Ingredients (Yields 6, 3-Cup Containers.)

Tomato Salsa

Ingredients (Yields 6, 3-cup containers.)

Steve’s comments:

5 lbs of tomatoes = 1 quart of sauce, so the recipe can be adjusted up or down in volume. You could begin with a quart of canned chunky sauce, add the other stuff and simmer it awhile until the thickness suits you.

I use a slow cooker, as it is . . .well, slower and easier to keep from sticking.. If you begin with fresh or canned whole tomatoes, follow the recipe.

20 lbs. tomatoes * (Paste or sauce tomatoes contain less liquid, but any tomato should work.) 2 cups fresh cilantro * 2 large onions * 10 garlic cloves * 10 medium jalapeno peppers (for medium-hot salsa) * 6 habanero (very, very hot) peppers, or to taste * 2 cups chopped green bell peppers * 2 tablespoons cumin ¼ cup sea salt ¼ cup vinegar 6 large limes, juice of (or 6 tablespoons of juice)

Directions 1. Peel and chop tomatoes in a food processor briefly, or by hand, so you have a mixture of part liquid and part pieces. 2. Put the tomatoes in a 10-quart stock pot. 2. Chop cilantro, onion, garlic and add to the tomatoes. 3. Chop jalapenos and habeneros with their seeds and add to the stockpot. (For a milder salsa, removed the seeds and membranes from all or some of these hot peppers.) 4. Add cumin, salt and vinegar and stir all together. 5. Bring to a boil and lower the temperature to keep at a low boil for 2-3 hours, stirring to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot. (Use a metal spacer if the salsa begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.) 6. Boil down to about half to get rid of all the extra tomato water. 8. Fill your containers and leave a ½-inch of head space. Let cool before capping to avoid condensation which will form ice on top of the salsa. 9. Place lids on and freeze.

Note: This recipe works very well for canning too. Follow through step 6, and then follow your canning instruction booklet. Also, add even more hot peppers if you like your salsa really hot. Recipe adapted from Diann Godbey’s “Diner’s Freezer Salsa” at http://www.food.com/recipe/diners-freezer-salsa-12275