Easy Homemade Salsa for Canning

Ingredients

• 4 quarts tomatoes, thickly chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup banana pepper, seeded and chopped (or you can double the green peppers, or use any other kind of sweet pepper)
• 1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped (use 2 cups for hot)
• 1 cup vinegar
• 3 tablespoons canning salt (I use Morton brand canning and pickling salt)
• 1/4 cup sugar (use up to 1/2 cup if you like very sweet salsa)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 8 tablespoons cornstarch
• 8 tablespoons warm water

Directions

1. 1

   A note about peppers: Remember to use caution and always use gloves while handling. I always remove the seeds from mine before chopping but if you like hotter salsa feel free to leave them inches.

2. 2

   A note about tomatoes: you do not have to peel them, but most people prefer doing so. To quickly and easily peel them: give them a quick rinse to wash them off. Then drop them into a pot of boiling water for about a minute or until you see them crack and peeling. Remove with a slotted spoon into a large bowl of very cold ice water. Now you can easily remove the peel and the core. I usually put the chopped tomatoes into my 2 quart pitcher to measure the tomatoes.

3. 3

   To make salsa: Put all ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch and water into a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil over low heat for 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Mix together the cornstarch and warm water in a small bowl. Make sure the mixture is very smooth- you dont want any corn starch chunks in your salsa.

5. 5

   Add the corn starch liquid to the big pot of salsa, stirring while pouring.

6. 6

   Boil on low for 10 minutes, watching carefully so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

7. 7

   Pour into prepared canning jars, leaving about 1" for head space. Seal according to your favorite method.