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!

PASTA SAUCE

I am so thankful to be blessed with a bountiful garden this year. We have been gathering fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, green beans  and more! There is nothing better than the taste of a tomato fresh off the vine still warm from the sun! But even I can't eat all those tomatoes! How wonderful to be able to make something we need and want from that bounty - pasta sauce! 

Use fresh ingredients

If you want to put up some of your own sauce, first make sure all your vegetables are clean. Then cut out any bad spots and the stems of course. I use a food processor for the chopping. I have a pulse option and that helps a lot.  

Chop and measure

After two hours of simmering  and stirring, followed by 40 minutes of a boiling water bath, we have the finished product! The recipe made six quarts of really delicious pasta sauce! Of course I've already given a jar to my Dahling Daughter Dayna.  But have no fear. You too may enjoy this delicacy.  I am sharing the recipe here so you may try your hand at this too! If you don't have a garden, surely you can find a farmer's market for the best ingredients! Or...make a midnight run on my garden.  Ha! Ha! Ha!

The finished product waiting for my next meal!

I have to thank my sister-in-law Lynn for her authentic Italian family recipe! Here is the recipe if you would like to make some of your own!

Lynn's Family Recipe

If you can't read the fine print, let me know and I'll email the recipe to you.  Always follow safe food handling precautions when canning. Note that her recipe says you can freeze this sauce if you don't have a pot for processing your jars.

SALSA!

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. ;-) 

We are so blessed that our garden has produced plenty of ripe tomatoes already! We dug up our onions and even picked jalapenos.  Fortunately, I had too many bell peppers at the end of last season and had those chopped up and frozen.  It’s so nice to know where and how my salsa was grown – in my own back yard!

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

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 occasionally.

Fill jars to within 1/2 inch. Clean the jar rims and then place lids and rings on just finger tight.

Process filled jars in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

If you would like more detailed information on canning, the Internet is full of helpful tips.