Sunday, August 15, 2010

Tomatillo Salsa for Canning

Here is a GREAT recipe for canning. A Green Salsa that is tart, has a good heat to it, and is so very tasty. I will say it is a bit of work, between all the chopping and the roasting of the peppers. But the taste proves to be so completely the extra work!

Ingredients:

8 cups rough chopped tomatillos (about 2.75 lbs)
5 chopped long green chiles - I use poblano or pasilla. Follow directions below to roast and skin.
3 seeded, finely chopped jalapeño peppers
2 white onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure: Wash and rinse canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Preparing Tomatillos: Remove the dry outer husks; wash thoroughly. They do not need to be peeled or seeded.

Preparing Peppers: The jalapeño peppers do not need to be peeled. The skin of long green chiles may be tough. If you choose to peel chiles, peel using one of these two methods to blister skins:

Oven or broiler method to blister skins – Place chiles in a hot oven (400°F) or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.

Range-top method to blister skins – Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

To peel, after blistering skins, place peppers in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. (This will make peeling the peppers easier.) Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop.

Hot Pack:Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to mash the ingredients together.

Laddle into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.