Spicy Salsa

25 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
12 1/2 cups onions, chopped
12 1/2 cups green peppers, chopped
6 1/4 cups jalapeno pepper, chopped ( we love it spicy so I leave most of the seeds)
12 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch cilantro, minced
3 tbsp salt & Pepper to Taste
3 1/3 cup vinegar

Place cans on rack of boiling water canner, add water until the pint jars are about 2/3rds full.
Cover and bring to a simmer. This process kills any bacteria.
In a small saucepan, place the lids - the flat, round piece, cover and bring to a simmer. The screw bands do not need to sterilized.

To peel your tomatoes, boil some water in a large sauce pan. Blanch the tomatoes for about a minute and immediately place in a cold water bath. The skin peels off easily.
Now you are ready to seed and chop. In a very large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes.

One jar at a time, remove from canner, pouring hot water back into canner, place jar on flat heat-resistant surface.
Ladle salsa into jar leaving about a half inch of headspace, wipe the rim and threads with a paper towel. ( This is important to make sure vacuum seal can occur).
Lift a hot lid with your tongs and place on jar and then screw the lid with your fingertips until tight. Place back in canner with tongs. Repeat until done.
Cover all jars with additional water by an inch or so. Cover canner and bring to a boil. The boiling must be continuous and rapid for 15 minutes.
Remove lid, let sit for about 5 minutes or so. Remove jars without tilting, place jars on a towel in a draft-free spot and allow to cool for 24 hours.
Store in a cool dark place for up to a year. This recipe will yield about 24 pint jars. Enjoy!!

Yield: 24 pint jars

Categories: Carole's Concoctions, Special Diets

Tags: spicy salsa, canning salsa