Canning salsa verde is very simple and rewarding. The recipe I’m including is perhaps my favorite salsa recipe of all time. It is savory, tangy, sweet, and has just a little kick of hot peppers. This green sauce goes great with almost any entree.
Scoop up this tasty canning tomatillo salsa with tortilla chips and more:
- Add on top of chicken dishes
- Simmer with meats in a slow cooker
- Liven up your rice dishes
- Use as a Mexican green salsa for tacos
- Top your burritos with this authentic salsa verde recipe!
- Dip for your quesadillas
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What is salsa verde?
Green salsa, or salsa verde, is made with a base of tomatillos or green tomatoes instead of red tomatoes. Authentic salsa verde recipes tend to be more tangy and bright in taste than tomato salsas. I love both kinds! I prefer canning tomatillo salsa verde over green tomato salsa verde, but both work really great.
Salsa verde is perhaps slightly more complicated than tomato salsa. This is because you need to roast the vegetables. Besides that, there really are a lot of similarities to tomato salsa.
Canning Salsa Verde
You can easily make a green salsa recipe for canning (salsa verde recipe). Just follow these steps below about how to make canned salsa using tomatillos!
This recipe is adapted from a Ball canning salsa recipe found in The All-New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving, published by Oxmoor House (2016). This is a mild salsa recipe for canning. You can easily increase the heat by tossing in some cayenne pepper to taste. Ball canning salsa recipes are the standard for safety in canning.
I think my adaptation is the best green salsa recipe for canning. I add in some secret ingredients! Shhh….. I won’t tell if you try it. It will be our little secret.
How to Make Green Salsa for Canning (Salsa Verde)
There are only 5 steps required. It’s that simple!
- Gather equipment and ingredients
- Bake the vegetables
- Process or blend the vegetables
- Bring to a low boil
- Can the salsa
First, gather the equipment and ingredients. Once you do that, the recipe should only take 1 to 1 1/2 hours tops. Your processing times, or canning times, will need to adjust for altitude: at 1-3000 ft, it will take 15 minutes to process. At 3000-6000 feet, it will take 20 minutes to process, for example. Pressure canning salsa verde is also an option (ie Instapot). Simply follow the guidelines here.
Equipment Needed for Canning Salsa Verde
- Baking sheet
- Food processor
- Water bath canner
- Jar grabber
- Large saucepan
- Canning funnel
- Knife
- Cutting board, I recommend wooden
- 5 to 6-pint canning jars, such as Kerr jars or Ball jars: stock up for a cheaper price
- New canning lids
- Jar rims
- Book guide to preserving ( I recommend Ball Blue Book Guide)
Food Needed for Canning Salsa Verde
- Lime juice (or lemon juice)
- White or sweet onion
- Fresh garlic
- Honey
- Tomatillos or green tomatoes
- Canning salt
- Poblano peppers or Anaheim peppers
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Whole cumin
- Whole black pepper
Do NOT skip the lime juice. The acidity helps to protect the salsa from botulism.
Before You Begin
Fill your water bath canning pan with water and bring it to a boil. These pans are large, so you will want to do this first; they take a while to bring to a boil.
Prepare the jars: wash and rinse the jars thoroughly. Once the jars are clean, you can place them in the boiling water bath canning container.
Reduce heat to a low boil and keep jars here until ready to fill.
Salsa Verde for Canning
Ingredients
- 3 lb tomatillos husks removed
- 2 sweet onions, or 1 large quartered
- 2 jalapeño You can keep the seeds if you want a spicier sauce.
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 cup lime juice can use 4 tsp citric acid
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper coarsely ground
- 1 tsp coriander coarsely ground
- 3 Poblano chilies quartered
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds optional
Instructions
Prepare ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Rinse all vegetables thoroughly. Place tomatillos, stem side down, on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place onions, jalapeño peppers, Poblanos, and garlic on prepared baking sheet.
Roast vegetables
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until garlic is softened. Remove garlic from baking sheet and set aside.Bake onion mixture 15 more minutes or until onion is translucent and tomatillos and peppers are slightly blackened. Remove from oven and cool slightly for about 5-10 minutes.
Add flavorings and process
- Pulse all of the roasted vegetables and garlic in a food processor until it reaches desired consistency. You can also gently blend with an immersion blender for a smoother consistency. Transfer to a 4-qt. or larger stainless steel or enameled saucepan.Stir in lime juice, honey, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a low boil. Remove from heat.
Prepare and process jars
- Ladle hot salsa into a hot jar, making sure to leave a 1⁄2-inch head space.Remove air bubbles by swiping with a wooden spoon. Wipe jar rim with a clean towel. Center lid on jar. Apply the jar rim, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Using jar grabber, place the jars in boiling- water canner and cover with boiling water.Repeat until all jars are filled.Process jars 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.
- Check lids after 24 hours to assure a vacuum seal. If not, consume immediately or toss.
Notes
Nutrition
Want to learn how to make many kinds of healthy and simple salsas? Check out my 10 Creative Canning Salsa and Fresh Salsa Recipes post.
Need Some Canning Tools?
We all need to get started with a few tools that will last a lifetime. I am including some links to products I love below for you. Prices included.
Happy canning!
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Sounds delish, can’t wait to make. I didn’t notice where it said how many jars this makes or what size jars. Thanks!