After some searching on the national Center For Home Food Preservation website I found a recipe that shows your recipe is safe to can. This one has 5 lbs of tomatoes with 2 of chile peppers and 1 of onions. Then it only has 1 cup of vinegar. The recipe you have has less low acid veggies and more vinegar. The link to the recipe can give you processing times etc.

-Robin

Chile Salsa (Hot Tomato-Pepper Sauce)

5 lbs tomatoes (as purchased)
2 lbs chile peppers (as purchased)
1 lb onions (as purchased)
1 cup vinegar (5 percent)
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Here is a link that might be useful: Chile Salsa

Is it safe? Possibly. But it is an untested recipe so the canning safety can't be recommended and would be questionable at best. You'd have to determine for yourself if the risk was worth it.

The safest approach would be to make the relish and freeze it. You would also want to remove the cinnamon sticks before doing so I'd think. Maybe the cloves to0. You can 'spice bag' them during the cooking process and then remove it before putting in the containers.

Just something to consider. ;)

Dave

Thank you all for your input. Since I'm the orginal paranoid canner, I guess I'll just do what I've always done. I'll make a small batch, refrigerate it and enjoy it while it lasts. I've tried freezing it and it loses the texture and some of the spice taste. It's supposed to be a relish for bean suppers but ever since I was a kid, I've eaten it on buttered toast for breakfast. Yum!

I'm with Robin on this one. The proportions and the amount of vinegar are well within the range for other similar tested recipes. It has a good amount of vinegar so everything should be thoroughly acidified and density is not an issue.

But if you can't do it and feel comfortable, I'd recommend freezing tomatoes so you can make more relish later in the year. Since the mixture is cooked an hour, the loss of texture in the frozen tomatoes isn't an issue.

Carol

Thanks Carol. Using frozen tomatoes is a great idea. When I tried freezing the relish, it was the texture of the peppers & onions and the lose of punch from the spices that turned me off. What got me ruminating about canning the relish was...what else but Annie's Salsa. The salsa is always awesome canned; it holds the texture and spice flavors wonderfully.

It has plenty of added vinegar to safely can it.

Wow, now you even have Linda Lou's seal of approval on canning that!! When a Master Food Preserver says to go ahead I think you are safe. Remember as well that the dried spices do not effect safety.

-Robin

Thank you all! I'm very excited. Now I can make a big batch and will not only have some for myself for the winter but will also be able to share this with famliy members who do not live close by. Shh...it's a surprise delivery for the holidays.

The safety seems pretty secure given that it is really all the same ingredients, other than a few teaspoons of spices, in, as Robinkate says, higer acid proportions, as a tested recipe. I honestly can't think of any logical reason it could not be as safe as the chile salsa. So go for it, and enjoy!

The surprise for the holidays sounds lovely. Good for you and your lucky family.

Zabby