Today I shared the picture below on my Instagram stating that I was about to make salsa.  Some wanted to know details about the recipe and others had questions about freezing it.  So here is one of my favorite salsa recipes – I hope you love it!

 

 

Ingredients:

20 tomatoes (Roma tomatoes)

7 jalapeños

2 onions

7 garlic cloves

1 large bunch of cilantro

1-2 tablespoons of salt (depending on the size of tomatoes)

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cut up the tomatoes and onions into large chunks and spread onto a baking sheet pan.  Remove the caps off the jalapeños, then cut the jalapeños lengthwise, and remove the stem and some of the seeds (read tip below).  Add the 7 whole cloves of garlic.  Toss everything onto 2 sheet pans.

Heat tip: In order to keep the heat off your hands, you may want to wear gloves when cutting up the jalapeños.  For really hot salsa, do not remove the seeds of the jalapeños.  For medium-hot salsa remove the seeds from half of the jalapeños.  For medium salsa, remove all the seeds from the jalapeños.  For mild salsa, hold the jalapeños under running water and remove the seeds and inside membrane of the jalapeño.   

 

Place the trays in the oven and roast for about an hour.  Check the trays after 45 minutes so that the roasted tomato mixture does not burn.  You should see a bit of char on the edges of the onions or tomatoes, but nothing should look like it’s burning.

Remove the trays from the oven and allow to cool slightly.  When you can handle the contents, place them in a bowl and take them over to your food processor.  I suggest you do the following in 2 or 3 batches to avoid over filling the processor.

Place a good amount of the roasted tomato, onion, jalapeno and garlic mix into the processor, I then add a small bunch of cilantro and a bit of the salt.  Process until desired consistency and then add to a large bowl or container.  Continue to do this in batches until you have used all the roasted mixture and the cilantro bunch (and the salt to taste).

 

Now we are ready to place your yummy salsa into jars.  This makes about 4-5 large jars depending on the size of the tomatoes you use and the jars, of course.  I like to use a canning funnel for this because it makes pouring easier.  The salsa will still be somewhat hot at this point.

 

After placing in the refrigerator for a few hours, you are ready to break out the nachos!

 

Freezing tip:  When I make 5 jars of this salsa, I like to freeze a jar or two because I know that we won’t go through so much salsa.  The problem is that salsa once frozen can get a little watery.  If this does happen, you can always chop up some Roma tomatoes and add them to your defrosted salsa, which should fix the consistency.

For more great ideas for Mexican night, check out the links below!