If you’ve ever grown too many tomatoes and had no idea what to do with all of them, this is your answer. This Homemade Canned Salsa Recipe turns a mountain of tomatoes, peppers, and onions into eighteen jars of salsa you’ll be working through all winter. It’s smoky, a little spicy, and better than anything you’d grab off a grocery shelf. Make a batch now and future you will be very grateful come January when all you want is tomatoes.
Store-bought salsa never has this depth, and that’s because it skips the char. Roasting the peppers on the grill before they go into the pot is what turns a basic tomato salsa into something people start asking you to bottle for them. Eighteen jars means there’s plenty to keep for yourself, hand out as gifts, and still have some left over for taco night all winter long. Want more tomato recipes? Homemade Tomato Sauce and Fried Red Tomatoes.
😍 Why You’ll Love This Homemade Canned Salsa Recipe
A serious batch: eighteen jars means you’re stocked for months, not just for one weekend of chips and dip.
Naturally smoky: charring the peppers on the grill gives this salsa a depth that grocery store versions can’t touch.
Adjustable heat: control the jalapeños and pepper mix to land wherever you want between mild and full-on spicy.
Built for real canning: this recipe is written specifically for a boiling-water bath, so it’s shelf-stable and ready to store away.
🍅 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Canned Salsa Recipe
Roma tomatoes: about 25 pounds of fresh tomatoes gets you roughly 32 cups once they’re cored, peeled, and chopped.
Yellow onions: they add sweetness and body; white or red onions, or a mix, work too.
Peppers: use whatever combination you like — green, poblano, banana, sweet, and red peppers all work well together for a balanced flavour.
Jalapeños: these bring the heat, so remove the seeds if you want to keep things milder, or leave some in for extra spice.
Garlic: a full bulb, minced, gives the salsa a strong savoury backbone.
Tomato paste: thickens the salsa and deepens the overall tomato flavour.
White vinegar: make sure it’s at least 5% acidity, since this is what makes the salsa safe for water-bath canning.
Pickling salt: dissolves cleanly and keeps the salsa clear, without the additives found in table salt.
Granulated sugar: balances out the acidity from the vinegar and tomatoes.
Cumin: adds warmth and rounds out the overall flavour of the salsa.
Fresh cilantro: stirred in at the end for a burst of herby freshness.
✔ How To Make This Canned Salsa Recipe
Prepare the Tomatoes
- Start by washing and coring the tomatoes. Using a small paring knife, cut around the stem of each tomato at an angle, then remove and discard the core.
- To remove the skins, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Working in batches of about 10 tomatoes, carefully place the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch for approximately 2 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Continue until all the tomatoes have been blanched.
- Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and place the tomatoes in a large bowl.
- You can chop the tomatoes by hand, or use a blender or food processor. I prefer using a food processor and pulsing the tomatoes until they reach the consistency I like.
Prepare the Peppers
- I like to roast my peppers on the BBQ and char them, which adds a great smoky flavour to the salsa. This step is optional.
- If you choose to roast the peppers, preheat your BBQ to 500–600°F. Place the peppers directly on the hot grill and cook, turning as needed, until they are nicely charred on all sides.
- Remove the peppers from the grill and allow them to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and seeds.
- If you prefer not to roast the peppers, simply remove the seeds and chop them by hand or pulse them in a food processor until they are in small, bite-sized pieces.
Prepare the Onions and Garlic
- You can also roast the onions if you prefer, but I usually leave them fresh.
- Peel the onions and cut them into quarters. Peel the garlic and add both to the food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped and reach the consistency you prefer.
Cook the Salsa
- In a large pot, combine the chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and cumin.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then continue cooking at a steady boil for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, taste the salsa. If it needs a bit more salt, add if necessary. If it tastes too acidic or sour, add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting between additions, until you are happy with the flavour.
- Stir in the freshly chopped cilantro and mix well.
🤝 Sammy’s Tip for How to Can Salsa
- If your salsa seems too watery, you can remove some of the excess liquid. Place a portion of the cooked salsa in a colander and allow some of the liquid to drain off. Discard the excess liquid and return the salsa to the pot.
Fill and Process the Jars
- Using properly sterilized and prepared jars, carefully ladle the hot salsa into the jars, leaving the recommended headspace for your canning method.
- Run a clean knife or canning tool around the inside of each jar to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Wipe the jar rims clean with vinegar or a clean, damp cloth, then place the lids on the jars and secure the rings according to proper canning instructions.
- Process the filled jars in a boiling-water bath for 20 minutes.
Important Canning Note
If you plan to can and store this salsa at room temperature, please do your homework and follow the current, tested canning guidelines published for your country. In particular, make sure you are using the correct tomato-to-acid ratio, vinegar or other approved acid, jar size, headspace, and water-bath processing time for a salsa recipe. Canning recommendations can vary between countries, so always refer to a reliable, up-to-date source specific to where you live. Do not reduce the amount of acid called for in a tested recipe, as the acidity is an important part of making salsa safe for water-bath canning. If you are new to canning, please take the time to learn the proper water-bath canning procedure before beginning.
🗒 Variations
Extra smoky: char every pepper on the grill instead of roasting just some of them for a deeper, more intense smoky flavour throughout.
Milder version: remove the seeds and ribs from all the jalapeños, or leave a couple out entirely if you want something closer to a mild salsa.
Herby boost: double the cilantro if you love a really herby, fresh finish.
🗒 Substitutions
Pickling salt: kosher salt can work in a pinch, though it may cloud the brine slightly since it doesn’t dissolve quite as cleanly.
Cilantro: if cilantro isn’t your thing, fresh parsley makes a good stand-in, though the flavour will be milder.
Cumin: smoked paprika can be used in its place for a different kind of warmth and colour.
🍴 Storage
Properly processed jars with sealed lids will keep in a cool, dark pantry for up to a year. Once a jar is opened, store it in the fridge and use it within two weeks.
🤔 FAQ’s
Do I have to roast the peppers?
No, roasting is optional. It adds a smoky flavour, but you can skip it and just chop the peppers raw instead.
Can I make this less spicy?
Yes, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños, or leave a few out of the batch entirely to bring the heat down.
Why is my salsa too watery?
Fresh tomatoes release a lot of liquid as they cook. If it looks thin, drain some of the salsa in a colander for a few minutes before jarring it, as noted in the recipe.
Can I skip the water-bath canning step?
Not if you’re storing the salsa at room temperature. The water bath is what makes it shelf-stable and safe to store outside the fridge, so it shouldn’t be skipped.
👩🍳 Hungry For More?
If you loved this homemade salsa recipe, then make sure to check out a few of my other recipes you may also love:
- Fresh Salsa Recipe
- Homemade Bread Crumbs
- Homemade Cereal
- Homemade Granola Recipe
- Homemade Ranch Dip
- Homemade Tomato Sauce
- Homemade Chicken Broth
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest! If you do make this canned salsa recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Canned Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- 1 jar lifter grips hot Mason jars so you can safely move them in and out of the canner
- 1 funnel a wide-mouth funnel that makes it easier to fill jars without getting salsa on the rim
- 1 canning rack keeps jars elevated and separated during water-bath processing
- 1 large stock pot
- 1 blender or food processor
- 16 Jars and lids I used 16oz jars
- 1 canning pot
Ingredients
- 32 cups roma tomatoes, I used 25 pounds of fresh tomatoes. That gives your roughly 32 cups after cored, peeled and chopped
- 7 cups yellow onions, chopped, you can use white or red or a mixture
- 6 cups peppers (your preference), I used green, poblano, banana, sweet and red peppers
- 5 jalapeños, remove seeds depending on your spice level
- 1 bulb garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup tomato paste
- 2¾ cups white vinegar, not less than 5% acidity
- 6 tbsp pickling salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 cups fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- This recipe yields 18 – 16 oz jars. Be sure you have a canning set (check Amazon) before preparing this recipe.
Prepare the tomatoes
- Start by washing and coring the tomatoes. Using a small paring knife, cut around the stem of each tomato at an angle, then remove and discard the core. Alternatively you can use a tomato corer.
- To remove the skins, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Working in batches of about 10 tomatoes, carefully place the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch for approximately 2 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Continue until all the tomatoes have been blanched.
- Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Discard the skins.
- You can chop the tomatoes by hand, or use a blender or food processor. I prefer using a food processor and pulsing the tomatoes until they reach the consistency I like.
Prepare the peppers
- I like to roast my peppers on the BBQ and char them, which adds a great smoky flavour to the salsa. This step is optional.If you choose to roast the peppers, preheat your BBQ to 500–600°F. Place the peppers directly on the hot grill and cook, turning as needed, until they are nicely charred on all sides.
- Remove the peppers from the grill and allow them to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and seeds.
- If you prefer not to roast the peppers, simply remove the seeds and chop them by hand or pulse them in a food processor until they are in small, bite-sized pieces.
Prepare the onions and garlic
- Peel the onions and cut them into quarters. Peel the garlic and add both to the food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped and reach the consistency you prefer.
Cook the salsa
- In a large pot, combine the chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and cumin.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then continue cooking at a steady boil for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, taste the salsa. If it needs a bit more salt, add if necessary. If it tastes too acidic or sour, add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting between additions, until you are happy with the flavour.
- Stir in the freshly chopped cilantro and mix well.
- Sammy's Tip: If your salsa seems too watery, you can remove some of the excess liquid. Place a portion of the cooked salsa in a colander and allow some of the liquid to drain off. Discard the excess liquid and return the salsa to the pot.
Fill and process the jars
- Using properly sterilized and prepared jars, carefully ladle the hot salsa into the jars, leaving the recommended headspace for your canning method.
- Run a clean knife or canning tool around the inside of each jar to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Wipe the jar rims clean with vinegar or a clean, damp cloth, then place the lids on the jars and secure the rings according to proper canning instructions.
- Process the filled jars in a boiling-water bath for 20 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, carefully lift the jars out without tilting and place them upright on a towel-covered counter, leaving at least 1 inch between jars. Allow to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Do not tighten the bands or press on the lids while the jars cool.You may hear the lids pop as they cool, but always check the seals afterward. Remove the screw bands and gently press the centre of each lid—it should curve downward and should not flex or pop back up.
- Refrigerate any jars that failed to seal and use within a few days.
- The salsa will remain good in the jar for up to 18 months
Important Canning Note
If you plan to can and store this salsa at room temperature, please do your homework and follow the current, tested canning guidelines published for your country. In particular, make sure you are using the correct tomato-to-acid ratio, vinegar or other approved acid, jar size, headspace, and water-bath processing time for a salsa recipe.Canning recommendations can vary between countries, so always refer to a reliable, up-to-date source specific to where you live. Do not reduce the amount of acid called for in a tested recipe, as the acidity is an important part of making salsa safe for water-bath canning.If you are new to canning, please take the time to learn the proper water-bath canning procedure before beginning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!