Jan, You can add or subtract any of those ingredients. More critical is the vinegar to water ratio. Usually, spices and/or peppers don't change the acidity too much as the tomatoes are so acidic. In particular, subsituting one kind of pepper for another should make no difference at all except in the "zing" department!Mary

substituting one kind of fresh pepper for another is okay as long as the total volume remains the same. Garlic can raise the pH (lower the acidity) and going wild with the cilantro is not wise. It counts as a low acid veggie.

I suggest you post the recipe here and let some of the very knowledgeable take a look at it. -- Kay

This is the recipe:

5 lb. tomatoes
1 lb. green peppers
1/3 lb. jalapenos
1 lb. onions
1 cup vinegar
1/2 t. cumin
3 t. salt

the usual bring to boil, simmer for 10, process for 20(hot water bath)

It doesn't call for garlic or cilantro and I would like more jalapenos than green peppers. If garlic or cilantro may change the ph, maybe just a bit more vinegar? I'm so new at this, I'm afraid to make ANY changes on my own. I love salsa, but I don't want to love it to death!

Thanks, Jan

I agree with Kay. I'm assuming you're working with a safe-tested recipe. Salsas are very problematic due to the proportions of low-acid veggies.

I'd recommend that instead of adding garlic and cilantro you look for an approved recipe that already includes those ingredients. They're pretty common for salsas. Regardless, fresh herbs in significant amounts count as any low-acid product would. Dried herbs are not a problem.

As mentioned, you can shift around low-acid veggies that are already in the recipe, so increasing amounts of hot peppers and decreasing sweet ones is fine as long as the total remains the same. By the same token, if you'd rather use less onion and add garlic instead, that's OK. They're both in the same pH range.

Carol

Another thing you should keep in mind is that tomatoes are NOT high acid, they are borderline acidic.

Kay & Carol give good advice. You can always can the recipe as is and then when you go to serve it, dice up some fresh cilantro & garlic to add to it.

Jan, You might be interested in trying the recipe for Annie's Salsa (you can find it by searching this forum). Her ingredient list includes garlic and cilantro as well as the green and jalapeno peppers. It's a big winner as evidenced by all the positive postings.

I don't want anyone to think I am an expert but I have used the USDA guidlines my whole life. According to them,
Tomatoes generally have high acidity (4.6 or greater) and a low pH. The new USDA Home Canning Guides recommend the addition of lemon juice or citric acid to each jar of every tomato product to be certain of correct pH. It seems that a few of the hybrids have less acid. I only grow heirlooms so it is not a concern. I also believe with the amount of vinegar in your recipe, the acid content overall should be fairly high but I am NOT a chemist. I did go and look and peppers, as long as equal volume should not change much of anything. I use an old recipe that calls for both cilantro and garlic as well as onion and the lemon juice. With me, a little Cilantro (ditto on the garlic) goes a long way so I doubt it has too much effect on my Salsa, but I do supposed others prefer adding more than I do. I can only say that I have used my recipe for 30 years and have never had a bad , suspicious or otherwise unworthy jar. I guess what I am saying is rely on the USDA page and ask them questions. Perhaps I know less than I think! Maybe in my attempt at being helpful I have confused you even further and if that is the case, I do apologize. If you would like it, my recipe is nearly identical except with my already noted exceptions. Mary

According to the USDA, tomatoes range from 4.3 (high-acid) to 4.9 (low-acid). I wouldn't bet on Heirlooms being sufficiently high-acid as growing conditions, exposure to daylight, degree of ripeness also affect acidity, not to mention the damaging effects of such things as tomato diseases.

OK, regarding the salsa recipe (hadn't seen that when I posted). It's always helpful to know the source as that tells us how reliable the recipe is as well as providing appropriate credit. It also saves me searching for this stuff!

The recipe you posted is a very minor modification of a safe-tested salsa recipe from Utah State Extension. That recipe is almost identical, except that it allows for a total of 2 pounds of peppers and doesn't call for cumin. Since your recipe calls only for 1 1/3 pounds, you do have some leeway for fresh cilantro and garlic.

Happy preserving,

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Utah State Extension FAQ

I didn't think this would get so complicated. I do have a Ball Blue Book and missed the salsa recipe because it wasn't listed in the tomato section. OK, now I have a tested recipe with ingredients I like. But I can't believe the amount of peppers in it! Here is the recipe:

3 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes
3 cups chopped jalapeno peppers
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. minced cilantro
2 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1 cup cider vinegar

3 cups of tomatoes to 3 cups of jalapenos? Whew!!

What I understand from all the input is that I can use any peppers to equal the 3 cups, but do I really have to use 3 cups? Would it be safe to cut that down?

Thanks for all the input. Annie's Salsa sounds really good, I just wanted to use everything from my own garden and I don't make tomato paste...yet. With all my tomatoes, I couldn't justify buying tomato anything! I grow everything except the salt and the vinegar and really wanted to make my own 'home grown' salsa.

Thanks everybody! You're very kind to be so helpful.

Jan

Annie's Salsa was tested originally WITHOUT the tomato sauce and paste. I left the paste out of my last batch and think that is my preference. You can use your own sauce if you wish. You can also leave out the sugar but I like a bit of sweetness and I use 1/2 cup cider vinegar and 1/2 cup BOTTLED lime juice. It's a very versatile recipe as long as you stick to the basic proportions of the fresh tomatoes; low-acid veggies and vinegar (or citrus juice).
Kay

Hi Jan, sure you can reduce the peppers. Increasing is a problem but reducing is not. Just don't reduce the vinegar.

Carol

I make the Zesty Salsa from the BBB, but I replace half (or more) of the vinegar with lemon juice, so it doesn't taste as pickley. I also cook it down until it's thickened slightly - the 10 minutes the BBB calls for doesn't seem like quite enough, and I don't like watery salsa. It's a nice salsa, with has garlic and cilantro and not quite so many peppers. Maybe you could add a bit of cumin, and add a little extra acid. I might have to do that this year - cumin is yummy!

I know, Annie's is probably way better...

Wow, the recipe came up in Google. Gotta love the internet.

Zesty Salsa
10 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes (about 6 pounds)
5 cups chopped and seeded green bell peppers (about 2 pounds)
5 cups chopped onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 1/2 cups chopped and seeded hot peppers (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
3 teaspoons canning salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Warning: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from burning.

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot, adding hot pepper sauce, if desired.
Bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.
Adjust two-piece caps.
Process 20 minutes in a boiling bath canner.

Source: Ball Blue Book - Guide to Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydration

I add extra peppers and onions and also extra lemon juice and always pressure can my salsa. I also add extra minutes to the processing.

Oh yea! Thank you everybody. Now I have 3 salsa recipes that I know will be safe. I will try Annie's Salsa with my own sauce and without the paste (Thank you Kay) I really did want to know what everybody was wowing about. And both those other recipes were right under my nose if I had just looked a little deeper. The Zesty Salsa sounds just like what I was looking for. I did make the Jalapeno Salsa from the BBB and it is excellent if you like it very hot (that's ALOT of jalapenos) And Carol, I'm greatful to know that it's ok to use less peppers if I stay on the vinegar.

I'm on my way out to the garden right now (mosquito netting required!) so that when it's raining tomorrow I'll have my veggies. I've got bumper crops on tomatoes and peppers but nothing comes close to the crop of mosquitoes this year.

Thanks all, Jan