any idea why the Ball Book recommends to puree with a blender for their Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa which also has Romas in it? Why would it be safe for one recipe and not another? I'm sorry but in canning you can't generalize from one recipe to another with any degree of safety. The Ball recipe has a totally different density than Annie's Salsa does. The Ball recipe does not include either the tomato sauce or the tomato paste, and much less onion. So it is thinner density to begin with when compared to Annie's Salsa and much more tolerant of pureeing. Plus like most salsa recipes, Annie's Salsa isn't really intended for Roma tomatoes - they are too dry and have too little flavor. And those who have made it using them report being disappointed in the results - both taste and consistency. But the primary reason is that the Ball recipe's safety has been lab tested - as written. Annie's Salsa has been lab tested - as written. You change the recipe and you invalidate the safety testing. You can use the tomatillos if you wish as I said because of their acidity and the other tomatoes will provide the needed liquid to keep the right consistency. However if you are using Roma tomatoes and tomatillos then you'll end up with a VERY thick salsa that should probably be frozen rather than canned. And if you roast them first it will be even thicker. Salsa, and salsa, needs to be a little sloshy, soupy when it goes into the jars. If it is so thick it can't move around freely in the jar then it is too thick to be canned and needs to be frozen instead. Dave

You have nothing to worry about as long as you did not reduce the amount of vinegar in your batch of peach salsa. Since you measured using sliced peaches instead of diced peaches this batch may be a bit tart but you can always add a bit of sugar after you open if needed. This is one of our favorite recipes.

Thank you Linda Lou, I knew minced was small, diced was cubes but didn't know size (I think I've seen "1/4" dice" but wouldn't know if that was on the large or the small side), and "roughly chopped" would be really big, but I don't know what "chopped" meant. I will cut onions and peppers to app. 1/4", Annie said she quarters tomatoes to make it chunkier so still want to know her consistency. Lisa, yes I do know 16 oz = 1 C fluid. I just assumed that paste should not exceed sauce, and it's easier to pour 4 oz out of a sauce can (to get 12 oz of sauce to equal the paste) than to spoon paste out (unless I measure it in Tbsp, then thoroughly scrape the spoon out). I'm not even sure how much I scraped out of the 12 oz can. But that brings up something I never thought of - the 12oz can is sold by weight, not volume, and I assume the recipe is referring to volume? So who knows how much I *really* got out of the 12 oz weight can? Of course, I could measure it next time, but if 12 (or 16) oz volume comes out to weigh more b/c paste is so dense, then I assume that wouldn't be safe either, the salsa would be too thick. Now I'm *really* confused. I did find on the Canadian Fight Bac website "cooked type (salsa) and not processed, it can be refrigerated for one month." - now, I did process these, opened 2 jars (1 hot, 1 medium) yesterday to taste and will use today at a BBQ. If I open the others and stir to oxygenate, will they last 2 weeks to a month? Or should I freeze them? http://www.canfightbac.org/cpcfse/en/cookwell/ask/where_how/#1684

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