We're back in business

Every year after canning season I have this terrible feeling of drudgery towards canning -the overwhelming pressure of keeping up with food before it all goes bad.

Then harvest time happens and I know why I get so into it and hoard SO MUCH food.  There is just something so satisfying about growing your own food, storing it however that particular food needs to be stored, and then later in the year, getting that same feeling of satisfaction as you use the food in a meal for your family!  Right now I am enthusiastic about canning.  After peaches and pears I will be ready for a LONG break!  Anyways, this last week I have been going out to my garden and picking beautiful, red, tasty tomatoes to the tune of a little more than ten pounds per day (just enough to make up a big batch of salsa).  Are you looking for a good recipe?

My mom said that she looked for years for a good salsa recipe, and she finally found this one and it is GOOD.  Just make sure you have a good food processor or this could take a long time - and  I don't think I could handle making it without one; the onions and jalapenos are so strong I'm coughing and crying the way it is!

10 pounds tomatoes
12 chopped jalapenos
10 chopped garlic cloves
1 1/2 C. white vinegar
1/2 C. chopped cilantro
1/4 C. salt
1/4 C. sugar (I omit this and it's still great)
2 TBSP lime juice
1 tsp cumin

Grind up the tomatoes, then add all the above ingredients and bring them to a boil.  Then add:

1/2 tsp pepper
6 chopped up onions

Simmer all of the ingredients for ten minutes.  Then add:

3 small cans of tomato paste

Simmer everything for 20 minutes, then put the salsa in your jars and process them in a water bath for 20 minutes.  This makes 12-14 pints of salsa, depending upon how much you and your family "sample" along the way.:) Another note is that if you add the 12 jalapenos, your salsa will be piping hot/spicy.  I always make a few batches that way because Shawn, Kami and Caden really like it that way- yesterday I added 13 to a batch and Shawn said that it was just right because it was "making him sweat around his eyes".  Go figure - that doesn't sound fun to me. I add half the jalapenos called for in the recipe for the rest of us and have my little helpers label the lids with a crayon while they're hot.  So you may want to experiment with the right amount of jalapenos for you.