Fresh flavor that lasts all year long.
If there’s one vegetable gardeners love more than any other, it’s tomatoes. They’re not that hard to grow, and they taste sooooooo much better when they’re fresh off the vine. Some people even call them a “gateway vegetable,” because so many people start out growing just tomatoes before they move on to a full-scale garden.
The only sad thing about tomatoes is that they don’t last. A beautiful, ripe tomato will keep for a week at most before it goes bad. So when the frost comes and kills the plants, that’s the end of garden-fresh tomatoes until next year.
But fortunately, there’s a loophole. If you preserve your tomatoes while they’re fresh, you can keep that homegrown tomato flavor going all winter long.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes for that: Crockpot Canning Salsa. It preserves all the tastes of a summer garden in one container: tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and three kinds of peppers. And it makes a nice big batch, so you can cook up a whole winter’s supply in one go.
When the salsa is done, you can just take the easy route and store it in the freezer. But if you have the time and the equipment, canning it works even better. It’s more work, for sure. But when you open up a jar on a cold, gray January day and that tomato aroma comes rolling out just like the smell of summertime, you’ll be so glad you made the effort.
Oh, and jars of home-canned salsa make great gifts, too. Just sayin’.
Crockpot Canning Salsa
Printable recipe at bottom of post
INGREDIENTS:
7 cups red tomatoes, chopped – I had a ton of cherry tomatoes and they worked perfect!
2 large onions,
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeds can be left in for more heat)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, sugar and cumin into your crockpot.
2. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4.
3. Right before salsa is done cooking, add in the cilantro. Allow to slightly cool for a couple of minutes.
4. Spoon the salsa in to a blender or food processor. Pulse until it is the desired thickness. Add in salt to taste.
This salsa can be frozen or you can can it for future use.
CANNING INSTRUCTIONS:
I used a Ball Fresh Tech Automatic Canner and it is so worth the splurge if you do a lot of canning.
1. If you are using a water bath method in a large pot bring water to a boil, start by sanitize your canning jars by submerging them for about 5 minutes.
2. Use your canning tongs to remove the jars. Spoon salsa into canning jars leaving about ½ inch of space at the top. Wipe the rim and place the lids and rings onto the can.
3. Using the canning tongs place the jars back into the water bath for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the jars to cool ensuring a secure seal.
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Crockpot Canning Salsa
Ingredients
- INGREDIENTS:
- 7 cups red tomatoes chopped – I had a ton of cherry tomatoes and they worked perfect!
- 2 large onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 jalapeno peppers chopped (seeds can be left in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons salt to taste
Instructions
- DIRECTIONS:
- Place onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and cumin into your crockpot.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4.
- Right before salsa is done cooking, add in the cilantro.. Allow to slightly cool for a couple of minutes.
- Spoon the salsa in to a blender or food processor. Pulse until it is the desired thickness. Add in salt to taste.
- This salsa can be frozen or you can can it for future use.
- CANNING INSTRUCTIONS:
- I used a Ball Fresh Tech Automatic Canner and it is so worth the splurge if you do a lot of canning.
- If you are using a water bath method in a large pot bring water to a boil, start by sanitize your canning jars by submerging them for about 5 minutes.
- Use your canning tongs to remove the jars. Spoon salsa into canning jars leaving about ½ inch of space at the top. Wipe the rim and place the lids and rings onto the can.
- Using the canning tongs place the jars back into the water bath for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the jars to cool ensuring a secure seal.
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Here is what I used for my Crockpot Canning Salsa! Click on image for more info.
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Karen says
You didn’t mention slipping the skins from the tomatoes. Did I miss it or do you think the pulse in the blender will take care of the toughness they will leave in the salsa?
This looks like a good recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Corey says
The blender will take care of it 🙂
Debbie says
This looks like a wonderful recipe. Going to try it tomorrow. I love the idea about the crockpot…..never thought of that before. Thanks for sharing
Lindsey says
How many jars will this recipe do??
Laura says
I was going to ask the same question. How many jars does this recipe call for?
Richard says
well how many jars does the recipe make?
Shawna says
I just made it and it was 5 pints?
Erin says
Any need to add any citric acid or lemon juice?
Karen says
I was wondering the same thing?
Danette says
What size of chunks are you cutting all the vegetables? It took far longer then 20 min to cut everything up. Do you not need to cut things into small bits because you blend it?
How have been people’s results?
Thanks
Danette
Judy says
It says in the instructions to add basil….didn’t see any basil on the ingredients list….can you clarify this for me?
Corey says
Sorry Judy, that was a misprint. No need to add basil 🙂
Marietta says
How long does this last in the freezer? I’m trying to use up the last of my tomatoes so I don’t have quiet enough to bother with canning, but I want to bring some salsa to family at Christmas.
Tiffany says
The ingredients list white vinegar, but the directions show to add “apple cider vinegar?”
Corey says
Either will work, but I prefer white vinegar 😉
Jodi says
Is the 2 tbsp of vinegar enough for canning purposes or should lemon/lime juice be added as well?
Tara Elias says
Question from a newbie to canning – when I put the jars filled with salsa back in the water bath, do I remove from heat right away, or do I leave heat on for awhile? Thanks!
Sallyjojo says
Didn’t have bell peppers, but made it with everything else, added a tsp of coriander as well. Turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
Marcy says
Can salsa used right away & be stored in the fridge instead of freezing or canning? Thanks much!
Corey says
Yes, you can use it right away and store in fridge like you would with any store bought jar. I would used it with in 4-5 days.
Kelly Silveira says
Do you start with 7 cups of cherry tomatoes & then chop them, or do you mean 7 cups of chopped ones?
Corey says
7 cups of chopped tomatoes
Janice Waller says
I am making the salsa now and it seems like it is very thin and watery – wondered if it will thicken up enough once I blend it, or if I need to cook longer – as you have a range of time to cook didn’t know cooking longer would help get rid of some of the liquid – thanks
Corey says
Yes it should thicken up once you blend it.
Janice Waller says
Thanks Corey – it did thicken up some but still not enough so wound up cooking it more on the stove for at least an hour which made it thick enough