This homemade canning salsa is the perfect way to capture the freshness of summer in a jar! Packed with vibrant flavors and simple ingredients, it's a must-have for your pantry and makes taco night extra special.
I love fresh salsa, but salsa made with the best fresh ingredients from your own garden makes it even more special. The delicious flavor is far better than what you can buy in the grocery store so be sure to make plenty!
It's great for any party, from summer picnics to tailgating and it goes great with Air Fryer Tortilla Chips or on top of Garlic Scrambled Eggs.
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Why You'll Love Homemade Canning Salsa
Fresh flavors: this homemade salsa for canning has the flavor of fresh salsa made with the freshest ingredients.
Versatile: you can make hot, medium or mild salsa by adjusting the amount of jalapeno peppers in the recipe.
Water Bath Canning process: no pressure cooker is required for this recipe, the salsa is processed in a hot water bath for sealing purposes.
Homemade Canning Salsa Ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes: the best tomatoes to use are paste tomatoes, such as german paste or roma tomatoes. These have less liquid and more substance to the vegetable.
- Yellow onion: these have more bite and balance out nicely with the tomatoes.
- Green peppers: bell pepper is added for its sweeter flavors
- Garlic cloves: look for firm bulbs that have no brown.
- Jalapeño peppers: add the spice to the salsa.
- Cilantro: gives the salsa a freshness and flavor, if you aren't a fan of cilantro this can easily be left out.
- Salt and granulated sugar: balances out the flavors.
- Apple cider vinegar: to increase acid levels.
See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
How To Make Homemade Canned Salsa
Below is a brief visual of how to make homemade salsa for canning:
Prepare veggies
Scald, peel and dice tomatoes. Place in large pot.
Add remaining ingredients
Add peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.
Transfer to sterilized jars
Transfer salsa while still hot to sterilized jars. Cover with lids and screw caps and tighten.
Hot water bath
Place pint jars filled with salsa in a hot water bath canner, cover with water and bring to a boil. Process as instructed.
See recipe card below for complete instructions.
Substitutions
A few swaps that can be made if you are missing an ingredient.
- Vinegar - you can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. I don't recommend reducing the amount, if you want a less stronger flavor, go with white vinegar.
- Tomato - regular tomatoes can be used in place of paste (roma) tomatoes, but be sure to remove the seeds and drain the liquid or your salsa will be runny,
- Chipotle flavor - season with chipotle powder (to taste) for a smoky salsa version.
Tips
- Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and place them in a colander to drain while the other vegetables are being prepped to allow any remaining water in the tomato to escape.
- If vinegar is too tangy for you, feel free to substitute an equal amount of lime juice.
- For a quick chop on the tomatoes, place the tomato that has been deseeded in the food processor and give it a few quick pulses.
Variations
Smoky Salsa: Roast the tomatoes, peppers, and onions before blending for a deep, smoky flavor.
Smooth Salsa: Blend the ingredients in a blender instead of chopping for a smooth texture.
Herby Twist: Mix in fresh oregano or parsley for an extra herby kick.
Equipment
- 9 piece canning kit (affiliate link), this includes a funnel, grip, canning spatula and more.
- Pint jars for canning (with lids and screw caps) (affiliate link)
- Large Pot
- Sharpe knife
- Cutting board
FAQ's
To freeze this salsa recipe, be sure to place in an airtight freezer safe container and label the container. It can be stored in the freezer up to 4 months.
The recipe can be doubled, however I do not recommend canning in quart jars as there is no official processing time for quart jars.
You can do so, but if you do decide to use canned tomatoes, be sure to pick a plum tomato or san marzano tomato and drain the liquid.
The vinegar adds enough acidity that you can omit the onions.
If you forget to add the vinegar, open the jars, place the salsa back into a stock pot and bring the to a boil with the vinegar added, then return to the jars and put it through a water bath canning.
Vinegar is needed for the acidity and is a very important part of this recipe and you cannot leave it out. However, you can use white vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve alongside grilled meats or seafood as a zesty condiment.
- Pair with tortilla chips for the ultimate snack.
- Use as a topping for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.
- Stir into soups or stews for added flavor.
Related Recipes
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
When you make this Homemade Canning Salsa recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Homemade Salsa for Canning
Equipment
- 9 piece canning kit this includes a funnel, grip, canning spatula and more
- Pint jars for canning
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Ingredients
- 9½ cups fresh tomatoes diced
- 2 cups onions diced
- 2 cups green bell pepper diced
- 10 cloves fresh garlic minced
- ¾ cup jalapeno peppers diced
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
For the tomatoes
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. While water is boiling, core tomatoes and score bottom of tomato with an X with a paring knife.
- Blanch tomatoes by placing into hot water for 10-20 seconds. Remove tomato from hot water and immediately place in cold water.
- Once the tomatoes have cooled enough, remove skins and seeds with membranes from tomatoes. Set aside to compost later.
- Dice the meaty part of the tomato. You should have 9-½ cups of diced tomatoes for this recipe.
To make the salsa
- Add the onion, green peppers, garlic, jalapeno peppers, sugar (if using), cilantro, salt, and vinegar to a large stockpot with the tomatoes.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook the vegetable mixture for 15-30 minutes. If you want a thicker salsa, simmer for a longer period of time.
Sterilize the canning jars and lids
- While salsa is cooking, sterilize the canning jars and lids by placing in boiling hot water for 1 to 2 minutes.
To fill the canning jars
- Remove a jar from the hot water and hold with a towel. Place a canning funnel inside of the jar and scoop salsa into jar until salsa reaches the neck of the jar. Insert a canning spatula into the filled jar 3-4 times to help release any air bubbles.
- Wipe the rim of the jar with a towel and place sterilized lid on jar and screw on cap tightly. Repeat with remaining salsa and canning jars.
To process the salsa
- Place jars of salsa in a water bath canner filled with water until it just covers the top of the jars and bring it to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Lift rack in canner and set the rack handles on the edge, allowing the jars to cool gradually, about 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove jars from the canner and place on a counter lined with kitchen towel.
- Jars will pop and seal as they cool down. If once the jar has cooled, the seal pops back up, then the salsa must be placed in the fridge and used within 2 weeks or reprocessed.
Video
Notes
- Remove all seeds from tomatoes and place tomato pulp in a colander over the sink. Press the pulp to express excess water out.
- Simmer salsa mixture for a longer period of time to reduce the amount of liquid. It is ok to simmer it for 30 minutes or more if you really don't want to thicken with tomato paste.
- Add 2 tablespoons (or more if preferred) to thicken the salsa more.
Johanna says
Great recipe. I use lime juice and love the flavor.
Lynn Parr says
This was my first time growing tomatoes and making homemade salsa. The recipe was so easy and absolutely delicious! I left the cilantro out because my husband is not a fan of it; however, we both agreed that the next batch I will add it! If you can provide any direction on approximately how many pounds of tomatoes go into this recipe, that would help. I thought I had lots of tomatoes but apparently not enough, so I cut the recipe in half. Thank you for sharing your recipe!! I can’t wait to make it again!
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Lynn, thank you so much for sharing! 18-20 pounds of tomatoes should be sufficient however the type of tomato makes a difference also. I recommend a paste tomato (such as Roma) as they have less water. I hope this helps!
Kel says
Once you drain the pulp of excess water do you use it in the pot to boil? Thanks!
Shelby Law Ruttan says
No, discard the water, it will make the salsa too runny if you use it. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Jennifer says
I made this recipe last year and did again this year. My boyfriend absolutely loves it, so much so, that he has on a few occasions eating the whole pint of salsa, lol. Definitely will be using this recipe for as long as I am canning! Thank you so much for sharing this with us all!
Judy says
Is this recipe a mild (slightly spicy) or a very spicy salsa? I don't want to change the recipe unless it is very spicy.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
I find it to be fairly mild. It is not hot by any means, mostly flavor. If you are concerned you could reduce the amount of jalapeno or use a milder pepper. Some jalapenos can be hotter than others. I hope you make and enjoy the salsa and let me know how it goes!
Lynn says
This recipe was delicious and very easy to follow!! I left out the cilantro because my husband is not a big fan of it; however, we both agreed that next time we will add it! All the perfect flavors! This was my first year growing tomatoes and making salsa. My only question is how many tomatoes are needed. I thought I had plenty but in the end I was only able to make 2 1/2 pints. So how do you know? 🤪 Any idea how many pounds of tomatoes go into this recipe since the sizes all vary. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Johanna Wright says
I use about 8lbs of Roma tomatoes & get 6-7 pints.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Johanna, thank you for sharing your experience! Shelby.
Paige says
Can you substitute the type of pepper used for a milder flavor or reduce the amount of jalapeño safely?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Yes, you can safely use a milder pepper and/or reduce the amount of jalapeno.
Barb (me) Spaulding says
Can these salsa jars last longer than 2 weeks?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Barb, thank you for asking. These jars can be stored on the shelf as long as they sealed in the canning process from 12-18 months. Once opened, it should be refrigerated and used within two weeks. I updated the notes section of the recipe card to reflect the recommended storage. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Stella Fagan says
Love, love this recipe! It's been a hit every time I've gotten a jar out! My son shared some with his friends and now I have some orders to make!
Katie says
My favorite salsa to make!
Stacey Crabtree says
This is my go to salsa recipe. The flavor balance on point! Sweet, spicy (if you like) and savory. I lost my pin on Pinterest and almost panicked. A quick email and Shelby sent me the new link. I’m going to write it down for safe keeping bc this is a must every summer when our garden comes in.