Cue the music: it’s the most... wonderful time... of the year.... That’s right. It’s salsa making time. In my garden, there is about a day’s space between “ugh, nothing’s ready” and “my goodness, I’d better get cooking!” The latter has finally happened.
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| An August day's garden haul |
A few years ago, my husband told me that if I could make sure he had a jar of delicious salsa for every day of the year, he would be a happy man. I took on that challenge, and as I’m stocking the very high shelves with this year’s canned deliciousness, I see that, despite my husband’s daily salsa habit, we still have salsa left from last summer. I think it’s fairly safe to say I met-- and exceeded-- that challenge.
Many people-- and cookbooks-- insist that one should only use Roma tomatoes to make canned goods., This is allegedly because Romas have fewer and smaller seeds and less water than bigger tomatoes, and therefore make better canned goods. I wholeheartedly disagree. While I appreciate Romas, some of my most delicious salsas and sauces have been made from heirloom tomatoes, golden tomatoes, or simply Beefsteaks. The key in any salsa or sauce is to make sure that there is very little water content in your finished product. This could mean simmering the salsa or sauce down on the stove top. Or you could use the following method, which I much prefer.
Rather than chopping and boiling the ingredients, I prefer to make salsa and sauce by oven roasting. Preheat the oven to 400F, simply halve or quarter your tomatoes (depending on the size of your fruit), and scatter them on a baking sheet. Scatter over the tomatoes the other ingredients (garlic, hot peppers, onions, etc.) and drizzle generously in extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle some coarse salt over the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to brown. Remove and transfer to a food processor or bender. Roughly chop with about a quarter cup of white vinegar, and can. This method greatly reduces preparation time, as well as the chance that one might can watery salsa (yuck). Plus, the salsa has this lovely roasted flavor. Following are a few of my favorite original recipes:
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| Destined for salsa |
Roasted Rosemary Garlic Salsa
1 lb tomatoes (any kind), halved or quartered
3 big cloves garlic, crushed
1 large white onion, sliced
2 jalapeno or other hot pepper (to taste), whole
4 medium sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems
1generous tbs coarse salt
1/4 cup white vinegar
plenty of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400F. Scatter the halved or quartered tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and rosemary leaves onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to brown. Place in a food processor with the vinegar and roughly chop; hot pack.
Green Tomato Sweet Dills
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| About to go into the oven |
1 lb green, soft tomatoes, thickly sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large white onion, sliced
1 big handful fresh dill
1 generous tbs coarse salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
plenty of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400F. Scatter tomatoes, garlic, and onion onto a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle over salt, cumin, and sugar. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to brown. Place in a food processor with the dill and vinegar. Hot pack.
Simple Tomato Basil Sauce
1 lb tomatoes (any color, ripe), sliced or quartered
generous handful fresh basil
1 tbs coarse salt
1/4 cup vinegar
plenty of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400F. Sprinkle tomatoes over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly charred. Pour into a food processor and add the basil and vinegar. Hot pack.
You have probably noticed a pattern. Any tomato assembly, drizzled in olive oil and roasted at about 400F with some salt, and then canned with some vinegar, will be unbelievably delicious. Experiment.
A few tips:
-Delicate herbs like dill, basil, or cilantro do not do well under heat. They will char into ash. They are best added at the food processing stage for optimal flavor.
-Hardier herbs, i.e. those growing from a woody stem (like rosemary or bay), benefit from a little roasting. It brings out the flavors.
-Always make sure your tomato slices are the same size. Your sauce or salsa will taste a little funky if some tomato pieces are done more than others.
-Vinegar and salt are key for the canning process. Don’t ever omit them. If the vinegar is too harsh for you, use lemon juice instead.
-Roasted garlic makes everything taste like heaven.
I think I might be needing some extra shelf space.
