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Homemade Salsa

Homemade Salsa made with fresh tomatoes, onions and jalapeños and garlic. The perfect batch for entertaining or for canning to enjoy all year long. The most flavorful and delicious homemade salsa we have ever tried. 

Platter of tortilla chips and white bowl of salsa

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Homemade Salsa

A few years ago my mom brought me a few jars of salsa that she had canned. The recipe came from my dad’s Aunt Carolyn, who happens to be one of the best cooks on the planet. It was the absolute BEST salsa!

I immediately asked for the recipe and Carolyn agreed to let me share it here with all of y’all. There’s a few steps but it is totally worth the time and effort. Canning is optional, so you can refrigerate this salsa and enjoy it immediately. 

How to Make Homemade Salsa:

  1. Blanch fresh tomatoes, peel them, remove cores and roughly chop them. 
  2. Roughly chop onion, jalapeños and mince garlic. Food Processor with chopped tomatoes, jalapenos and onions
  3. Add tomatoes, onion and jalapeños, garlic to a food processor and chop fine. 
  4. Pour tomato mixture into a large pan or dutch oven. Dutch oven with processed tomatoes for salsa
  5. Add vinegar, sugar and salt and stir to mix well. 
  6. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, boiling for 1 hour. Stir often. 
  7. Remove from burner and pour into clean canning jars. 
  8. Follow standard canning methods or bring to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Tortilla Chip dipping in Salsa

If you are looking for a fresh salsa that is not cooked, try this super easy Pico de Gallo. It’s always a great appetizer or topping for your favorite Mexican food.

Dishes to Serve with Homemade Salsa:

Brisket Tacos, Brisket Nachos and Brisket Taquitos are my favorites for leftover brisket and they go hand in hand with homemade salsa!

Smoked Pork Carnitas are a huge hit with my family and we love topping our carnitas with salsa. A few weeks ago, I made a batch of Epic Creamy Chicken Enchiladas and served them up with sour cream and lots of homemade salsa.

Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes, Garlic and Onions

Homemade Salsa is one of our go to snacks for summer and one of the best uses of our garden tomatoes.

I made this batch with heirloom tomatoes and I’ve also made it a time or two with a mix of Roma tomatoes and fresh slicing tomatoes like Better Boy. Any ripe tomato will work but the heirlooms definitely have the most flavor. 

Bowl of salsa with chips

I used jalapeños from our garden and they were a little on the spicy side. If you aren’t into spicy salsa, you can adjust the amount of jalapeños that you add. Don’t skimp on the onions and garlic though!

Tomatoes and cilantro with platter of chips and salsa

If you are curious about adding the vinegar, it is for canning purposes but even served immediately, the flavor combination of this recipe is unbeatable. I wouldn’t change a thing. Some people use lime juice but I have had the best luck just using white vinegar. 

For more Easy Appetizers, check out my list of over 45 favorites! Simple and delicious snacks for any party or entertaining for the holidays.

Text overlay of chips and salsa

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If you love this Recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and a five star review, and be sure to help me share on Pinterest!

Platter of tortilla chips and white bowl of salsa
Print Recipe
4.49 from 39 votes

Homemade Salsa

Homemade Salsa made with fresh tomatoes, onions and jalapeños and garlic. The perfect batch for entertaining or for canning to enjoy all year long. The most flavorful and delicious homemade salsa we have ever tried.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Keyword: canned salsa, how to make salsa
Servings: 4 pints
Calories: 11kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped jalapenos
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup kosher salt

Instructions

  • Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. Cool slightly and peel, core and chop.
  • Add chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  • Add tomato mixture to a large pan or dutch oven.
  • Stir in vinegar, sugar and salt.
  • Bring mixture to a boil and cook at a medium boil for one hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Spoon into jars, cleaning the tops of the jars before adding lids.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Can Salsa:

  • 1. Place a canning rack in the bottom of a large canning pot. Set canning jars on the rack. Pour water into pan, filling until water is over the top of the jars. Heat to a slow boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Keep jars warm as you prepare the salsa.
  • 2. Sterilize jar lids in boiling water.
  • 3. When salsa has cooked for 1 hour, stir well and spoon into jars leaving about 1/2 inch space at the top.
  • 4. Wipe tops of jars with a clean cloth. Place lids on jars and screw on the rings being careful to not over tighten.
  • 5. Place jars back into hot water on canning rack making sure water covers jars by at least an inch.
  • 6. Bring to a rolling boil and process for 15 minutes.
  • 7.Remove jars from the pan and set aside to cool. The lids will pop as the the jars seal.

Notes

Refrigerated Salsa should last in an airtight container up to 4 weeks.
Canned salsa should last up to 1 year.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Sodium: 214mg | Sugar: 2g

9 Comments

  1. Can cilantro be added. I’m from the Texas Hill Country and have had a hard time finding an authentic Tex-Mex salsa recipe for canning. I make a fantastic fresh salsa but it’s not tested for safety for canning.

    1. Hi Natalie,
      I don’t think it’s safe to add fresh herbs and then can it. I think it can grow bacteria and is not recommended. Maybe you could add the cilantro before you serve it.

      ~ Milisa

  2. I grow a garden especially to make home made salsa. I usually make it and give most of it away, but I tried canning it once and it cooked down to where almost all you could taste was the tomatoes. (I make ours mild…). Anyway, how do I avoid that? It just seems to cook down…:-(

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