Question about Salsa

I found this recipe for a Salsa which isn't much different from many of them that I found. I don't plan on storing it but making it and using it over the course of the week or few days etc. Do I have to worry about taking the steps for sterilization and boiling everything?

Homemade Salsa .

I have been making small batches of Pico which is just dicing things and putting them together.
Yesterday I put items through a Puree process and it was pretty watery.

I thought this time I will boil everything in a pot and then put them in a mason jar.

I guess you know the strict answer is YES. But if I was going to use it up quickly I probably wouldn't. Salsa isn't much different from the chutney recipe I just made. Chutney is said to be better if it "sits" for a month or so after canning. Is salsa the same?

Sterilizing takes very little time. I put my jars in the dishwasher timed to be just starting the dry cycle when I need them, I don't let them dry so that they are still freshly very hot. My dishwasher even has a sterilize cycle but a hot wash would be good enough. The lids, funnel and tongs simmer in a pot of boiling water while I stir the last minutes of the chutney. Everything is hot and ready to go all at once. I get such a kick out of hearing the lids snap as the vacuum effect of the hot chutney cooling in the cooling jars draws the lids down tight. :)

Like Snowshoe, if you make enough that you don't think you'll be able to use it up quickly then definitely sterilize jars, lids and rings. It's another step but takes no longer than it does to boil water for a few minutes. Oh, it does take a large canning pot and metal tongs but once you have those you have them for any future canning. Mine are 40+ years old. Plus, when I make the annual beef/veggie soup en masse, the pot is great for that.

Well I gave it a shot. I have one large sized mason jar. I used the recipe the best I could but think I put too much vinegar in. We will see. I took a large pot and boiled the jar, top and left the tongs in it. I poured the salsa in and topped it. There was no pop but the lid has no play in it so from what I read it's sealed. I am going to let it sit overnight and then open it up and see how it is. I have a feeling it's not going to be very good.

We always put the jars upside down after we seal them. Never had a issue with one failing to seal.

It can take a couple of hours for the lids to snap. Some do snap soon. We listened to them all night.

If you are interested in a canning recipe I have one from a Bernardin gook book that is a favourite of Andrew and me. It use the hot water bath technique for longer term non-refrigerated storage.

Sure if you want to share that would be great.

I opened the and it popped which tells me that it was probably sealed okay.

The bad news is the salsa didn't really turn out. It has the consistency and look of shrimp sauce and you can taste that I put too much vinegar in it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woody

Sure if you want to share that would be great.

I opened the and it popped which tells me that it was probably sealed okay.

The bad news is the salsa didn't really turn out. It has the consistency and look of shrimp sauce and you can taste that I put too much vinegar in it.

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If you're using it within a week, there's no need to can and worry about seals. You can just pop the lid and a ring on and store in the fridge.

I like this one: three-ingredient summertime salsa smitten kitchen

That's similar to my roasted spaghetti sauce recipe, except no hot stuff. The roasting gives such a nice flavour.