SALSA

The tomatoes are ready... more and more every day. We love salsa, especially when it's homemade, and given the tomato crop failure last year (fungus? slugs? everything seemed to rot on the vines), Tom took it as a personal challenge to grow some big, productive tomato plants. By the time he was finished planting, we had a row of tomato plants against the fence and 20 more plants in my mother's back yard.

Gabriel and Kai watered the plants faithfully.  They thrived.  Throve?  Is that a word?  This week Tom was able to get the salsa-making project on the road...

 
Choose the ripest tomatoes.

 Get ready to chop.

 Into the pot.  Add the ingredients.  Simmer.

Salsa by Tom

Recipe makes 4-5 jars

2 sticks celery, finely chopped (we use more)

10 medium tomatoes, peeled

2 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 small tins tomato paste

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp cumin

2 Jalapeno peppers, chopped (wear gloves)

2 ½ tsp pickling salt

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

Ground black pepper

Cook ingredients 1 hr on low heat.  Sterilise jars in oven at 200 for 15 minutes.  Ladle ingredients into jars.