Roma Salsa
Salsa Roma is a fresh tasting garden salsa recipe made with Roma tomatoes, and it's suitable for freezing or canning.
Course: condiment
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 7 pints
large pot for blanching tomatoes
large bowl (for ice water bath)
heavy bottomed pot for cooking salsa with lid
canning or freezing equipment
- Roma tomatoes, about 5 pounds (prepare tomatoes and measure 8 cups)
- 2 cups tomato puree
- 2 cups tomato paste, optional
- 2/3 cup 5% apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 3 to 5 jalapeño peppers, remove seeds and dice
- 6 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Wash the tomatoes. Blanch them for 90 seconds, then plunge into a bowl of ice water.Core each tomato, slip off the skin, then chop.Measure 8 cups of chopped tomatoes, and place in a heavy bottomed pot. Keep the pot covered while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, salt, cumin, and pepper.
Stir in the onions, green bell pepper, jalapeños, garlic, and cilantro.
Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to keep at a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Freezing
After Salsa Roma has cooled down, it can be frozen in half-pint, pint, or pint-and-a-half size canning jars. Fill jars to the "fill line" etched into the top of the mason jars, cover tightly. For best results freeze at 0º; the back of the freezer tends to be the coldest area.You can also freeze this recipe in flat packages using a vacuum sealer. I describe how to in another post I wrote entitled, "Vacuum Seal Liquids: Easy Method."
Canning
Review the guidelines presented by the National Center for Home Food Preservation regarding processing in a boiling water bath if you are new to canning, or haven't canned in awhile. Fill clean, hot pint-size canning jars – leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and then adjust headspace if necessary. Wipe the rims, place a lid on each jar, and screw on the bands until finger-tight.Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes if the elevation where you live is 1000 feet or less. If your elevation is 1001 to 3000 feet, process for 20 minutes.
- If you are going to freeze this salsa, you can safely alter the recipe.
- When canning Salsa Roma, please prepare the recipe as written to be sure the final product is acidic enough to be shelf stable.