My friend asked me for this recipe. I figured if I'm going to type it up, I might as well post it here. =) I love this recipe! It was given to me by my sister-in-law's mother, and I've used it for a couple years now. It's pretty darn easy, and Greg and I love the flavor. What more can you ask for in a homemade salsa?! It's definitely not a mild salsa though. I would put it firmly in the medium category. My sister-in-law adds a "few" more serranos to make a fire batch every year. I like a little heat, but have no desire to get my eyebrows singed while eating. Feel free to adjust the amount of pepper/chilies to your own liking.
6 quarts tomatoes, chopped.
2 c. onions, chopped (about 2 large)
2 c. green sweet bell peppers, chopped (about 4 or 5 large)
4 garlic buds, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. cilantro, miced
2 c. jalapeño peppers, chopped (leave seeds in) (about 20)
2 c. anaheim peppers, chopped (about 20)
1 1/2 sweet banana peppers, chopped (about 15)
12 serrano peppers, chopped
1/3 c. canning salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 c. apple cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Simmer several hours until thickened. Bottle it up in canning jars. Water Bath 30 mins. for pints, and 40 mins. for quarts.
Yields 7 quarts
Tips: Do ALL your chopping, mincing, ect. with a food processor. SO EASY! Leave the skins on your tomatoes. Leave the seeds in the jalapeños. Chop everything as fine or as chunky as you like. Cilantro chops up better if it's in the food processor at the same time as something else...like onions or peppers. I simmered mine while I was chopping, plus about an hour more. Then I whisked in some Ultra Gel to thicken it up. Just personal preference. I'm sure I could have simmered it down a little longer. I also have a HUGE stock pot so I did a batch and a half at a time. If you had a large pressure cooker/canner, you could definitely do two at a time.
Fresh garlic is a pain, but so worth it. I discovered on my second round that my son, Miles, is really good at peeling garlic teeth. =) Child labor, Baby!!
