In late June, I savored the first tomato from my garden. The plants increased their production in the hot July days, and when there were more tomatoes than my family could eat or share with neighbors, it was time to preserve. Like many people, I chose to can salsa, so the flavors from the garden can be enjoyed year-round.
Making great salsa has become something of a personal quest for many cooks, comparable to chili and barbecue cookoffs. Everyone has a recipe, some with "secret" ingredients. If you are going to make salsa to serve fresh, you can add a bit of this and that until you get the flavor you like. Most recipes have tomatoes, peppers, onions and a variety of seasonings that might include cilantro, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt and vinegar.
However, salsa that will be canned must be made using a standardized recipe. That means the recipe needs to come from a source that has developed the recipe and tested it repeatedly, using standardized measurements and processing treatments to ensure that if a consumer follows the recipe, it will yield a safe food product.
Standardized recipes will have been tested for their acidity (pH level). Foods that are high acid (pH below 4.6) can be safely canned using a water bath method. Low acid foods (pH above 4.6) must be canned using a pressure canner, because of the risk of botulism.
Salsas that can be canned using a water bath method usually contain a significant amount of vinegar to increase the acid level and compensate for low-acid ingredients, such as onions, chilis and sweet peppers. The salsa may seem to have more liquid than fresh salsa.
|
Traditional salsa
Ingredients
7 cups diced, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes (about 5 pounds) 6 green onions, sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup vinegar, 5 percent acidity
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 drops hot pepper sauce
Instructions
Prepare Ball brand or Kerr brand jars and closures according to instructions found in "Canning Basics."
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Carefully ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rim clean. Place lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met -- fingertip tight.
Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Yield: about 4 pints.
Note: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned.
|
However, the liquid is important for the safety of the salsa. Don't strain off the liquid before canning or simmer to cook it off. The extra juice can be drained before serving. Roma tomatoes are preferable to slicing tomatoes for making salsa because they are meaty and don't contribute as much liquid to the salsa. Salsas that are thick and contain little vinegar may need to be pressure canned to ensure safety.
Testing
Until recently, I couldn't help customers know if their customized salsa recipe would be safe for canning. But a newly acquired piece of equipment will now let me test salsa and determine the pH level. The extension office will be accepting preserved jars of salsa for testing through Monday, Aug. 23. Here's how you can participate:
• Bring a jar of preserved salsa (preferably a pint, as the salsa won't be returned).
• Use a standard canning jar, such as Ball or Kerr, with a matching-brand two-piece lid.
• Preserve the salsa using a water bath method or pressure-canning method. Indicate the processing time and pounds of pressure (for pressure-canned products) in the recipe.
• Provide the recipe with exact measurements in cups, pints, quarts, teaspoons and tablespoons. Indicating "15 tomatoes" or "3 chilis" isn't exact, as the amount varies with the size of the produce. (The reason for this service is so you can safely create the recipe again. If your measurements aren't exact, the pH level of your recipe can vary, leaving uncertainty about its safety.) • Label your jar with your name, mailing address and daytime phone number. You will be mailed a report in late August that lists the pH for the recipe, comments about its safety and instructions for claiming your jar.
• This isn't a recipe contest. The purpose of this effort is to promote safe canning practices.
Common questions
I don't have the time or equipment to can. What can I do?
Salsa can be frozen but will become watery. Instead of making salsa, you may want to freeze the tomatoes and use them in soups and stews.
So what if I didn't process my salsa for as long as it says -- the jar's sealed?
Jars need to seal and the food inside needs to have come to a safe temperature to kill any bacteria or spores that could grow and cause a foodborne illness when eaten. Depending on the pH level, the preserving process requires either water bath canning or pressure canning to ensure a safe product.
I don't own a pressure canner. What are my options for preserving low-acid foods like beets, green beans and meat?
Your options include pickling the product and water bathing or freezing it. Standardized recipes for canning and freezing can be found in the "USDA Guide to Canning," "Ball Blue Book" or other Extension publications.
How long does a product need to be water-bathed or pressure-canned?
Times vary depending on whether a product is packed raw (cold packed) or has been cooked (hot packed). There are other variables as well. Call your local Extension office to receive the most current guidelines for preserving or access the information online at www.oznet.ksu.edu/extrapidresponse/ksupres.htm. hk
Cindy Evans, Topeka, is a family and consumer sciences agent with K-State Research and Extension-Shawnee County. Readers can contact her at cevans@oznet.ksu.edu.
