Canning Salsa, Pickles & Sweet Pepper Relish Recipes

I've had several of you ask for the recipes I used when I canned my pickles, salsa and sweet pepper relish. I hope this will answer all your questions. Let me know if you have any more, I'll be glad to help all I can.



KOSHER DILL PICKLES
The pickles I canned was made using a 6.5 ounce package of Mrs Wages Kosher Dill Pickle Quick Process mix that was sent home to me by one of my husband's coworkers wife. She had stapled a note on it to add 1 clove of garlic and 1 tsp of dill seed to each pint jar, then add cucumber spears, then fill with the Mrs Wages pickle solution. You cook the pickle solution just like the directions on package states. This can be found at Wal-mart and I also found it at my Price Chopper.

The package says 9-11 pounds of cucumbers. BULL! I had about 4 pounds of cucumbers and barely had enough solution for the last jar. You can only pack cucumbers so tight, when they are speared. If you decide to slice them into chips, then maybe you will need 9-11 pounds.

SALSA
Our salsa recipe is different every time we make it due to: we use what we have grown and have on hand. I generally always start with 6 cups of chopped up (almost pureed) tomatoes. It will take about 10-12 medium size tomatoes. When canning salsa, everything is cooked on mediom low and I cook mine down for about 30 minutes, bring it back up to a boil and then fill my hot jars, and process in a water bath for 20 minutes. Here is a link that is almost identical to how we make our salsa. Newlywed Salsa

The difference in her recipe and mine is:
I do not use banana or green peppers in mine (remember hubby hates green peppers)I use extra jalapenos (depending upon if I'm making mild or hot) and gypsy peppers-if I have them. This year we grew serrano peppers and I used them in my hot salsa. Normally we grow ceyenne peppers, so in the past I have used them. On the milder version I only use a few jalapenos that I have de-seeded and deveined.

PLEASE WEAR GLOVES WHEN PREPARING ANY HOT PEPPER! The oil is impossible to remove from your hands (and after a while your hands will be on fire) but EASY to transfer to your very SENSITIVE body bits! ;) and your eyes.

I don't like vinegar in it and I dont add it. This year I didn't put any sugar in it. My tomatoes were sweet enough for us and we don't need the added sugar in our diet.

We love cilantro in ours. I use fresh if I have it, if I don't then I will add about 4 tablespoons of dried.

On the vinegar thing, they say to add it due to the canning process needing the acidity. My salsa really doesnt last long enough to worry about it. I've been making it this way for the 18 years hubby and I have been married. Lots of canning rules have changed in the last 15 years. The vinegar does change the taste to me. But they do say to add it. Take it for what it's worth.

SWEET JALAPENO RELISH
Here is the recipe I used to make my Sweet Jalapeno Relish. I highly recommend it! The only thing different I did was I used my gypsy peppers instead of buying a red bell pepper.

I like recipes that don't require a huge amount of produce at once since I don't grow a huge traditional garden. If you have a recipe you would like to share that uses tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers please share it with me and the other readers!