Some have posted in the past that they use frozen tomatoes to make it - just more soupy. Re-canning previously canned items isn't generally recommended. So the frozen ones would be 1st choice I think. Of course it is done - using previously canned things - just do so with care. If I didn't have frozen ones I think I'd use commercially caned ones. JMO Dave

This is refreshing! ;) Usually what we get here is folks wanting to convert a cooking recipe to a canning one. For fresh eating, no you don't have to do any cooking, but this is a lot of salsa for fresh eating unless you are having a large party or cut the recipe in 1/2 or quarters. It won't store safely for long in the fridge without cooking and put in some form of containers. So if you want it for normal rate of salsa eating, just make it as is including the cooking and then freeze it in freezer containers? Then you can thaw a container, keep in the fridge as use as desired. Dave PS: we need to note to avoid future confusion that this posted copy of the recipe is the one for pressure canning only and the processing time has since been increased to 25 mins. There is a separate recipe for BWB canning for 15 mins. that requires 1 cup of vinegar. Bottled lemon juice or bottled lime juice may be substituted for all or part of the vinegar in either recipe.

Yes it can, depending on the safety of the recipe. Not all recipes are safe for canning. Why not head on over to the Harvest forum here (linked at the top of this forum's front page) as that is where all the canning and food preservation discussions are. Meanwhile you can find the instructions and the approved salsa recipes for canning at NCHFP. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Harvest Forum

" How does one know if bwb canning is okay.." The first clue if something can be canned or not is if canning/processing instructions are provided in the recipe. In this case they are not and the recipe makes it clear it is for fresh eating or fridge storage only. Freezing is always an option. The second clue is the amount the recipe makes. This is a small batch recipe, a limited amount. Canning recipes are normally for very large batches of food. The third, and most important clue is the source of the recipe. Safe canning recipes are only found in NCHFP/USDA approved books and sources. The first rule one learns in safe home food preservation is that "cooking is art, canning is based on science so you cannot safely can your own personal made-up cooking recipes. Then once you have some training, a working knowledge of the current guidelines, and experience you can look deeper into recipes to see IF they can be adjusted to meet safe canning requirements. In this recipe you are using already canned/processed foods. The standard canning guidelines strongly discourage doing that for several reasons. It uses large amounts of fresh herbs. Safe canning recipes will usually call for only very limited amounts of fresh herbs if any and recommend using dried herbs instead to reduce the effect on pH. It also contains too little added acid for all the low-acid ingredients it contains to safely allow it to be sealed in a vacuum. If it were to be tested its pH would very likely be well above the required 4.6 minimum required. So I'm sorry but this recipe cannot be safely BWB canned. It very likely cannot even be pressure canned safely because its density is unknown and the processing time needed is unknown. Canning salsa is one of the most risky type of canning there is simply because it contains so many low-acid ingredients, the pH is so close to the line, and because it is eaten fresh from the jar with no further cooking to destroy any toxins. Burning Issues: Trying to Can Your Own Salsa Dave