Recipe

Canned Salsa

A bright, medium-heat salsa made for water bath canning: scoopable, tangy, and pantry-stable when you follow this tested NCHFP formulation and the processing times below.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

Sealed half-pint jars of homemade red salsa cooling on a kitchen counter

Jump to Recipe

If you have ever opened a store-bought salsa in January and thought, where did summer go? this is your sign to put a few jars up now. This one is bright, tangy, and confidently scoopable, with just enough heat to keep things interesting. It is the kind of jar you crack open and suddenly you are making tacos on a Tuesday like it was always the plan.

This recipe follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) tested Choice Salsa formulation for safe water bath canning. Stick to the amounts, keep the headspace, and let the processing do its job. Also, yes, the ingredient list looks pepper-forward on purpose. The tested recipe is built around a measured total of onions and/or peppers, and canning is not the place to freestyle.

NCHFP reference: National Center for Home Food Preservation, “Salsa” (Choice Salsa). https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/ (accessed 2024-08-29).

Tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, bottled lemon or lime juice, and salt laid out for homemade salsa

Why It Works

Tested for canning: follows the NCHFP Choice Salsa formulation and water bath canning method.
Big flavor, not fussy: the simmer step helps everything taste cohesive instead of raw and watery.
Scoopable texture: draining the tomatoes helps keep you out of the “salsa soup” zone.
Heat you can control: choose your onion and pepper mix within the measured amount, then fine-tune with dried spices.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Storing Your Salsa

After sealing

Let jars cool 12 to 24 hours undisturbed. Check seals, then remove rings.
Label and store in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use within 12 months.
If a jar did not seal, refrigerate and use within 7 to 10 days or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid.

After opening

Refrigerate and use within 7 to 10 days.
If you open a jar and see mold, off smells, fizzing, or spurting liquid, do not taste it. Discard.

An open jar of homemade salsa on a table next to tortilla chips

Common Questions

Is this recipe tested for canning?

Yes. This recipe follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) tested Choice Salsa formulation and the water bath canning method.

Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation, “Salsa” (Choice Salsa). https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/ (accessed 2024-08-29).

Safety note: Processing times and altitude adjustments should be confirmed against the current NCHFP page at publication time, since safety tables can be updated or reformatted.

What jar sizes can I use?

This recipe is written for half-pints (8 oz) and pints (16 oz) only. Do not can salsa in quarts with this recipe.

Do I have to peel tomatoes for canned salsa?

For the best texture, yes. Peels tend to get tough and curl up in the jar.

Can I reduce the citrus juice?

No. The bottled lemon or lime juice is doing real safety work here. This salsa is intentionally bright. If you want it softer at serving time, mellow it after opening with avocado, sour cream, a drizzle of olive oil, or a pinch of sugar.

Can I use vinegar instead of bottled lemon or lime juice?

Not in this tested recipe. Some tested salsa recipes use 5% vinegar, but the NCHFP Choice Salsa formulation is specifically built around bottled lemon or lime juice. For safety and consistency, do not replace the bottled juice with vinegar here.

Can I use fresh citrus juice instead of bottled?

For canning, use bottled lemon or lime juice because it has a consistent acidity level. Fresh citrus varies.

Do I have to use onions?

You can use onions, peppers, or a mix. The key is keeping the total amount of chopped onions and/or peppers at 9 cups (measured after chopping). Most people prefer some onion in the mix for classic salsa flavor.

Can I make it hotter?

Yes, but do it the tested way: keep the total amount of chopped onions and/or peppers at 9 cups, and use a mix of mild and hot peppers to suit your heat level. You can also add dried spices like cayenne or chipotle powder. Do not add extra fresh peppers beyond the measured amount.

Can I add corn, black beans, or mango?

Not for shelf-stable canning in this recipe. Those add-ins change density and acidity. Can the salsa as written, then stir extras into a jar after you open it.

My salsa is watery. What happened?

Usually it is extra-juicy tomatoes. Drain chopped tomatoes for 20 to 30 minutes before simmering. Do not press or mash; just let it drip. You can also simmer a few minutes longer before jarring to reduce liquid. Do not thicken with flour, cornstarch, or starches for canning.

My jars did not seal. Can I reprocess them?

Yes, within 24 hours. Your two safe options are:

Refrigerate unsealed jars and use within 7 to 10 days, or
Reprocess within 24 hours: reheat the salsa and bring it back to a full boil so it is hot-packed again, use a clean jar, a clean rim, a new lid, and process again for the full time.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Water bath canner or deep stockpot with a rack
Half-pint (8 oz) or pint (16 oz) canning jars with new lids and rings
Jar lifter and canning funnel
Large pot or Dutch oven for simmering salsa
Sharp knife and cutting board
Clean towels and a timer

I did not grow up dreaming about canning. I grew up dreaming about cooking in busy kitchens and eventually opening my own spot, the kind of place where the salsa hits the table and everyone suddenly stops talking for a second. Canning salsa feels like the home version of that: you put in a little focused work, you build flavor on purpose, and future-you gets rewarded with a jar that tastes like you actually had a plan.

Canned Salsa

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 55 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings About 6 to 8 pints (or about 12 to 16 half-pints), depending on tomato drainage and simmer reduction

Ingredients

6 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (about 3 to 3 1/2 lb; paste tomatoes like Roma work great)
9 cups chopped onions and/or peppers (mild peppers and/or hot peppers, plus onion if you want it, measured after chopping)
1 1/2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice (commercial bottled only)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin (optional, but I love what it does here)
1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Optional (flavor only): 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, if the salsa tastes too sharp
Optional (heat, canning-friendly): 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle powder (dried spice, not fresh peppers)

Safety note: This follows the tested NCHFP Choice Salsa formulation. Keep the ingredient amounts as written, especially the full amount of bottled lemon or lime juice and the measured vegetables. Do not add thickeners or extra fresh vegetables.

Jar size note: This recipe is written for half-pints and pints only, processed in a water bath canner.

Flavor note: This is intentionally bright because the acid is doing real safety work here. If it tastes intense, mellow it after opening (avocado is your friend).

Instructions

Before You Start

Read through once. Set out everything. Canning is less stressful when you treat it like mise en place: calm counter, sharp knife, timer ready.

Time note: The salsa simmers for 10 minutes. The rest is canning reality: prep, heating the canner, filling jars, and processing.

Safety note: This is the NCHFP Choice Salsa method for water bath canning (also called boiling-water canning). Follow the processing times and altitude adjustments exactly, and keep the ingredient ratios the same.

Altitude note: Altitude adjustments are not optional. Use the table below, and verify it against the current NCHFP guidance at publication time if you are unsure.

Yield note: Plan on about 6 to 8 pints (or 12 to 16 half-pints), depending on how juicy your tomatoes are and how long you simmer. Keep an extra jar hot, just in case.

Canning funnel, jar lifter, ladle, clean canning jars, and new lids arranged on a counter

Make the Salsa

Prep the canner and jars. Fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Start heating it so it is ready when the jars are filled. Wash jars and rings. Keep jars hot (in simmering water or a hot dishwasher cycle) until filling. Follow your lid manufacturer instructions for lid handling.
Peel the tomatoes. Score a small X on the bottom of each tomato. Blanch in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds, then transfer to an ice bath. Slip off peels, core, and chop.
Drain for texture (optional, but helpful). Put chopped tomatoes in a colander over a bowl for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not press or mash; just let it drip. This keeps the salsa scoopable.
Chop and measure onions and peppers. Dice onions and peppers and measure them after chopping. You need 9 cups total of chopped onions and/or peppers. Use mild peppers, hot peppers, onion, or a mix, but do not increase the total amount.
Simmer. In a large pot, combine tomatoes, the measured onions and/or peppers, bottled lemon or lime juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Add cumin if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cilantro during the last minute.
Taste and adjust flavor (before jarring). Taste using a clean spoon each time. If it tastes sharp, a pinch of sugar is fine. If you want more heat, add dried spices (cayenne, chipotle powder, extra black pepper). Do not add extra fresh vegetables beyond what is measured in the recipe.

Water Bath Can

Fill jars. This is a hot-pack recipe: ladle hot salsa into hot jars as you work. Using a canning funnel, fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a clean utensil and adjust headspace if needed.
Why it matters: Correct headspace and bubble removal help you get a strong seal and a safe, even process.
Wipe rims and apply lids. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth. Place lids on top and screw rings on to fingertip tight.
Process. Lower jars into the canner. Confirm jars are fully submerged by 1 to 2 inches. Bring water to a full rolling boil, then start your timer only after it is boiling hard.
Important: Keep the water at a rolling boil for the entire processing time. If the boil ever stops, bring it back to a rolling boil and restart the timer.

Processing time (sea level to 1,000 ft):
- Half-pints (8 oz): 15 minutes
- Pints (16 oz): 15 minutes
Altitude adjustments:
- 1,001 to 3,000 ft: add 5 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 ft: add 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 ft: add 15 minutes
Publication note: Because this is safety-critical, verify these times against the current NCHFP Choice Salsa table when you publish.
Cool and check seals. Turn off heat, let jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes, then lift out and place on a towel. Cool 12 to 24 hours. Lids should be concave and not flex when pressed.
Store. Remove rings, wipe jars, label, and store in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use within 12 months. If a jar did not seal, refrigerate and use within 7 to 10 days or reprocess within 24 hours (new lid, clean rim, full processing time, and hot salsa back into hot jars).

How to Serve

Classic: tortilla chips and a cold drink. My favorite: spooned over scrambled eggs with hot sauce, or stirred into rice with a little lime and butter.

A bowl of homemade red salsa served with tortilla chips on a table

Nutrition information is estimated.

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Canned Salsa

Why It Works

Pairs Well With

Recommended

Salsa Roja

Canned Salsa Chicken

Mexican Chicken Soup

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Storage Tips

Storing Your Salsa

After sealing

After opening

Common Questions

Common Questions

Is this recipe tested for canning?

What jar sizes can I use?

Do I have to peel tomatoes for canned salsa?

Can I reduce the citrus juice?

Can I use vinegar instead of bottled lemon or lime juice?

Can I use fresh citrus juice instead of bottled?

Do I have to use onions?

Can I make it hotter?

Can I add corn, black beans, or mango?

My salsa is watery. What happened?

My jars did not seal. Can I reprocess them?

Canned Salsa

Ingredients

Instructions

Before You Start

Make the Salsa

Water Bath Can

How to Serve