COLD SALSA

By MommaRode

I saw a recipe for salsa in a magazine and the accompanying picture looked really pretty with the cherry tomatoes showing through the jar. The original recipe called for 3 different hot peppers as well as a few additional hot spices. No. Wasn't going to do hot salsa. I decided to try what I thought would be good, and this is what I came up with. Not bad :-)

Ingredients

• 3 - 26oz. cans whole tomatoes,
• drained chopped and cores cut off if needed
• 2-1/2 cups chopped green peppers
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 small bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup + 1TBS white vinegar
• 1/3 cup tomato paste (optional)
• 5 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3-4 cups green and red cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 TBS. cilantro (dried) or 3/4 cup fresh
• 2 large cans (16oz.) pineapple tidbits and/or crushed
• drained, but reserving juice until ready to put in jars

Preparation

Step 1

Put water in your canner to start heating up.

Drain the tomatoes. Cut the core from the bottom (if there is one on the tomato). Chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces.

Place drained tomatoes in 8 qt. non-reactive heavy pot. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Add peppers, onions, lime juice, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, salt and pepper. Return mixture to boiling. Reduce heat. Add cherry tomatoes, pineapple and cilantro. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Sterilize your jars and lids.

Ladle hot salsa into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids, firmly but not overly tight. If the salsa in the jar doesn't look to have enough juice, add some of the pineapple juice to the pan the salsa is in and then fill the jar.

Process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes - start timing when water returns to boiling. Carefully remove jars from canner. Cool on racks.