Mandi’s Mild Salsa, Homemade- Makes 12 pints
Ingredients:
6-7lbs tomatoes
4 onions, minced
1 bag mini sweet peppers, minced
1 tube cilantro paste
1/4 cup salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp green chilies (or to taste)
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion salt
1 .5oz bottle dried cilantro
1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
1 .5oz bottle dried chives
2 tablespoon minced garlic in olive oil
Hot peppers, to taste, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice for each jar
Directions:
Take a pot of hot water, bring to a boil. Add tomatoes 6-7 at a time for about a minute or until the skin begins to crack. Immediately put them into a cold water bath. Remove the skin and core, them chop the tomatoes into quarters and place in a large bowl. Continue until all are skinned, cored, and chopped.
In a frying pan, cook sweet peppers, onion, green chilies, hot peppers, and minced garlic in oil until cooked down. Stir frequently to avoid scorching. Add to tomatoes and their juice in a large stockpot, stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a full rolling boil for ten minutes, then reduce heat. Allow to simmer for two hours, or until salsa has thickened to desired consistency.
Prepare jars, rings, and lids by heating them in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. When the tomatoes are ready, remove jars and lids and place on dry towel. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the bottom of each jar, then fill with salsa, leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top of each jar. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth, place lids onto jars, and screw on rings.
Place filled jars in a hot water bath. Return water to a simmer, adding more water if needed to cover the jars by at least 1/2 inch. Bring water to a boil. Cook at a steady boil to process the jars until fully sealed, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars rest 5 minutes before removing and cooling on a clean, dry towel placed on kitchen counter or table. Check that the lids have sealed, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.