Ingredients
- 4 lbs. garden fresh tomatoes, diced
- 10-15 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- the juice of one lemon
- garlic salt to taste
Preparation
Step 1
1. Chop the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cilantro. Place in a large bowl.
2. Add the juice of one lemon and garlic salt to taste.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to blend. Will keep refrigerated for up to a week…if it lasts that long!
Note
-For an even easier method, I like to combine all of the ingredients into my Vitamix Blenderor food processor and pulse slowly (don’t over do it) until well combined. I prefer the texture to be somewhere between chunky and thin.
-Looking for a spicy version? Feel free to add jalapeno peppers, chili peppers, or cayenne peppers/powder to taste.
-Canning Option: If you’d like to can this recipe all you need to do is put all of the ingredients into a pot (except for the lemon juice), bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes. While using a ladle and a funnel, fill sterilized mason jars with the salsa. Then add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to pint-sized jars and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to quarts. Be sure to leave 1 inch headspace. Slip a non-reactive straight kitchen tool (i.e. a knife or something similar) down along the sides of the jars. This helps to release any bubbles. In order to insure a good seal, clean the rim of the jar by wiping with a damp cloth. Apply the lid and a ring. Place the jar into your canner and proceed to water bathe your jars. Process pint-sized jars for 15 minutes and quarts for 20 minutes.
-Lacto-Fermentation Option: Another great method of preservation is the lacto-fermented option. Mix all ingredients (except for the lemon juice) and place in quart-sized mason jars, pressing down on the salsa with a kitchen object such as a wooden pounder. To each quart-sized jar of salsa add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of whey. Apply the lid and a ring. Keep at room temperature for approximately 2 days prior to transferring to cold storage. Note: To learn more about this traditional method of food preservation known as lacto-fermentation, you may be interested in participating in the Lacto-Fermentation eCourse offered by the good folks over at GNOWFGLINS. This book is also an amazing resource…The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods.