutes.
- 1001-2,000 feet above sea level – process jars for 20 minutes.
- 6,000+ feet above sea level – process jars for 25 minutes.
How Much Does this Recipe Make?
The recipe as written yields about 8 – 10 pint jars.
Is it Worth it to Can this Homemade Salsa?
Cost/Time: Is it worth it to can? I decided yes! Here’s why:
- I already had my jars from making strawberry jam in the past, so that cost wasn’t added into it.
- It would cost even less, if we had been able to use fresh garden tomatoes. I am planning on that for next year.
- I have received many compliments from friends who loved the salsa.
What Does it Cost to Make Homemade Salsa for Canning?
In the end all of the necessary ingredients plus the new lids calculated the cost to be less than $2 per jar since I already had the jars and various canning tools.
Favorite Chips to Serve with Homemade Salsa
Enjoy your homemade salsa with some tortilla chips! Two of my favorites are made by the brand Late July: Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips and Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips.
Try this Homemade Salsa Recipe at Home!
Next time you’re looking for a canned salsa recipewith fresh tomatoes, give this Homemade Salsa a try a try!
Did you think this was the best canning salsa recipe? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of your salsa with fresh tomatoes!
More Salsa Recipes
This Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe is a mix of tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, fresh garlic, cilantro, lime, and a few other seasonings. It is incredibly easy to make!
Fresh Tomato Mango Salsa is a great way to enjoy a sweeter twist on a classic chunky fresh salsa.
This Easy Roasted Salsa Verde is a mix of roasted tomatillos, roasted poblano pepper, roasted jalapeño pepper, fresh garlic, cilantro, and shallot.
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
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Have you ever canned a homemade salsa recipe?
Homemade Salsa for Canning
Canning Homemade Salsa isn't as difficult as you might think and the flavor is definitely well worth the effort! Learn how to make homemade salsa for canning as well as some tips for water bath canning salsa.
Ingredients
- 15 lbs Fresh Tomatoes - I used a mixture of on-the-vine and Roma for texture variation
- 7 Anaheim Peppers
- 4 Jalapeño Peppers
- 3 cups chopped Yellow Onion
- 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro
- 4 cloves Fresh Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 cup 5% Apple Cider Vinegar
- 12 ounces Tomato Paste
Instructions
Prep Work Before Making the Homemade Salsa
- Make sure the jars have been sterilized in the dishwasher.
- Boil the lids gently for 3 minutes.
Preparing the Fresh Tomatoes for the Salsa
The first step is the most time-intensive - removing the skins and seeds. I think it is best to have 2 people working in tandem with one removing the skins and another removing the seeds if you are able.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Put tomatoes a few at a time into boiling water (30-45 seconds), then plunge in ice water. This makes the skins very easy to remove.
- After removing the skins, cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds and excess water.
- Squeeze each tomato and use your finger or a spoon to scoop and shake out most of the seeds. It doesn't need to be perfect.
- Put the peeled and de-seeded tomatoes into a colander as you work. Next, chop them into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside in a large pot.
Preparing the Peppers for the Homemade Salsa
- Using a food processor, process the onions, Anaheim chilies, and jalapeno peppers to about 1/8 of an inch.
- Process them separately so that you can add a little of the chilies and peppers at a time until you reach your desired heat.
Cooking the Salsa
- Set the pot with the tomatoes in it on a burner on the stove and heat the tomatoes over medium heat.
- Once the tomatoes have come to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and add the onions and seasonings. Start off adding half of the chilies and peppers. Bring to a gentle simmer, lowering the heat if needed.
- Taste it as it simmers to see if you would like additional seasonings or peppers.
- If you like a thicker salsa, you can add 4 Tbs of cornstarch to the vinegar mixture before adding.
- Add the vinegar, and cornstarch if using. Add the tomato paste. Simmer 5 minutes.
Filling the Canning Jars with Salsa
- Place a canning funnel in the empty jars.
- Ladle the salsa into the funnel to fill the jars, filling only up to ¼-inch from the top.
- Be sure the top of the jar and underside of the ring are clean to get a good seal, then cover with the lid and hand-tighten the ring around them.
Canning the Homemade Salsa
- While you are filling the jars with salsa, bring a large pot of water (or a water bath canner) to a boil to can the salsa.
- Put the jars in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of constant boiling water.
- Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes for 8 oz and pints. You will need to adjust the time if your altitude is different than sea level.
- Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them.
- Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed. Just press in the center with your finger. If it pops up and down, it is not sealed.
- If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it.
- If they have successfully sealed you can store the salsa in your pantry until you're ready to eat it.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Pint canning jars should be sterilized in the dishwasher.
- The type of canning lids you'll need are thin, flat, metal lids with gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar.
- You can only reuse the rings, not the flat lids. You need new lids each time.
- You may remove the seeds from the peppers, remove some of them, or leave them all in depending on your heat preferences.
- You cannot adjust the amount of apple cider vinegar if you want to water bath can this salsa and be able to store it at room temperature.
- If you don't wish to can this salsa, you can store it in airtight containers in the freezer.
Adjusting for Altitude
You will need to adjust the time if your altitude is different than sea level. Here are the altitude adjustments for canning salsa in pints or 8 oz jars:
- 0-1,000 feet above sea level - process jars for 15 minutes.
- 1001-2,000 feet above sea level - process jars for 20 minutes.
- 6,000+ feet above sea level - process jars for 25 minutes.
Recipe adapted from here.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 144 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 15Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 50mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Ashley says
Can you adjust the types of peppers in this recipe? I have jalapeños & habaneros in my garden, but could purchase Anaheim peppers if needed.
Katie Kick says
I believe as long as you keep the acid amount the same you can adjust the peppers and still safely water bath can the salsa. However, you may want to ask your local extension office to ph test it for you to verify before canning. Otherwise, I recommend freezing the salsa or looking into pressure canning.
Nicole S says
Does it matter what kind of tomatoes I use? I wasn’t sure if it would change the acidity using yellow tomatoes like Carolina Gold, Persimmon, etc….I have a variety of different tomatoes and was going to mix it up. Thank you for your time.
Katie says
I haven’t tried experimenting with different types of tomatoes. If you’re concerned you could get the ph test strips and test the ph of your batch before canning it so you can adjust it if needed.
Marcy Cusimano says
I have 13 lbs of tomatoes and planned on using 2 store bought cans to make up the weight. After removing skin, seeds, liquid, the total weight of my original 13 lbs is 4.82 lbs. Is this what is to be expected and should i continue recipe as written, with adding two cans? Or was 15 lbs the total needed after removing skin and seeds and a lot of water? Im a bit confused
Katie says
Just start with 15 pounds. After removing skins and seeds you should end up with around 3 quarts of prepared tomatoes for this recipe. It makes about 8 pints of salsa.
Donnerjack says
This recipe looks great so I am going to try it. As an update however, in my area, tomatos are going for 3.50 per pound at the local farmers markets and only 1.75 per pound at all of the surrounding major grocery chains.
Jonathan says
Looks good Kate, you should send me a jar! (if you still have any left) Anyway keep up the good work, the website is really really awesome. It looks great, Stephanie really likes it a lot too. Love you, Jon
Ashley says
Wow, you are ambitious! I have only canned once, I made kiwi-strawberry jam last summer. It was really good, but kind of hard because I didn’t have the right equipment. We just got a new Sunflower Farmer’s Market up here, and we love it!