I’m thrilled to bring you a salsa recipe that has been years in the making.
This mild salsa is perfect for those who prefer a gentler flavor without the heat of jalapenos or hot chilies.
After countless trials, I’ve finally added this recipe to my cherished Sprout to Supper planner.
Let’s jump right into this delicious, family-approved salsa!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 16 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
- 5 cups chopped onions
- 3 cups chopped peppers
- 10 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 teaspoons cumin
- 3 teaspoons pepper
- 1/4 cup canning salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce or 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 (16 oz) cans tomato paste
How to Make This Mild Salsa Step-by-Step
Step 1: Prep the Tomatoes
Start by peeling and dicing the tomatoes. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for about a minute, then cool and peel them.
For frozen tomatoes, thaw them in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes to make peeling easier.
Once peeled, dice the tomatoes until you have 16 cups.
Don’t throw away the skins—you can dehydrate them to create tomato powder!
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Step 2: Prepare Remaining Ingredients
Next, chop the onions until you have 5 cups. A food processor can speed up this process.
Then, chop 3 cups of peppers; feel free to use any type of pepper that suits your taste.
Finally, mince the garlic to make 10 teaspoons.
(If you’re using dried minced garlic, rehydrate it before adding it to the mix.)
Step 3: Combine and Cook
In a large stockpot, combine all of the ingredients.
Stir the mixture thoroughly and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly and let it boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from scorching.
Step 4: Can the Salsa
Prepare approximately 13 pint jars by washing and cleaning them thoroughly.
Fill the jars with the salsa, leaving half an inch of headspace. Use a debubble tool to remove any air bubbles, then wipe the rims clean.
Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until they’re fingertip tight.
Finally, process the jars in a water bath canner for 15 minutes if you’re at or below 1,000 feet elevation. If you’re above 1,000 feet, consult a reliable source like the National Center for Home Food Preservation to adjust the processing time.
This mild salsa recipe is a wonderful addition to any pantry, perfect for those who enjoy a flavorful but mild salsa.
By following these steps, you can create a delicious, safe-to-can salsa that your family will love year after year. I hope you love it as much as we do!
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Best Mild Salsa
This mild salsa recipe blends fresh, diced tomatoes, crisp onions, and your choice of peppers, creating a perfect balance of flavor with just the right amount of spice.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 13 pints 1x
Ingredients
- 16 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
- 5 cups chopped onions
- 3 cups chopped peppers
- 10 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 teaspoons cumin
- 3 teaspoons pepper
- 1/4 cup canning salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce or 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 (16 oz) cans tomato paste
Instructions
- Peel and Dice Tomatoes: If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for about a minute, then cool and peel. If using frozen tomatoes, thaw them in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes to make peeling easier. Dice the peeled tomatoes to make 16 cups.
- Chop Onions and Peppers: Chop the onions until you have 5 cups. Then chop the peppers until you have 3 cups. You can use a food processor to speed up this process.
- Mince Garlic: Mince the garlic to make 10 teaspoons. If using dried minced garlic, rehydrate it before adding.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large stockpot, combine the 16 cups of diced tomatoes, 5 cups of chopped onions, and 3 cups of chopped peppers. Add 10 teaspoons of minced garlic, 4 teaspoons of cumin, 3 teaspoons of pepper, and 1/4 cup of canning salt. Stir in 2/3 cup of sugar, 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 2 (16 oz) cans of tomato sauce (or 1 (29 oz) can), and 2 (16 oz) cans of tomato paste.
- Cook the Salsa: Stir the mixture thoroughly and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let it boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Prepare Jars: Wash and clean approximately 13 pint jars. Fill the jars with the salsa, leaving half an inch of headspace.
- Debubble and Seal: Use a debubble tool to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean, place the lids on the jars, and screw on the rings until they are fingertip tight.
- Water Bath Canning: Process the jars in a water bath canner for 15 minutes if you are at or below 1,000 feet elevation. If you are above 1,000 feet, adjust the processing time according to the guidelines provided by a reputable source like the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Canning Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
I was a little hesitant to try this recipe as it had no reviews yet, but I will make this again! Frozen garden tomatoes, distilled white vinegar instead of apple cider, and a combination of sweet peppers and seeded jalapeños(it’s what I had 🤷🏼♀️). Otherwise followed recipe as written. My kids even liked it. Win!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Yay! Glad you like it as much as we do!!!
I am thrilled to find a recipe without hot peppers! I’d like to incorporate some peaches or rehydrated mango pieces. What do you think about that?
I would replace an equal portion of either onions or peppers with them. For instance, use 1/2 cup less of peppers, and add 1/2 cup of peaches.
Use 1/4 cup less of onions, and add 1/4 cup fully rehydrated mango pieces.
Those numbers are just examples. 🙂
When making mild salsa, why are you purchasing tomato sauce and tomato pasta from the store?
Great question! Because I have so many canning projects I need to make with my tomatoes. It takes SO many tomatoes to make sauce. We need 52 quarts of pasta sauce to get us through the year. (And that’s just sauce … not to mention the other tomato products we make.) By spending a few bucks on store-bought tomato sauce and paste for this salsa, I can make my harvest stretch much further. 🙂
I’m thinking I need to start with 52 pints of tomato sauce first.
I didn’t rate the recipe because I haven’t made it yet.😊
If fresh or frozen tomatoes aren’t available, can large cans of diced tomatoes suffice for the fresh or frozen ones? Thanks
Yes! 🙂
I can’t rate it yet cause it’s in the WB canner. One issue I have is that every salsa I make it turns our runny. I don’t use the paste tomatoes but I think I should of drained out the juice because I ended up with 2 extra jars. Not sure about the taste either. But I like a mild salsa so I’m excited to see how this taste.
Just wondering where this recipe came from and how you know it is canning safe? Who tested it? Thank you! Safe salsa is my big sticking point.
I made this salsa recipe. While I’m strict about canning safety, I do not believe a recipe has to be tested by the powers that be in order to be safe.
Here are the strict guidelines I followed when making this recipe:
Followed established ratios: The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a “choice salsa recipe” , which establishes a safe ratio between low-acid ingredients and high-acid ingredients.
Applied safe ratios to new recipe: I mimicked these proven ratios in this salsa recipe, ensuring the total amount of low-acid ingredients were properly balanced with acidity.
Relied on vinegar, not tomatoes: The recipe uses 2 cups of apple cider vinegar as the acidifying agent since we can’t depend solely on tomatoes for safe acidification as tomato acidity varies wildly.
pH testing: Most importantly, I tested the finish product with pH strips. The pH lands between 3.5-4, making it safe for water bath canning.
Hope that helps! 🙂
That does help, thank you foe the reply
I used to make a great salsa but it was much too time intensive so am looking forward to trying yours! One question thought…..I always used a portion of bottled lime juice and apple cider vinegar so I looked up the ph levels. Commercially bottled lime & lemon juice are under 3% where as apple cider vinegar is at 5%. If you are trying to get that acid level down below 4.6%, wouldn’t you be prudent to substitute a portion with lime juice, though I wonder how that adjustment might interfere with the large amount of sugar being added?
I use pH strips to measure before canning. This recipe is in the mid-to-high 3 pH range, so we’re good to go! 🙂