Aunt Connie's Garden Fresh Salsa (For Canning)

If you are looking for a restaurant style salsa for canning give this one a try. You can always start with a half batch to test it out. I use my food processor to chop everything up pretty fine (except the tomatoes)

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Yields: 15 pint jars

Ingredients

• 4  quarts  of peeled and drained tomatoes (I don't drain them because we like our salsa runny)
• 3 -4  cups  chopped green bell peppers
• 3 -4  cups  chopped yellow and red bell peppers
• 4  jalapenos, seeded and chopped (we don't seed ours or take the membranes out because that is where the kick is)
• 3  cups  chopped  white onions
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2  cups  of store bought lemon juice (it must be store bought)
• 1  tablespoon canning salt or 1  tablespoon sea salt
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a very large pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile wash jars, lids and rings. Get your hot water bath pot going. Put the jars in the the hot water pot for 10 minutes prior to the salsa being done. In a small pan put the lids in water and warm them, but do not boil them. Take the jars out of the hot water and place the jars on the counter, fill with hot salsa, wipe rims, put lids on, rings on (just finger tip tight) and then hot water bath the jars for 20 minutes. Take out and set on towel and leave undisturbed for 24 hours. After 24 hours check that all the jars sealed. Take off rings wipe down jars and then put rings back on and store in a cool dry place until ready to enjoy. Should yield approx 10-15 pint jars. You should have a little left and you can put that in a bowl and eat it right away or just put it in the fridge and eat it in the next few days. If a jar does not seal just put it in the fridge and eat that one first.
2. Happy Salsa making!
3. Note: To peel the tomatoes drop them whole in boiling water let sit for 1 minute, transfer to bowl of ice water, core and peel. Also, if you don't like the consistency after you've cooked all ingredients for 30 minutes you can continue to cook and it will get thicker. Use your jalapenos to adjust the heat we added 6 this last batch we made and it was nice and hot.