IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR!

We can hardly wait for the first tomatoes and peppers to ripen so we can make salsa! A couple of my friends have requested this recipe, so that must mean it is that time of year NOW!

Dayna and I made salsa today and it is so delicious with a little smokey kick!

We followed the recipe exactly, except she wanted smoked tomato salsa. So we experimented by adding 3 ½ tablespoons of liquid smoke because today was not conducive to staying outside smoking tomatoes and then making salsa. 

We always follow the recipe EXACTLY - NOT!

Using the food processor makes our chopping chore easy.

First onions, then jalapenos to make our eyes water!

 

"Are you finished with those jalapenos yet?"

If you want to make some, here is the original post with the recipe for my salsa. 

Enjoy!

SMOKED TOMATO SALSA

Fall weather makes me want to warm up from the inside out! Makes me want to eat something spicy like my salsa! Or making soup or chili using some of my salsa instead of plain old tomatoes.

 
At the request of my kids, I tried a new twist with my salsa…actually I finally got on board with the fad of smoked and roasted vegetables! We sliced up our tomatoes and put them in the smoker. Wow! What a wonderful flavor that incorporated into the finished product.


Smoked tomatoes

Make sure you keep your smoker at the correct temperature.



Starting with the gardening process, a hobby I enjoy because I get to be OUTSIDE, we till, plant, water, weed, and anxiously wait for tomatoes, onions, and peppers to appear and ripen. Why does that seem to take sooooo long? When we finally get to harvest the produce, I set aside a couple of hours to cook and can.

Collecting my fee!

Homemade salsa is a labor of love…and I enjoy sharing my labors – for a fee of course! My fee varies depending on who is asking. ;-) I delivered my smoked salsa in person, to Portland, Oregon. That fee included several days of visiting, camping, one river float trip, and LOTS of hugs!


The first step of canning is to make sure everything is clean.  Sterilize the jars and lids you will be using. Place the jar lids and rings in boiling water just before you are ready to fill the jars.

Use a jar lifter to put the jars in boiling water and to put the filled jars back in to process.

SALSA
Thanks for this recipe goes to Joni my long, lost neighbor and friend!


4-5 onions
2 bell peppers
9-11 jalapeno peppers with seeds
¾ cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons salt
8 to 12-oz tomato paste (depending on your preference for thick salsa)
Approximately 22 medium tomatoes un-peeled
Chop in food processor until chunky.
I put all these ingredients in a 6-quart pan and put the tomatoes in last to fill the pan.
Bring to a boil and gently simmer 30-40 minutes stirring ocassionally.
Fill jars to within 1/2 inch. Clean the jar rims and place lids on just finger tight.
Process filled jars in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.



Stir up all the chopped ingredients and gently simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Then fill the sterilized jars.


If you would like more detailed information on canning, the internet is full of helpful tips or you can invite me to your kitchen for lessons.



Salsa!