The Best Spicy Salsa Recipe for Canning

Tomatoes are my absolute favorite garden crop to grow. If I grew nothing but tomatoes, I’d still be a happy gardener! With the abundance of garden tomatoes I harvest each season, finding ways to use them is essential—after all, I don’t want all my hard work to go to waste. {Check out my post for How to Use Eggshells as Fertilizer for Healthier Tomato Plants!}

One of our favorite snacks in our house is tortilla chips with pice de Gallo or a fresh tomato salsa, making this canned salsa recipe the perfect way to preserve fresh flavors for home food preservation and enjoyment throughout the middle of winter.

Recipe Inspiration

I didn’t grow up in a household with gardening or home canning. Fresh tomatoes and green peppers were simply what we picked up from the grocery store. The idea of growing and preserving food at home wasn’t something I was exposed to as a child, but when I finally learned about the canning process, I realized it was the easiest way to make a lot of salsa that could last well beyond the summer months.

Canning salsa isn’t just about convenience — it’s one of the safest and most effective ways to store pounds of tomatoes long-term. However, since fresh tomatoes have varying pH levels, it’s important to follow a tested recipe from a trusted source, such as from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, to ensure proper preservation. Using bottled lemon juice, citric acid, vinegar helps maintain the right acidity level, which is critical for safety reasons when using a water bath canner.

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Ingredients for Spicy Canned Salsa

• tomatoes
• jalapeño peppers
• dried hot chili peppers
• red onion
• cilantro
• garlic cloves
• crushed red pepper
• salt
• red wine vinegar or lime juice (a great option for those searching for salsa canning recipes using lime juice)

Equipment Needed for Canning Salsa

• glass canning jars
• canning lids and rings
• water bath canner
• essential canning tools (jar lifter, funnel, ladle, etc.)

Prep The Ingredients

Tomatoes

• Wash tomatoes and jalapeño peppers in cold water
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch tomatoes for 30-60 seconds. Remove and immediately place in cold ice water to stop the heating process
• Remove tomato skins, cut tomatoes in half and core. Dice into 1/4″ pieces
• 💡 Pro Tip: If you prefer a smoother salsa, consider canning tomatoes without seeds. To do this, after blanching and peeling, cut the tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out the seeds before dicing into 1/4″ pieces.
• 💡 Pro Tip: How to Blanch Tomatoes for Canning: If you’re new to canning tomatoes, blanching is an essential step to remove the skins easily. Bring a large pot of boiling water to a rolling boil, then drop in whole tomatoes for 30-60 seconds until the skins begin to loosen. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes into cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, the skins will slide right off, making them perfect for salsa canning recipes!

Jalapeños

• Wearing rubber gloves, remove stems and seeds from jalapeño peppers and dice

Onions

• Peel the skins off of the onions and dice. Measure out 3 cups

Cook The Ingredients

• Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or until the salsa has thickened
• 💡 Pro Tip: A common question is, do you have to cook salsa before canning? Cooking the salsa beforehand not only enhances flavor by blending the ingredients but also reduces bacteria that may be present. Additionally, simmering helps thicken the salsa by evaporating excess water from the tomatoes, resulting in a richer consistency.

Fill The Jars

• Prepare the glass canning jars and lids according to best canning practices
• Fill the jars with the hot salsa leaving 1/2″ headspace and remove the air bubbles
• Clean jar rims and add lid and metal rings
• Place jars on canning rack in water bath canner, jars must be covered by 1″ water

Processing Time

• Place lid on canner and adjust heat to medium-high, bring to a rolling boil
• Process pint jars for 15 minutes
• Turn off heat and remove lid and let jars cool for 5 minutes
• Remove jars from the canner and place on a flat surface. Let cool for 12 hours before moving

Storing and Using Your Canned Salsa

Once the hot jars have cooled to room temperature, remove the rings from the sealed jars and store them in a dark place for the best shelf life. If a jar didn’t seal properly, refrigerate and enjoy the fresh salsa within a week.

Printable Recipe Card

Try experimenting with different recipes, like a mild salsa with mild chiles or an extra-spicy version using hot sauce and cayenne pepper. If you prefer a thicker salsa, consider adding tomato paste or reducing the mixture longer over medium heat in a large stock pot Dutch oven.