SALSA!

So, it is squirrel season for me. Meaning that it is time to pick all the stuff in my garden and put it up for the winter. Last week I picked apples and tomatoes and beets and carrots and potatoes and onions and zucchini and beans. I still haven't finished canning everything that I need to can but I did three batches of salsa which as my kids will agree is the most important. It looked so pretty I had to take pictures.

The first picture is of this weird mutant tomato my dad grew. It was so strange I had to take a picture before I cut it up to put in the salsa.

First I cut put all the onions and peppers and garlic. I use my food grater on my

Bosch. Then I do the tomatoes. I have this great gadget for making sauce. It has a salsa attachment that lets you do tomatoes with out having to blanch and peel them. All you do is quarter them and put them in the hopper then turn the crank and out comes nice tomato pulp and the skins get separated the other direction. Then I add that to the other chopped up stuff, add spices etc. and let simmer for a couple of hours before I put it in jars and process it. The jars always look so great sitting on my counter afterwards and I feel like I have accomplished something that will stay done till Natalie comes home and eats them all.

Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try making some.

Salsa

(Makes approx. 5 pints)

5 lb tomatoes (about 15 medium)

2 – 6 jalepenos (2 for mild, 4 for medium, 6 for hot)

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 ½ cups chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped red pepper (or yellow)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can tomato paste

1 cup white vinegar

3 T. sugar

1 T. pickling salt

2 tsp. paprika

3 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 T. dried)

• Blanch, peel, seed and coarsely chop tomatoes; (I get to skip this with my handy machine) place tomatoes in a large stainless steel pot.
• Add remaining ingredients – except cilantro; mix well. Stirring occasionally, bring to boil over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered 1 hour.
• Fill boiling water canner with water and bring to boil.
• Add cilantro and continue cooking 15 to 30 minutes until desired consistency is reached.
• Ladle sauce into clean hot pint jars to within ½ inch of top rim. Remove air bubbles, wipe rim and apply heated lid; apply screw band just until fingertip tight.
• Place jars in canner. Cover canner; return to boil: process 20 minutes (at altitudes up to 1,000 feet). Remove jars. Cool 24 hours. Check jar seals. Remove screw bands. Wipe jars, label and store in a cool dark, place.