How to preserve safe salsa

Salsa has become one of Americans' favorite foods.

With the abundance of tomatoes, onions and peppers this time of year, people often want to make salsa to have on hand this winter. Here are some ways to preserve salsa or preserve the ingredients to quickly make salsa later in the year.

CAN THE SALSA NOW: While some prefer this method, it is not a way to preserve your own salsa recipe. If you want to can salsa, you must follow a safe recipe tested in a laboratory. The reason for this caution is that tomato/vegetable mixtures, if not made and canned safely, can result in spoilage and severe illness.

What you should not do is make your favorite recipe and can it. Instead, call the Yakima County Washington State University Extension Office at 574-1600, and ask for the publication "Salsa Recipes for Canning," PNW 395, available in English or Spanish ($1, plus tax). Here is a recipe from that publication:

Tomato Salsa
(using paste tomatoes)

(16 to 18 pints)

7 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes

4 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles

5 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeño peppers

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 tablespoons ground cumin, optional

3 tablespoons oregano leaves, optional

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, optional

Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano and cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add spices and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner: 15 minutes at zero to 1,000 feet altitude; 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet. To can in quarts, add 5 minutes to these times.

For this recipe, any type of pepper may be used, however do not increase the total amount of peppers called for in the recipe. The only other change you can safely make is to use green tomatoes or tomatillos for tomatoes.

FREEZE THE SALSA INGREDIENTS NOW:

* Tomatoes can be frozen whole or in pieces. Here is how. Wash and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds to loosen skins, then peel. Freeze whole or in pieces. Pack into containers, leaving 1-inch headspace as they will expand when frozen. Or wash and pat the tomatoes dry and package into freezer bags. When ready to use, run frozen tomatoes under cold water and the skin will easily slip off. Thaw them in the refrigerator.

* Tomatoes may be stewed first, then frozen. To do this, peel, quarter, cover and cook until tender. When cool, pack into freezer containers, leaving headspace, and freeze.

* Peppers can also be frozen easily. To remove tough skin from hot peppers, broil 6 to 8 minutes to loosen skins. First, make a small slit for steam to escape. Remove skin, seeds and stems and freeze. Protect hands with rubber gloves. Sweet peppers may be blanched (halves for 3 minutes, sliced or diced for 2 minutes) or frozen without blanching. Chopped onions may also be frozen unblanched.

Later, blend your frozen and thawed tomatoes, onions and peppers in a food processor or blender. Add garlic, fresh cilantro and any other ingredients you like.

* Can your tomatoes now. Tomatoes may be canned using a boiling water bath canner or a pressure canner. Either method is safe if you follow up-to-date directions for acidifying and processing times.

Here is how to can them in a water bath canner:

First, can only firm, underripe-to-ripe tomatoes. Do not can overripe tomatoes. For each pint, add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid. For each quart, add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. The added acid is an extra measure of safety to prevent spoilage. Citric acid is available locally from natural food stores.

Remove the skins by dipping in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Leave whole or halved. Fill jars with raw, peeled tomatoes. Cover with hot water, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to each pint jar. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint, if desired. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner, pints for 40 minutes and quarts for 45 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 feet. At altitudes above 1,000 feet up to 3,000 feet, process an additional 5 minutes.

For other types of tomato packs for canning, call the Yakima County WSU Extension Office at 574-1600 and request the publication "Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products," PNW 300 ($1, plus tax).

* Sheila Ryan is an agent for family and consumer science with the Yakima County office of Washington State University Cooperative Extension.