Recipe(tried): Tomato Green Chile Salsa (canning salsas)

CAUTION: Most salsa recipes contain a mixture of low-acid foods, such as onions and chiles. Acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice must be added to prevent the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, from growing. This bacteria produces a deadly toxin that can cause serious damage to the central nervous system or death when eaten in even small amounts. These salsa recipes have been tested to ensure that they contain enough acid to be processed safely in a boiling water canner.

INGREDIENTS
Tomatoes
The type of tomato you use often affects the quality of salsas. Paste tomatoes, such as Roma, have firmer flesh and produce thicker salsas than large slicing tomatoes. Although both types make good salsas, slicing tomatoes usually yield a thinner, more watery salsa than paste tomatoes.

Canning is not a good way to use overripe or spoiling tomatoes. Use only high quality tomatoes for canning salsa or any other tomato product. Do not use tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. Poor quality or overripe tomatoes will yield a very poor salsa and may spoil.

Where recipes call for peeled or skinned tomatoes, remove the skin by dipping tomatoes into boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water, then slip off skins and remove cores and seeds. You may substitute green tomatoes or tomatillos for tomatoes in any of these recipes.

Chiles
Chiles range from mild to fiery in taste. Very hot chiles are usually small (1 to 3 inches long); mild chiles are usually bigger (4 to 10 inches long). Anaheim, Ancho, New Mexico 6-4, Big Jim, Chimayo, and Hungarian Yellow Wax are mild chile varieties. Choose a mild chile when the recipe calls for long green chiles.
Small, very hot chiles provide a distinct taste to salsas. Jalape o is the most popular hot chile. Other varieties include Serrano, Cayenne, Habanero, Chile Piquin, and Tabasco. Use rubber gloves when you cut or dice these chiles because they cause extreme irritation to the skin. Do not touch your face, particularly the area around your eyes, when you are working with hot chiles.

You may substitute bell peppers for some or all of the long green chiles. Also, different chile varieties will have different flavors. Canned chiles may be used in place of fresh.

Use only high quality chiles. Do not increase the total amount of chiles in any recipe. However, you may substitute one type of chile for another.

The skin of long green chiles may be tough and can be removed by heating the chiles. Usually when chiles are finely chopped, they do not need to be skinned.

Hot chiles, such as the jalape o, do not need to be peeled, but seeds are often removed.

If you choose to peel chiles, slit each one along the side to allow steam to escape. Peel using one of these two methods:

Oven or broiler method Place chiles in a hot oven (400 F) or broiler for 6-8 minutes until skins blister.

Range-top method Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place chiles on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

After heating, place chiles in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. (This will make peeling the chiles easier.) Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop.

CAUTION: Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling hot chiles.

Tomato/Green Chile Salsa
Yield: 3 pints

3 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
3 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 jalape o, seeded, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin*
2 tsp oregano leaves*
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15 minutes