I’m feeling decidedly uncreative this year…
…as far as food preservation goes.
Am I allowed to say that?
There I go, losing my homesteader status points again…
I’m going to blame the cookbook and the shall-not-yet-be-named undisclosed project for eating up all of my allotted creativity for the year.
I got nuthin’.
I guess I did do some fermented pickled green beans, although that was more in the name of laziness and not wanting to pull out the pressure canner, rather than a stroke of creative genius.
Dang you, cookbook.
However, even in a complete creative slump, it’s kinda hard to ignore the garden when it’s giving you ripe tomatoes, happy poblano peppers, and plump onions all at the same time.
Okay, okay, fine. I’ll make some salsa. Geez.
If I had to choose, fresh salsa or pico de gallo is usually the salsa I’ll make. However, the thing with fresh/uncooked salsa is that you’ll need to consume it all within a couple days, and when you have BUCKETS of tomatoes on your counter, a couple cups of pico don’t really make a dent in the chaos.
Right now it’s all about processing the boatloads of produce coming into my house and less about flavor profiles, although if I happen to get both, that’s awesome.
If you are a canning newbie, I just revamped my Canning Made Easy course and it’s ready for YOU! I’ll walk you through each step of the process (safety is my #1 priority!), so you can finally learn to can confidently, without the stress. CLICK HERE to have a look at the course and ALL the bonuses that come with it.
I Heart Poblanos
I’ve been growing poblano peppers like a crazy person for the last two years. For some reason unbeknownst to me, they seem to adore Wyoming (not many veggies do…) and survive much better than bell peppers (which absolutely despise me). I grow them from seed I get from Baker Creek and always end up with far more poblanos than one person really needs (which is why I finally canned some last year).
Poblanos are the only pepper I care to use in either my cooked or fresh salsas. However, if you can’t get or grow poblanos where you are, you can substitute Anaheim peppers or any other mild chili pepper. (Heck, you can use hot ones if you like– but that doesn’t really fly at my house…)
This roasted poblano salsa recipe is perfect for using up a portion of your tomato and pepper bounty at the same time. You may can it if you like, although it’ll also freeze like a champ. Or you can just eat it fresh (it does make a decent-sized batch, so feel free to halve or quarter the recipe if you’re not feeding an army.)
Oh– since this salsa recipe contains added acid in the form of vinegar, you can use a water bath canner for it if you wish. (Here’s my full water bath canning tutorial if you’re a newbie to the world of canning.)
Roasted Poblano Salsa Recipe
PrintRoasted Poblano Salsa
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 7 pints 1x
- Category: Sides/Preservation
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 10 cups chopped and seeded tomatoes
- 5 cups roasted poblano peppers or other mild chili pepper (see instructions below)
- 5 cups chopped red or yellow onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 3 teaspoons fine sea salt (I use this one)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to taste and adjust the salt and seasonings as needed. If you like less chunky salsa, you can use an immersion blender in the pot to blend it up.
- To Can This Salsa: Ladle the salsa in to hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Affix the lids and rings and process for 15 minutes in a water bath canner. (Adjust times accordingly if you live at higher altitudes.)
How to Roast Chili Peppers
Select only fresh, firm peppers for canning, as limp ones will yield less than desirable results. Wash the peppers, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes to blister the skins. Flip over once to ensure they char on both sides. (It’s important to blister them as evenly as you can, otherwise it’s very difficult to get the skins to come off.)
Remove the charred peppers and place into a Ziploc bag and seal tightly. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes, then remove the peppers from the bag and rub off as much of the peel/skin as possible.
Roasted Poblano Salsa Notes
- If you live at higher altitudes, you’ll need to increase the time you water bath your jars according to these recommendations.
- This recipe was based on a salsa recipe I found in the Ball Blue Book (affiliate link). I stayed very close to the ratios of tomatoes/vinegar/other ingredients to ensure it would be at the proper level of acidity to be safely canned in a water bath canner.
- If you don’t have any fresh cilantro (a common problem at my house), try using 2-3 drops of high-quality cilantro essential oil instead! These are my #1 fav essential oils for cooking.
- The amount of vinegar is important in this recipe as it ensures it is safe for processing in a water bath canner. If you want to decrease the amount of vinegar, simply use a pressure canner to preserve it or freeze it instead of canning it.
- Try my favorite lids for canning, learn more about FOR JARS lids here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/forjars (use code PURPOSE10 for 10% off)
More Tomato Goodness
- Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes
- 40+ Ways to Preserve Tomatoes
- How to Freeze Tomatoes
- How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
If you are a canning newbie, I just revamped my Canning Made Easy course and it’s ready for YOU! I’ll walk you through each step of the process (safety is my #1 priority!), so you can finally learn to can confidently, without the stress. CLICK HERE to have a look at the course and ALL the bonuses that come with it.
This salsa looks great! I just made up a few batches with the kajillion tomatoes and jalapenos that popped up in my garden in late summer. I wonder if poblanos would grow well up here in Ontario. Like you I have bad luck with bell peppers, but jalapenos seem to like it here.
Thanks for the recipe!
Jess
This year I tried growing King of the North (type of bell) peppers. They did extremely well. I was super impressed. I’ve tried growing other bell peppers before but they never did well here in Manitoba. There are still a bunch that are turning red out in the garden.
On another note, I always am super excited to be able to say, “All the vegetables in this salsa are from my garden!”
I love to be able to say that too– so fun!
I “roast” everything, throw in some zucchini (cuz there is always a surplus of those) for substance…..and can it that way. GREAT flavor and texture.
I’m guessing you’d probably have good luck with poblanos, too!
I have a question. Did you peel your tomatoes? I love salsa but want a mild heat and I know Poblano peppers will do that.
Jill does not usually peel her tomatoes.
Thank you for your response. I peeled my tomatoes and made a batch. It is the perfect amount of heat. In the process of making 2 more batches.
Jill…do you have any online resources you can share that would help determine how long your recipes will last (fridge vs canning vs freezer)? I don’t really have a nose for this stuff and would like to start dating your recipes after I make them 🙂
Also, if you are looking for a easier method of canning, I would suggest looking into a Sous Vide Precision Cooker, I have been looking into this for cooking my meat before I sear it and it is perfect for canning.
Hmmm… I don’t have any resources as far as determining how long the recipes will last– I think it really depends. I know with this salsa, I always just look for mold after it’s been in the fridge for a while– but it usually lasts quite a while. And thanks for the info on the Sous Vide cooker– I’ll have to look into that!
This looks delish. I have canned a ridiculous amount of salsa in the past month or two (and raspberry jam). I am with you on not wanting to do any more preserving…but we still have a bunch of tomatoes coming. I think I’ll be lazy this time and do chili base!
It gets a little overwhelming at the end of the season, huh?! 😉
I’ve been buried with poblanos this year. About 80 from 6 plant .I’ll try this with tomatillos.also.
Awesome! Let us know how it comes out! 🙂
Just wondering if you would know if I could use a Steam Canner versus Water Bath? Also, what amount of time would you do for pint and what for quart in the SteamCanner? Thank you!! Every single recipe that I use of yours is absolutely DELICIOUS!! Thank you so very much for sharing!!
Is it 5 cups RED OR YELLOW ONIONS? Or is it RED OR YELLOW PEPPERS? Or is it White or Yellow onions?
Is the headspace supposed to be 1/2 inch, and not a quarter? I would love to make this but wanted to make sure first. I would also like to know, like the other commenter, if it is indeed 5 cups of red/yellow peppers? Thank you so much, I am so excited to try this recipe!
Thanks for reaching out! It’s 1/2 inch headspace. I’ve fixed the recipe to show that. The rest of the recipe is correct. 5 cups roasted peppers and 5 cups onion, either yellow or red
Can you use a pressure canner?
The name of this salsa is misleading. I read the whole recipe and at no point is any “roasting” happening. This is regular salsa because it’s just boiled which probably tastes great but is not at all what the name implies.
I think you missed a bit of this recipe. The recipe says: “5 cups roasted poblano peppers or other mild chili pepper (see instructions below)” and below the recipe is a part titled: “How to Roast Chili Peppers”