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Bill and I have been growing a raised garden bed for several years now. We love to grow things we can eat every year. One year I had a zucchini that went up to my knee it was so tall! That being said, Bill loves salsa. He can and does eat it with almost everything.
Long before we knew there was going to be a pandemic this year, we decided to grow our plants from seeds. That's where True Leaf Market was such a great help. They have so many seed kits and seeds to pick from it was hard to decide! After much deliberation, we went with the True Leaf Market Premium Mexican Salsa Seed Starter Kit. It had everything we could ever want and more. The True Leaf Market Premium Mexican Salsa Seed Starter Kit was beyond easy to use.
The directions were beyond easy to follow. First, you add the compressed soil pucks to the trays.
Once in the trays, you just add water and let it sit.
Then push the dirt down and make it all pretty. Make yourself a hole and put in 4 seeds. Then cover the seeds.
Now we labeled everything with the seed label sticks, because there is no way we'd remember what we put where.
Next we placed the trays in my garden window and left them be. Besides periodically making sure the tray had enough water in it, this salsa kit pretty much does all the work for you.
Look! We have plants! Now, it's only May here in Illinois , so they are still pretty little. We did transplant them to the garden:
Now, we have a sprinkler system set up and I'll be picking weeds all summer, but we can't wait to enjoy some of these peppers and tomatoes and onions! Though, there is absolutely nothing better than fresh salsa with the ingredients from your garden! Of course, when you are sourcing from your own garden, you get a ton of tomatoes and peppers. That's why we had to figure out how to can it. (plus it is delicious so its nice to have when its not summer too!). Now, this recipe is made for my family's taste buds, so you can make your own substitutions and additions. That's the great thing about garden salsa, it is so easy to make it your own.
Canned Garden Salsa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 white onion chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 pounds fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped
- 4 banana peppers chopped
- 2 (aff) Heatless Jalapeño Peppers chopped
- 3 (aff) sweet peppers chopped
- 3 6 ounce cans tomato paste
- 1/2 (aff) cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and simmer until thick. This will take about 3 hours.1 red onion, 1 white onion, 1 yellow onion, 6 pounds fresh tomatoes, 4 banana peppers, 2 Heatless Jalapeño Peppers, 3 sweet peppers, 3 6 ounce cans tomato paste, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar
- To sterilize the jars and lids, drop them in boiling water (for at least 5 minutes). Spoon the salsa into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove air bubbles. Next, wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Last, top with the lids, and screw on rings.
- Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and lower the jars into the pot. You should leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Next, pour in more boiling water until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and wait for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface until cool. Once they have cooled off, press the top of each lid with a finger to make sure that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all).
- Refrigerate after opening.
We loved our True Leaf Market Premium Mexican Salsa Seed Starter Kit. I would definitely get it again, and we are now figuring out whatTrue Leaf Market Vegetable Seeds we should order next year!