Summer in a Jar: Salsa Five Months Later and a Keeper from the Recipe Box

When things get busy in the fall and we had more ripe tomatoes than we could take care of at the time, I just threw the ripe ones in ziplock bags and froze them. A few weeks ago I had to buy my first jar of salsa from the grocery store.

 I decided it was time to can another batch of my own salsa. Just in case the extra water added more weight I added more tomatoes than usual.

 One thing I discovered is the tomatoes are easier to work with after being frozen when it comes to removing skins and seeds.

 It smelled like late summer again in the kitchen as we chopped tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic, and hot peppers.I love how beautiful the combination of red and green looks in the pot as the salsa simmers.

The batch made eleven pints of salsa. I can't wait for the jars to cool a bit so we can sample some with tortilla chips. We will feel like we are back to late summer once again.

 Here is my recipe which I created after trying a variety recipes for salsa.I don't like anything hot and spicy so I go easy on the hot stuff. The ingredient I take out is cilantro since my husband doesn't like it. The ingredient I think is a must. Lime juice.

Christy’s Zesty Salsa

 10 cups tomatoes (seeded, cored, chopped)

(About 6 pounds)

5 cups chopped and seeded green peppers

2 ½  cups chopped hot peppers ( Anaheim and jalapeno are mild,

poblanos and serranors are hot…….add a few seeds to make it hotter.

I mix these types……..usually Anaheim and jalapeno.)

5 cups chopped onions

5 cloves garlic,minced

2 TB fresh cilantro, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

1 cup cider vinegar

½ cup lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 min. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving ¼ “ head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 6 pints.

Tip: If my tomatoes are watery I strain the mixture to keep the salsa from being soupy!

Gathering Around the Table: Sibling Assignment #150

 This week I assigned Sibling Assignment #150. One hundred and fifty posts is a feat in itself. Creating one hundred and fifty different topics to write about has been another feat. One joy of participating in the sibling assignments has been having that opportunity to link my writing with the fine writing of my brother and sister. Here is our celebratory assignment for this week. " To celebrate 150 reflect back on all our sibling assignments and pick three favorite images you have posted, link them in some way, and write about them."

 A perfect way to spend Sunday morning was to revisit the sibling assignments I have written. There were common themes in my photos: flowers, food, family, road trips, and my hometown. The photos that stood out to me the most centered around food. There is significance in the name of my blog. My life has been about gathering around the table.

 Whether eating, playing games, laughing, drinking, crying,fighting, doing homework, coloring Easter eggs, writing, doing crafts, preparing food, singing, praying, singing "Happy Birthday", making Mother's Day cards, telling jokes, sharing recipes,reading emails, or telling stories it has happened at tables in Kellogg, Orofino, Glendive,Spokane, Meridian, Kennewick, Kettle Falls, Inchelium, the Oregon Coast, Eugene, Prichard, Rose Lake, Konkleville, and Metaline Falls.

I have so many pictures of gatherings, table settings,fancy drinks, birthday celebrations, and desserts. These homemade cakes, new salad recipes, Tom and Jerrys, Mother's Day dinners, Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas Eve Around the World dinners, warm cookies, good coffee, Stingers, s'mores, and overnight breakfast casseroles have given me good reasons to gather around tables with family and friends.