Green Tomato Salsa Verde
Green tomato salsa verde is a thick, spicy salsa made with green tomatoes, red onion, hot peppers, cilantro and lime juice. It's a delicious way to use up green tomatoes at the end of the season.
Servings: 48 servings, makes 6 half pint jars
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
- 7 cups green tomatoes cored and chopped, not peeled
- 5 to 10 jalapeno, habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers finely chopped
- 2 cups red onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 cup bottled lime juice
- 1/2 cup cilantro loosely packed, then finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. Don't peel the green tomatoes, since their skins stay tender in the jar.
- Cut out the stem and core of each tomato, then chop the tomatoes, keeping the seeds and juice.
- Wearing gloves, cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Leave some seeds in for a spicier salsa. Chop the peppers.
- Peel and chop the red onion and the garlic.
- Remove any thick stems from the cilantro, then chop or mince it.
- Prepare a water bath canner, jars and lids, with the canner water at about 180 degrees F.
- Combine the tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and lime juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.
- Stir in the cilantro, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Ladle the hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and bands fingertip tight.
- Process half pints and pints in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
- Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before lifting them out.
- Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals. Refrigerate any jar that didn't seal.
Notes
Yield: This makes about 6 half pint jars or 3 pint jars.
Recipe source: Adapted from the Salsa Verde in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, page 210.
Green tomatoes: Don't peel them, since unripe skins stay tender in the jar. Green cherry tomatoes and unripe yellow pear tomatoes work too, as long as they're fully green.
Lime juice: Use bottled lime juice at the full amount. It comes straight from the tested recipe, so don't reduce it.
Peppers: Use 5 to 10 hot peppers, depending on their size and how much heat you like. Jalapenos are the mildest of the three, and habaneros or Scotch bonnets the hottest.
Texture: This is a thick, chunky salsa. For a thin, smooth sauce, make green tomato enchilada sauce instead of blending this one.
Canning optional: Without canning, keep the salsa in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or freeze it for up to 6 months.
Altitude adjustments: These processing times are for half pints and pints in a water bath canner, and they go up at higher elevations.
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 20 minutes
- 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 25 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 30 minutes
Nutrition
Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 201IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg