With fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, and other favorite salsa ingredients plentiful this time of year, it’s a great time to enjoy making salsa for your family according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
First of all, if you have a salsa recipe that has been in the family for years or if you love to experiment and develop new recipes, make all the salsa you want. Just don’t plan to process it in the boiling water bath canner and store it on the shelf. These salsas can only be stored in the refrigerator (for 5-7 days) or in the freezer (for 1-2 months). The texture of the frozen and then thawed salsa will be similar to canned salsa but you won’t have the risk of eating an unsafe product.
Always choose and use a tested recipe for home preserved salsa. That means look at recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation or the USDA canning guide (page 3-19) or “Preserve the Taste of Summer” publications from Iowa State University for a safe tested recipe. These recipes have been tested to ensure that there is enough acidity to balance the amount of low acid vegetables in salsa.
Also be sure to follow the directions carefully for each recipe. Use the amounts of each vegetable (peppers, onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, etc.) listed in the recipe. If the procedures call for chopped tomatoes, use the whole tomato after peeling and coring. Do not drain the tomato, or remove all the liquid and juices. Add the amount of vinegar or lemon juice as listed. Do not alter the proportions of vegetables to acid and tomatoes because it might make the salsa unsafe. The onions, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes are low in acid so they must be combined with a quantity of acid to make a mixture that is safe to process in the boiling water bath canner. If there is not enough acid in the salsa, the botulism bacteria can grow.
Since salsa is not heated before eating it, the salsa must be unquestionably safe. Using a tested recipe and following it without changing the recipe is the only way to guarantee safety.
Do not thicken salsas with flour, cornstarch or other starches before canning. If a thicker salsa is desired, you can pour off some of the liquid or add these thickening ingredients after opening.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a choice of salsa recipes that allow a bit more variety from mango to peach apple to spicy cranberry salsa and more. Remember to follow these recipe directions carefully to enjoy the salsa safely.
For additional food preservation resources, see the CCE of Herkimer County website.
Article release August 10, 2021
