Canning Homemade Salsa (Best Recipe + How to Can It!)

Canning Homemade Salsa is a great way to preserve the garden-fresh flavors of summer to enjoy all year long!  

Easy Salsa Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes (for Water Bath Canning)

It’s tomato season! Yum. Fresh garden tomatoes are so good on sandwiches, salads, blt’s, and more! Also, it’s time to can a bunch of tomato products (pizza sauce, tomato juice, salsa, etc.) to stock the pantry for another year. 

Today, it’s salsa.

I have tomatoes, onions, and peppers from my garden, just waiting to be turned into salsa. I enjoy making and canning salsa, and today I’m excited to share the recipe with you!

I’d say my way of making it is closer to pico de gallo style salsa; it’s chunkier than the salsa you’d get at a Mexican restaurant. (You can always use this recipe and make it smoother, to your liking!)

Also, if you don’t think you like homemade salsa, I’d like to suggest trying it again (following this recipe😅)!

And if canning salsa seems a bit daunting, don’t worry, you’re absolutely not alone. But with the right tools, ingredients, and step-by-step guidance, you’ll be able to can your own delicious salsa that’s perfect for sharing or keeping your pantry stocked!

What kind of tomatoes are best for salsa?

Any kind of tomato will work for salsa, actually. 

Paste tomatoes have less seeds, firmer flesh and aren’t quite as watery, so that makes them a great choice. Here’s a few popular tomato varieties for salsa:

• Amish Paste
  
• Big Mama
  
• Fresh Salsa
  
• Roma
  
• Super Sauce

This year I planted Super Sauce, Supersonic and Goliath tomatoes, so that’s what I’m using to make salsa! 

Ingredients for Homemade Salsa

• Tomatoes – any red tomatoes
  
• Bell peppers – any sweet bell type of pepper (I have Giant Marconi sweet peppers in my garden this year)
  
• Jalapeno peppers – if hot salsa is your thing, you can swap in hotter peppers like habanero, Carolina reaper, tabasco, or even ghost peppers.
  
• Onions – I used white onion, but any should work.
  
• Vinegar – white vinegar adds acidity so this salsa is safe for hot water bath canning.
  
• Tomato paste
  
• Cornstarch – the tomato paste and cornstarch together make a thicker salsa, which is one of my favorite things about this recipe!
  
• Salt
  
• Chili powder
  
• Garlic powder
  
• Cumin

Where can I find tomatoes and other fresh vegetables for salsa?

If you don’t have your own garden, no worries! You’ll most likely be able to locate fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions somewhere in your area. Here’s a few places to check:

• A neighbor. Check with your neighbors or family members to see if they have extra produce, or know of someone who does.
  
• Local farms, farmstands, or farmer’s markets and here’s the link to the USDA Local Food Directory to check for one nearby. (Though if you live in a rural area like we do, this website might not work too well!)
  
• Azure Standard
  
• Local bulk food store – if you live near a Mennonite or Amish bulk food store, there’s a good chance they’ll get a variety of fresh produce in during the summer.

And if all else fails, you can go to the grocery store and get the produce there to make home-canned salsa. Though garden-fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions are the best! 

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Supplies You Will Need to Can Salsa

• Measuring cups and spoons
  
• Vegetable chopper – (similar to this one) I would not want to be without this thing when it comes to chopping produce for salsa!
  
• Cutting board + kitchen knife – I cut everything into slices, then use the vegetable chopper to chop the produce into small blocks
  
• Large stock pot – my 6 qt. pot works well for making this salsa recipe
  
• Jars – glass canning jars, lids and rings. You’ll want high quality lids such as Ball or Superb for the best seal on your jars.
  
• Water Bath Canner – I have one like this and I especially like the little feature on the knob that takes the guesswork out of knowing when to start timing the canning process!
  
• Jar Lifter – you’ll need a jar lifter thingy to remove jars from the hot water
  
• Funnel –  I also like my wide mouth funnel when it comes to canning!

How to Make and Can Homemade Salsa

First, wash your jars. (A dishwasher works great for washing and sanitizing jars!)

Make the Salsa:

First, wash all the produce. 

Peel the tomatoes. Here’s the easiest way I’ve found: boil a large pot of water and submerge a few tomatoes at a time into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and dunk them in ice cold water immediately. Now, the tomatoes should be super easy to peel, since the tomato skins slide right off!

Dice the produce. Use a vegetable chopper to dice the tomatoes, onions, and peppers into little squares, and place them in a large pot. I cut the tomatoes into larger blocks and the onions and peppers into smaller blocks. ⚠️And remember, wear rubber gloves to handle the hot peppers! Remove the seeds of the hot peppers for less heat, and let them in for more heat in your salsa.

Mix the salsa. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and add to the pot with the diced tomatoes, peppers and onions. Stir thoroughly, then place on the stovetop and bring to a boil.

Fill your jars! Fill your clean jars with salsa, leaving about a 1/2 inch headspace. (I just fill to the bottom ring on the neck of the jar.) Wipe each jar rim with a damp cloth and then place lids and screw rings on to each one.

Canning the homemade salsa: 

Place the jars of salsa into the canner. Fill the canner with water until the jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Turn the burner on high; once the water comes to a rolling boil (this might take a while), turn the burner back just a little and start the timer.

Time the canning process for 10 minutes, then turn off the burner, and remove the jars of salsa with a jar lifter. Place the jars of salsa on a towel on the counter to cool. Soon you should start to hear the “ping” of the jars sealing!

Just so you know: the National Center for Food Preservation recommends canning their salsa according to the table below:

And as you can see, my canning time is shorter than theirs, like usual. To be on the safe side, you can always can salsa longer according to the NCHFP chart and if you have more canning questions, you can do more research over there!

An hour or two after the salsa is canned, I like to go check and make sure the jars all sealed. You can tell if a jar isn’t sealed by pressing on the lid. If it “pops” and isn’t sucked down tight on top of the jar, it didn’t seal. 

If you have unsealed jars, you have a few options: 

• Make tacos for dinner, and eat the salsa right away (my favorite:)
  
• Try canning it again, with a new jar and lid (I would only do this if I had more salsa waiting to be canned; I wouldn’t can one lone jar by itself. Plus, your salsa might be more mushy once it’s re-canned!)
  
• Freeze it for later! (Be sure to label the container, so you don’t forget.)

Store the canned salsa:

Let the canned salsa sit for 12-24 hours, then remove the bands. Wash the jars if they’re sticky, then store them on your can shelves. The canned salsa should be good for up to a year or even longer!

When you open a jar, the lid should come off with a “pop” as the jar unseals. If it doesn’t, and you suspect the jar wasn’t sealed, it might be best to throw it out. If you smell an odd smell, see signs of mold or if the salsa is discolored, it probably spoiled and should be discarded!

Store opened salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Notes on Canning Homemade Salsa

• The canning method we’re using today is also known as “hot packing”. The salsa is heated and dumped into jars while still hot. 
  
• This is a mild salsa. If you want a hot salsa, simply add more jalapenos or other hot peppers in place of the sweet bell peppers!
  
• This recipe makes about 9 pints of salsa (one canner full, at least for my canner). If you have a canner that holds 10 pints at a time, add 2 cups of extra produce (mostly tomatoes) to get 10 pints of salsa!
  
• When it comes to seasonings in this salsa, it’s customizable! Sometimes I add some cilantro, and really, any dry spices should be ok to add!

Ways to use Canned Salsa

• By itself, as a dip with tortilla chips
  
• On tacos such as these Simple Ground Beef Tacos
  
• In a hot dip such as Creamy Salsa Bean Dip

More Food Preservation Ideas:

• 

  Canning Grape Juice Concentrate (to make Grape Juice)

• 

  Simple Guide to Blanching & Freezing Fresh Green Beans

• 

  How to Can Pears at Home – Simple Pear Canning Recipe

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Julie