Fiesta Salsa

The tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are really coming in now ... Perfect time to make salsa!

I went to the home canning bible, the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, to find this gem of a recipe, Fiesta Salsa.

Fiesta Salsa

7 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes
2 cups chopped, seeded, peeled cucumbers
2 cups chopped and seeded banana peppers (I used 1 cup hot banana peppers and 1 cup mixed green and red bell peppers)
1 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped, seeded jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup chopped, peeled, roasted Anaheim peppers (I couldn't find any locally. I cheated and used roast red bell peppers out of the jar)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice

Get out your cutting board and settle in. Chop, chop, chop; then combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Note: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves. Do not touch your mouth or eyes! Do not inhale deeply!

This recipe says it yields 4 pints. I got five. Plus, there was about a half cup of juice left in the pan. I poured it into a jar and chilled it in the 'fridge. Oh my gosh, it made an awesome vegetable cocktail - no alcohol required - although I'm thinking it would make the perfect bloody Mary! Just the right spicy-ness. Naturally sweet. Can't wait to break open a jar to compliment our next Mexican feast - or bag of corn chips!