Making Salsa

My tomatoes have been coming in for about two weeks now, and I decided it was high time I tried my hand at homemade salsa. I used the recipe that came with my Ball Discovery Kit, which I will post here. (I halved the recipe because I didn't have enough  bell peppers or onions to do a whole batch. It's also probably important to mention that I didn't really measure anything all that precisely.)

Ingredients:
5 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups green bell peppers (mine were yellow and orange, actually)
2 1/2 cups onion
1 1/4 cups chili peppers (I used jalapenos, but any hot variety that suits your taste will work)
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic (although I halved the recipe, I still used a whole clove of garlic - yummy!)
1 tbs. fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, optional (didn't use it - hate the stuff!)

Directions: Prepare stockpot/canner and jars. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, add more salsa if needed. Wipe rim and center lid on the jar. Screw band until fingertip-tight. Process filled jars in boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove stockpot lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.

I'll make a few important side notes about my process. I used Marglobe tomatoes, which (for me at least) are small. Peeling and seeding them was no picnic. The couple of beefsteak tomatoes I used were much easier, because one alone made almost a cup of diced tomatoes. Also, I don't know if there's a trick to this, but I just grabbed the skin of the raw tomato and pulled it off. Not that it was difficult, but I'm sure there's got to be a less tedious way to peel tomatoes. Maybe some more experienced cooks out there can tell me a way.

Another reason it took me so long to prepare my tomatoes was because I removed just about every seed possible. I'm saving my seeds to grow new plants next season. This is my first time doing this, and I hope it works. I'll let you know how it goes. IMPORTANT: If you are going to save seeds, remember to only use heirloom or open-pollinated plant varieties. This guarantees that you will have the same plant quality from year to year. Also, it is actually ILLEGAL to save seeds from patented plant varieties, and some corporations go for the throat if they catch you saving their seeds. Best to be safe than sorry! Besides, saving heirlooms/open-pollinated seeds ensures plant diversity, and makes sure that some great plant varieties aren't lost to the generations to come.

Anyway, I followed the directions and cooked up my salsa. Half the recipe made enough for one and a half pints (plus a scoop or two for taste-testing). I did not actually water-bath can my salsa, because my intent was for it to go straight into the fridge for eating. So all I did was put on my lid, screw down the ring, and turn the jar of hot salsa over to heat up the seal on the lid and get it to stick (a little trick my mom-in-law showed me). Let it be known right now though, if you want your salsa to be shelf stable, you absolutely must process your salsa in a boiling water bath like the instructions say! Don't go get botulism and then blame me!

And there's the finished product below. Isn't it beautiful? I know you'll have to take my word on this, but it's tasty too! It's a might hot, but what good salsa isn't?