Hi Shady :-)

I have been making the recipe from the Ball canning book - sorry I don't have it with me at this time (I'm at work and this is lunchtime :-)
I will offer you this: make the recipe but dont' use vinegar if the recipe calls for it. You know they want you to lower the pH to help witht he preservation. However, that makes a very un-tasty salsa. Don't add water if the recipe calls for it -
I switched to using lemon juice - add it small quantities at a time uuntil the flavor is correct - don't just dump in a cupful! I adjusted to suit my family's taste, and wrote down the notes so I could duplicate it.

I also hand peel and chop the vegetables. It's a lot of work
but the food chopper tends to slurry the vegetables and muddy the colors, even if done in small batches on a pulse.
I put the chopped tomatoes in a colander so some of the juice strains out and there are more solids. When all are combined for cooking, I add one can of tomato paste.

Obviously, you can't just bottle a fresh salsa, since cooking and preservation change the picture. Fresh is my preference, but in the middle of January the home canned is better than store - bought :-)

Does that help? or have I really confused you?

If you can't find a recipe, let me know and I'll copy the Ball recipe

Good luck!

Maryanne in WMass - back to lurk mode

Thanks for the info, Maryanne. That's helpful stuff to know. I wonder if I could make a frozen version and still maintain the "fresh" quality I know and love. I found the Ball web site for recipes at Freshpreserving.com where they have several salsa recipes. I think I'll do some experimenting and testing and see what works and what doesn't.

For the moment I'm seeing what I can do with the two quarts of watermelon juice I made yesterday.

I've never tried this recipe, but it came from a cooking mag. I actually like. Might be worth a shot, but nix the dried basil. Nasty stuff.

Freezer Salsa

* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
* 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet red or green pepper
* 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 12 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 6 cups)
* 3 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
* 1/3 cup lime juice
* 1/3 cup white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon dried basil

SERVINGS
24

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery, peppers and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Spoon into freezer containers. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Stir before serving. Yield: about 6 cups.
NUTRITIONAL INFO

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1/4 cup) equals 42 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 158 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein.