Green Tomato Salsa (for Tetchy)

[caribougrrl]

5 cups diced green tomato (however fine you like your salsa)
2 cups diced hot pepper (one or a mix of jalapeno, serrano, ancho, habanero, whatever floats your boat)
4 cups diced onion
6-10 cloves diced garlic
1 tbsp ground cumin*
1/2 tbsp ground oregano*
1 cup lemon or lime juice
1 tbsp salt

*optional

Combine ingredients in a heavy saucepan, bring to boil, simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Fill sterilized jars (makes 4-5 pints of salsa) leaving headspace, put the lids on etc.,  heat process in boiling water for 15 minutes (sea level) or 20 minutes (moderate altitude).


VARIATIONS:

I often pan-roast at least some of the hot peppers (dry cast iron pan on the stove top, med-high heat until charred) and have been known to pan-roast the tomatoes (or about 1/3 of them); this adds a lot of complexity to the flavour but you can over-do it if you roast both... depends on personal taste though.

Tomatillos can be used instead of some or all of the green tomatoes.

I tend to do 2/3 c. lime and 1/3 c. lemon juice... I prefer lime for green tomato salsa but find it a bit too limey if I use lime exclusively.

Normally I do about 3/4 jalapeno pepper and 1/4 some other pepper (depends what's available, this year it seems to be "long hot yellow"); if I can get red jalapeno I try and get enough to do one batch with just red or reddish jalapenos.

[CheryG]

Thank you!!

[gebuh]

can you do this without the cooking part?  Straight to the jars and into boiling water as opposed to cooking first?

[caribougrrl]

gebuh, I have no idea, but I suspect you wouldn't have enough liquid

[rocketgirl]

What does "heat process" mean?

Can I use a mix of green and red tomatoes?

Will really green tomatoes that are less than half of mature size work (assuming they don't freeze before I get them - and how will I tell if they have freeze damage)?

[caribougrrl]

What does "heat process" mean?

Can I use a mix of green and red tomatoes?

Will really green tomatoes that are less than half of mature size work (assuming they don't freeze before I get them - and how will I tell if they have freeze damage)?

heat processing is for canning... don't worry about that.  Reduce the recipe in half or into a quarter, use whatever tomatoes you want (mix green and red is okay)... reduce the salt a bit if you aren't canning... or keep the salt high to extend the refrigeration life.

IF you want to preserve it, get some mason jars, follow the instructions.  Sterililze the jars by submersing in water, heating to a boil and boiling for 10 minutes; heat processing is after you fill the jars and put lids on, you return to the boiling water and let them sit in a rolling boil for the appropriate amount of time depending how close to sea level you are.

[rocketgirl]

I'm making this right now.  I still have tons of tomatos and some peppers left.  But I hit about your recipe amounts and tired of chopping.

It's simmering now.  Smells good.

I don't think I'll do this again.  I'm going on nearly 3 hours for this project.  I removed many of the jalepeno seeds and wasn't sure if I should or not.  Also sliced my pinkie pretty good, but fortunately I had some gloves (not latex, but whatever you use instead).  They worked great.

I'll let you know how it is.  I have a feeling DH won't like it, but it really does smell good - almost sweet despite no sugar.

[Suesquatch]

Honey, the prep takes an experienced cook half an hour absolute tops.  You're not an experienced cook.  You will get much faster at this stuff.

[rocketgirl]

Simmering:


In jars:

[caribougrrl]

rocketgirl, I'm VERY impressed... for someone who says they can't cook, that looks deceptively like green tomato salsa in those jars!

[rocketgirl]

    (It's not that I CAN'T cook, it's that I DON't, and because I don't, when I DO, it's always a massive production, which is a deterrant to doing it again anytime soon....)

DH was already asking this morning when he could eat some.  Yay!

[onawhim]

That looks great RG!

[The Turtle Whisperer]

bump

[caribougrrl]

bump.