Girly Salsa

Not all tomatoes are created equal. The best tomatoes to use for salsa are those with concentrated flavor, meaty flesh and not too juicy. If you can get your hands on dry-farmed Early Girl, New Girl or Dirty Girl tomatoes those are the best because the flavor is really concentrated. If you are in the SF Bay area you can find them pretty easily. Otherwise I would recommend using plum tomatoes like Roma or San Marzano.

As for spiciness, this recipe is mild but you can add 1-4 jalapeños, depending on if you prefer mild, medium or spicy. Just remove the stems, slice in half and add the peppers to the blender.

This salsa can be enjoyed right away or it can be preserved in canning jars and saved for later. It has enough acidity to be water-bath canned.

Makes: 2 pints

Preparation time: 15m
Cooking time: 15m
Total time: 30m

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 pounds diced tomatoes (Early Girl, Roma or San Marzano are best)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced parsley
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (e.g. kosher salt)

Equipment: 2 quart saucepan or larger

Instructions:

  1. Prepare water bath canner if you are canning this salsa. If you are new to canning, follow the instructions on the Ball Canning Website
  2. Halve and destem the tomatoes and place in a blender. with all of the other ingredients.
  3. Blend on low - medium depending on how chuncky you want it.
  4. Place all of the ingredients in a pan large enough to hold everything with extra space. A 4 quart dutch oven can hold this batch doubled. A 6 quart slow cooker can hold this recipe tripled.
  5. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn it down and simmer for 15 - 30 minutes until mixture is reduced and a little syrupy.
  6. Enjoy right away, refrigerate or preserve in canning jars and store for up to a year. If you are canning this salsa it needs to process in the water bath for 15 minutes. You can use pint or half pint sized jars.