Tomatillo Salsa

I’ve made a few batches of this salsa, first in 8 oz jars, and, later, after we realized how good it is, in pint jars.  It doesn’t have quite the same flavor as the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa I wrote about a while back, but it’s pretty similar and very, very good.

First it helps to have a lot of tomatillos ripe and ready to go.

Next, it helps to have a helper.

Especially one who pretends she isn’t aware that you’re standing right there with a camera, taking multiple pictures while she cuts cored tomatillos into smaller pieces.

After you’ve got all your tomatillos chopped,

you need jalapenos, of course.

In fact, you need a few other things as well:

Tomatillos, jalapenos, onions, garlic, white vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes.

All these things go into a pot…

(again, it’s nice to have a helper)

And after you give it a good mix, you bring the mixture to a boil, and then cook it for about ten minutes.

It’ll look like this:

Actually, it’ll look darker and softer than that.

Then you ladle it into your prepared jars, and process in the hot water bath for fifteen minutes.

Ta-da!

Here’s my larger version of the recipe, from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving:

Tomatillo Salsa

Makes about 4 pints

Ingredients:

11 cups husked, cored, chopped tomatillos        

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups seeded, chopped jalapeno peppers

1 cup white vinegar

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) lime juice

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

4 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

What to do:

1.  Prepare canner, jars and lids.

2.  In a large, stainless steel pot, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to med-low and boil gently, stirring often, for ten minutes.

3.  Ladle hot salsa into prepared jars, leaving a generous half inch of head space.  Wipe rims, place lids on jars, then bands.  Screw bands on until fingertip-tight.

4.  Place jars in canner, making sure the water covers the jars by a good inch.  Cover the canner, bring to a rolling boil, and process jars (either 8 oz or pint) for fifteen minutes.  Shut off heat, remove lid, and let jars sit for another five minutes before removing from water.  Cool, make sure seal is good, label, and store.

Enjoy!