Canning Tomato Salsa - What To Do with Excess Tomatoes

Ever wonder how to turn your excess fresh tomatoes into family-approved, delicious dip? Read on!

Canned salsa using my tomatoes, onions, and peppers from the garden.

If you're lucky enough to harvest pounds after pounds of garden-fresh tomatoes and wonder how in the world to preserve them, give canned salsa a try!

First and foremost, just be sure to follow safe canning basics such as sterilizing your jars lids, and bands, processing in water bath canner or pressure canner at recipe-specific time and/or pressure, etc.

Canned Tomato Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 lbs crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup onion (chopped)

• 5 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1/3 cup cilantro (chopped)

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp cumin

• 3 tsp salt

• 1.5 tbsp sugar (more or less--depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes)

• jalapeno or any hot pepper (to taste/optional)

“First and foremost, be sure to follow safe canning basics such as sterilizing your jars lids, and bands, processing in water bath canner or pressure canner at recipe-specific time and/or pressure, etc.”

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sterilize jars, lids, and bands in boiling water bath. Water level should be 1 inch above the jars.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a large stock pan.

3. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then ladle in prepared jars. Gently tap the jars to break any air bubbles trapped inside. Wipe the jar rims to help with proper seal, then place the lids and screw on the rings.

4. Simmer the jars in the canner for 15 minutes.

5. Finally, very carefully take the hot jars out and let them cool. You should hear the lids pop as they cool. The popping noise happens as a vacuum is created under the lid. Unsealed jars should be placed in the refrigerator to consume within the next few days.

Enjoy your salsa dip with your favorite tortilla chips!

What about you? How do you like to process your excess tomatoes? Please do share in the comments section below!