Bubbles can result when it is overly thick or if the jars are over-filled with solids. Perhaps it was cooked down a bit too long or did you have left over liquid when filling the jars? if that is the case then you need to increase your jar count by one and more evenly distribute the solids and all the liquid.

Assuming proper processing this batch will be fine to consume but may darken. In the future make sure the jars are still sloshy - contents freely moving - when filled. If it or any salsa is too soupy when opened you can drain a bit out of the jar then.

Enjoy it!

Dave

Just want to clarify I am supposed to scoop out the goo with my fingers so there isn't much liquid at all right? Would it hurt to not scoop the goo so there will be more liquid in the recipe? I think I could have canned 1 more jar but there just wasn't much liquid to begin with. I may have cooked it too long as I didn't start timing until I was not able to stir the boil down.

Just want to clarify I am supposed to scoop out the goo with my fingers so there isn't much liquid at all right? Would it hurt to not scoop the goo so there will be more liquid in the recipe? I think I could have canned 1 more jar but there just wasn't much liquid to begin with. I may have cooked it too long as I didn't start timing until I was not able to stir the boil down.

What kind of tomatoes did you use? Pastes or plums have less goo, beefsteaks have more. Annie said she scoops the goo out with her thumb, so I do that too but use a lot of beefsteaks and I'm not too fussy about getting it all out, so I guess there's more liquid. It should be thin ("pourable") with chunks of peppers, onion as it's put in the jars (that's what the tomato paste and sauce is for, to adjust the density), overcooking could be your problem too.

So if it's like a paste, you can stand a spoon in it (and maybe slowly tilts) it's too thick. If a spoon won't stand in it (not even momentarily) then I wouldn't worry about bubbles - I always forget to use the bubble releaser too.

You are not supposed to scoop out the pulp of the tomatoes. All that is needed to keep it the right thickness. Yours is too thick and it can allow bacteria to grow in the jars. If the heat doesn't get the center of a jar hot enough for long enough, then the food is underprocessed. Home canned salsa is supposed to be thin. It is more thin than store made salsa. If you want it thicker a bit, the only safe thing to do is add a small can of tomato paste to the batch. Density in food preserving is a big part of the safety of the food. You can drain off some of the liquid when you open it. I use some Instant Clear Jel and stir about a tsp. in to thicken it AFTER opening the jars. Never thicken salsa before canning. It is unsafe to do so.

No one should be scooping ripe pulp out, but when Annie posted the recipe she said she scooped the seed/gel "goo" out. Some people don't like seeds in their salsa but I don't worry about a little bit of gel. Agree the salsa should be soupy consistency.

I was saying to not remove what you are calling "goo". You need that for the liquid part of the salsa. None of the safe salsa recipes I am reading say to remove that part of the tomato. It says to blanch to peel, remove core, then chop. Nothing about removing any other part of the tomato.

Just saying what Annie's instructions were.

The point is that the salsa needs to be a little soupy, scooped goo or not. So yes, you can scoop out the goo if you don't want all the seeds but you may have to adjust the rest accordingly so that the proper texture is maintained.

1 cup of vinegar, 16 oz. of tomato sauce plus the juice normally found in cooked tomatoes, even after lightly draining, gives you plenty of liquid to work with IME even with the goo scooped.. I have made it for 4 or 5 years in a row now and never found it to be overly thick or dry. But it is the responsibility of the maker to adjust accordingly as needed.

If you use nothing but roma/paste type tomatoes it will be too dry. Scoop out the goo from them it will be way too dry. But if you use a mix of varieties of tomatoes including slicing types (as most do) then there is plenty of liquid to allow scooping out the goo.

Plus over cooking will make it too dry even if you leave the goo in, as will over-draining the tomatoes.

If worse comes to worse and it looks too thick when ready to fill the jars you can always squeeze in the juice from a couple of other tomatoes or even lightly dilute it with a bit of water, as little as 1/4 cup makes a big difference. to get the right liquid consistency.

And as i said above if there is liquid left in the pot after the jars are filled then it needs to be worked into the jars even if it means removing a spoonful or 2 of the salsa to make it fit.

Dave

I used Roma tomatoes and scooped out the goo. Thank you all for responding to me about this issue. Next year I will try a different tomato for this recipe. You all are so very helpful, that is what I love about this forum :)

Honestly the only thing roma/paste tomatoes are good for is thickening up some sauce that you have made with some slicers and/or heart types first. They never have been noted for their taste and since the tomato is the primary component in salsa it pays to use a decent tomato to make it.

Dave

If you used all Roma tomatoes and overcooked it, then yes it could be too thick - as Dave has said many times (about tomatoes, applesauce, etc.) the air bubbles could be a sign it's too dense. I will let him and Linda Lou comment on whether you should toss this batch. How thick is it? Tomato-paste thick with big air pockets visible?