My favorite salsa recipe

When life gives you tomatoes, make salsa!

This year’s garden is bursting with tomatoes and we cannot possibly eat them all. Last week I canned some in a new steam canner I purchased. But this week, I made salsa, tasty, spicy, easy to make salsa. My good friend Mike, shared his salsa recipe, so I hope he doesn’t mind that I am sharing it with you!

This is for a big batch.  You can adjust the quantities for smaller or larger batches.

• 20 medium or 40 small tomatoes (I used a variety of Roma’s, Heirloom, and whatever else hubby’s got growing out there)
• 1 large white onion
• 1 bunch garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 10 jalapeños (for medium hot)
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 1/4 cup dried cilantro
• 1 tsp each of salt and pepper

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot.  In another large bowl fill half with ice and half with cold water.  Remove tomato skins by dropping in boiling water for 10-15 seconds (you should see the skins cracking).  Remove and drop into the ice water for at least 20-30 seconds.  Remove skins by hand.  (When ice melts, add more ice).

2. Cut tomatoes into large pieces and remove seeds. Place tomato chunks in batches into blender and pulse to create a chunky mix.

3. Place tomato mix into a pot and slow boil then simmer until it begins to thicken, about 1 hour.  Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic until translucent.   Add to sauce along with other dry ingredients.

5. De-seed and chop jalapeños, sauté for about 5 minutes, and add to the sauce.

6. Add chopped cilantro and simmer low for another 30-45 minutes.

7. Continue simmering until the sauce approaches the consistency of salsa and the water is mostly gone.

8. Fill hot jars with salsa and cover with new canning lid. I used a steam canner, so the processing time was about 40 minutes.

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