Salsa verde

As you may have seen on my Facebook page, I came into a bushel of organic tomatillos for a good price from a local farm. A bushel of tomatillos turned out to be more than I thought! I made a couple batches of this recipe for salsa verde and it felt like I hardly made a dent (but I was running out of all the other vegetables that go into it). So I also canned some plain for stews/soups and made a couple batches of hot pickled tomatillos. I haven't tried those yet, but we have tried the salsa verde and it's really delicious! My husband commented that it is much better than what we usually get at the store. I have made this small batch of roasted salsa verde before, but that recipe only makes enough for one snack and isn't canning safe. This recipe comes from Ball (as found here and a couple other places for verification) with only one small modification noted below. This recipe will yield about 4-5 pints of salsa verde. This salsa verde is so bright tasting. Of course, it's perfect for eating with corn chips, but you can also use it in white chili, enchiladas, scrambled eggs, tacos, and much more. 

I've really been enjoying this harvest season and learning more of the skills to preserve, especially can, food for the winter. While we certainly can go to the grocery store in January and buy almost anything we want, I'm really trying to make sure we are eating as locally as possible and also frugally. We have a lot of winter squash in the basement, blueberries in the freezer, sauerkraut curing, and other things like that in addition to the canning.

Salsa verde
11 cups chopped, cored, and husked tomatillos
2 cups chopped white onion
2 cups chopped peppers (I used about 3/4 jalapenos and 1/4 green bell pepper for a hotter salsa)
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons minced cilantro
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon ground red pepper)
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup bottled lime juice

Prepare your water bath canner, jars, lids, and rings. 

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until everything is soft, about 10 minutes. You may can it as it, but I like to puree it using an immersion blender so that it is smooth and uniform. If you puree it, just make sure you turn the heat back on so it's hot when you ladle it into the jars. 

Ladle the hot salsa into your sterilized jars leaving a 1/4-inch of headspace. Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel. Top with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Remove the jars, let sit and cool for 24 hours and then check to make sure the jars sealed. Remove the rings and wipe the jars with a damp cloth. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year. 

What was I cooking one year ago?: brown butter blondies with apple, pecans, and white chocolate
Two years ago?: brown sugar and cinnamon baked acorn squash
Three?: beef and Guinness pie