This recipe is adapted from one in an old copy of Country Woman magazine that my grandmother had kept. It was submitted by “Diana Murphy of Black Earth, Wisconsin” and printed in the November/December 1999 issue. I changed up the amount of onions, type of peppers, and reduced the amount of tomato paste.
Note: When chopping hot peppers, like jalapeno, it is wise to use gloves, but if your hands are in good shape, no cuts, and you can remember NOT to touch your face, you should be fine.
The first time I made this recipe, I left the seeds from ONE jalapeno in and it gave the salsa a nice heat that crept up on you. This time I seeded the peppers but didn’t worry if a few seeds got in, for a nice, mild, sweet, salsa.
Originally, I also used Poblano peppers instead of bell peppers. This time the grocery store only had the Italian equivalent so I used those. Substitutions are a good thing, especially when someone in the family is allergic to bell peppers.
This made me about 9 pints of salsa. A great recipe for gift giving!
Salsa
Ingredients
- 18 cups quartered peeled fresh tomatoes (60 to 80 Roma tomatoes, depending on size.)
- 4 Large onions, chopped
- 4 good size Poblano chile peppers, seeded and chopped.
- 9 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
- 6 sweet banana peppers chopped
- 2 cups vinegar
- ¼ cup sea salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 can of tomato paste
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large kettle and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once every five minutes.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for two hours. Stir occasionally.
- Jar or cool and freeze.
Melora Johnson's Muse 