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Homemade Salsa for the blender and freezer

Homemade Salsa is a homegrown, homemade tomato-pepper condiment made for nachos, chip dipping and lots of other Mexican Cuisine uses. Try it on burritos, huevos rancheros, in casserole, enchiladas, taquitos….so good! It’s also Low-​Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-​Free and Gluten-​Free!

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope By Homemadefoodjunkie.com

Homemade Salsa From The Back of the Envelope

When you have a kitchen drowning in tomatoes and peppers, making salsa must happen! I have a  Fresh Tomato salsa recipe  I made last year. This year I wanted another recipe, more Pace Picante, with no cilantro. I don’t like cilantro (my husband does). This year’s recipe for homemade salsa includes cilantro, but I didn’t put any in mine.

This Homemade Salsa is inspired by our friend Chris. Chris and his wife have made their own, excellent salsa for many years with their garden grown Roma tomatoes. So Dave requested Chris’ recipe and this is what he got! Chris emailed him this picture! We laughed and laughed!!Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope

Notice! There is not a single measured ingredient! Chris and his wife make their recipe by taste every year.(I think he was being funny, but it’s true!) For a gardener that actually makes sense. Every year the crops will be different. We try different varieties of vegetables and our salsa has in it most often what we grow. It creates a rather unique experience in the kitchen every year. 

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope Made From These Arbason Tomatoes

Our lovely, greenhouse tomatoes July 2015. These are NOT the best salsa variety. Buy the Roma or plum tomatoes for the best saucy consistency in your salsa.

I wrote down the proportions I used. Even my method is different than Chris’. I made my salsa in my huge soup pot. I had a TON of peppers to use  So my salsa uses a lot of peppers. I needed to cook the recipe so I can freeze the salsa.

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope Used These Garden Peppers By Homemadefoodjunkie.com

This is one trip out to the garden. Dave brought in this enormous basket of gorgeous peppers!

To make this recipe like Chris. Make it as a small batch.  Just put everything you see on the envelope picture in the blender and push the pulse button until it’s as chunky or fine as you desire. I have made it in the blender. It’s very Pico De Gallo that way and EXCELLENT raw. (you will have to guess on the proportions though)

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope By Homemadefoodjunkie.com

Homemade Salsa From The Back of the Envelope make it your way! Cooked it’s ready to can or freeze. Made in the blender, you’ll need to eat it fresh.

We love this Homemade Salsa. My son in law took a pint over to his house for game night. The football spectators devoured this salsa before the game finished! This recipe is really very similar to Pace’s. We love their salsa. We love this one too!

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope By Homemadefoodjunkie.com

Perfect for chip dips, burritos, breakfast eggs and refried beans…the possibilities are endless!

This year I have my lovely freezer waiting in the basement. It is already full of peppers and tomatoes that I dried in my Harvest Maid food dryer.

If you have dried tomatoes and peppers they are great for thickening the salsa to your desired thickness. Sun dried tomatoes can also be added for extra flavor and thickness. I make a marinara sauce that would be great in this recipe instead of the canned tomato sauce, as well.

Homemade Salsa From The Back of the Envelope Recipe Notes:

You’ll notice Chris’ recipe is different from mine. I cook mine, he doesn’t. We enjoy his version using the blender. It holds several days in the refrigerator.  But you must use the cooked method if you choose to freeze this salsa!

I am using different tomatoes and peppers than Chris calls for.  Paste type tomatoes require less cooking down. Use what you have and adjust the recipe accordingly.

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope

Homemade Salsa From The Back of the Envelope. Delicious, healthy and versatile!

I made a huge batch of salsa so I have extra to freeze.  In this post I give directions for quick peeling tomatoes. I did not peel my tomatoes this time. We love salsa with some texture and fiber!

I also use tomato paste and dried tomatoes in my recipe. This is because my tomatoes are too juicy for the perfect saucy consistency we need for salsa! 

If you use Roma or Plum tomatoes for salsa and then you may follow Chris’ recipe more closely. We loved the addition of the dried tomatoes and peppers for that extra sweet zing in the salsa. But I wouldn’t have needed them if I had used Roma tomatoes.

Homemade Salsa From The Back Of The Envelope

Homemade Salsa From The Back of the Envelope. Ready to freeze or can, if you use the cooked method! Otherwise blender it! and eat it fresh! So good!!

Dave suggested the balsamic vinegar addition to my recipe. It was perfect! Just the right amount of piquant sweetness to blend the salsa flavors together. Serve this salsa fresh from the pot. Hot or cold! It freezes well and if you prefer to pressure can this recipe it makes great gifts.

Go to the National Center For Food Preservation Salsa Canning Page for more information on canning.

Nutrition Label Embed 1052834440 5B9B37214Cedfd002593D08C

Your Printable Recipe:

Back Of The Envelope Salsa
Yield: 60 servings

Homemade Salsa From The Back of the Envelope

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

This tomato salsa is perfect for using fresh and it freezes well.  It's endlessly useful! Spice up burritos, chips, huevos rancheros, casserole, enchiladas, taquitos....so good! It's also Low-​Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-​Free and Gluten-​Free!

Ingredients

  • 10 lbs. tomatoes
  • 20 peppers, -various heat to taste
  • 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large yellow onion minced
  • 1/3 Cup lemon juice, or lime
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 Cup sun dried tomatoes
  • 1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons cumin
  • 1 bunch cilantro, OPTIONAL-to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and chop all vegetables fine to 1/2 inch cubes or less.
  2. Dump all ingredients into a large pot on the stove on low.
  3. Simmer, stirring occasionally for several hours OR until the salsa is cooked to the consistency you prefer.
  4. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  5. Store in fridge for at least a week.
  6. Freeze remaining salsa in Air tight freezer bags or vacuum pac.

Nutrition Information


Amount Per Serving Calories 30

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Homemade Salsa Is A Good Way To Use Up Your Tomato And Pepper Harvest. This Post Is For Both Cooked Or Blender Style Salsa. #Salsa #Condiments #Sauce #Tomato #Peppers #Recipe #Gardentotable

 

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Carla

Sunday 14th of August 2022

Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it! How long will this keep in the freezer?

Diane

Sunday 14th of August 2022

Hi Carla, This salsa can be frozen for up to two months if you don't cook it first. For the cooked version, it will last at least 6 months and up to a year. I hope you love this salsa as much as we do. Please let us know how it goes for you

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