Smoky Roasted Tomatillo & Tomato Salsa

By vealam

Ingredients

• 12 dried chipotle chile peppers, stemmed
• 12 dried guajillo (cascabel) chile peppers, stemmed
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored
• 1 large onion
• 1 head garlic, broken into cloves with excess paper brushed away
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar (raw or granulated)
• 1 teaspoon salt (non-iodized)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from foodiewithfamily.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place a large, dry, heavy skillet over medium heat.
Toast the chipotle and guajillo peppers on both sides (this may take more than one go-round as the size of the skillet determines how many peppers you can fit in at a time without overcrowding), about 30 seconds to a side, until they are pliable and fragrant. Transfer the toasted chiles to a stainless steel or glass bowl and pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the peppers. Weight the peppers down with a bowl or plate to keep them submerged and cover the whole bowl with plastic wrap or a tight cover for 15-30 minutes or until the peppers are softened.
Transfer the contents (water and peppers both) to a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth. Set aside.
Put cored plum tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic in a single layer into a rimmed baking pan. Put them under a broiler set on high until tomatillos and tomatoes are blistered, blackened and softened and onions and garlic have black spots on them. Put tomatillos and tomatoes into a paper bag and cinch the top closed. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
Pull the tomatoes out one at a time, rub them to remove the skins, depositing the peeled tomatoes directly into the food processor bowl that is fitted with a metal blade. When the processor is full, pulse until smooth. Pour the smooth processed tomatoes into a large, stainless steel stockpot. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes and tomatillos.
Peel the onions and garlic and pulse in the food processor until finely chopped. Add those to the tomatoes and tomatillos in the stockpot.
Add the reserved pureed chiles and remaining ingredients to the stockpot and stir until evenly distributed.
Prepare canner, jars and lids. (For more information on how to do this, see this link. )
Bring the tomato mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring frequently, and continue simmering until it thickens slightly. This should take about 15 minutes or so.
Ladle the hot salsa into the prepared jars, leaving ½-inch (1 cm) of headspace.
Use a stainless steel chopstick or butterknife to remove any air bubbles. If you need to add more salsa to maintain the headspace, do so.
Use a clean towel dampened with vinegar to wipe the rims of the jars.
Center the lid on the jar then screw on the band until fingertip-tight. Don't overtighten but don't leave loose!
Place jars into a canner, cover with water by an inch, and bring to a boil with the lid on the canner. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, begin a 15 minute timer. When the timer expires, turn off the heat, remove the lid to your canner and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.
After five minutes, carefully transfer the jars to a towel or cooling rack on your counter and let stand, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Any jars that did not seal should be stored in the refrigerator.
After 24 hours, remove the rings for the sealed jars, wipe the jars clean and label them for storage. Store with the rings off (and in a single layer.) This is a little insurance policy. If there is bacterial growth in the jars, the bacteria will produce gas which will loosen and push up on the lid. This is an indicator that the jar has gone bad. If you have the rings in place, the lids cannot loosen and pop up to tell you something is wrong.
Store in a cool dry place for up to a year.