Roasted Chipotle Salsa

This post will share the canning recipe and tutorial for roasted chipotle salsa.

For this recipe, we Wildflowers have the distinct pleasure of enjoying another guest post from my friend and fellow canning enthusiast. Kimmy is an experienced canner, a lover of all things spicy, author of the Bread & Butter Pickled Jalapeno recipe, and is an active member in our Grow Like a Wildflower Facebook Group. Kimmy and I will be sharing recipes for years to come, I’m sure. There’s no one I’d rather have to help me educate you in your canning pursuits. Here’s Kimmy!

I love tomatoes, and I love canning. I recently made friends with a tomato farmer at my local farmer’s market and he has been giving me great deals on tomatoes when I buy in bulk. So every Wednesday evening I leave my house as my husband rolls his eyes at me. “More tomatoes? Really?” Heck YES! Who doesn’t love opening a jar of fresh tomatoes/sauce/salsa in the middle of the winter? It’s like summer in a jar! So when I lugged my 3, 25lb boxes this week, I decided to make one of my husband’s favorites. He loves all things chipotle, so it was easy to convince him to help me on a lazy Saturday morning.

Now, I like to get things done as efficiently as possible. Those of you that know me in person are probably smiling to yourself, because you know that’s an understatement. I do not like wasting time, so when he suggested that we roast the veggies for this salsa, I immediately thought, why? I knew it would take a lot more time than just blending the tomatoes whole, but he was willing to help. So we heated up my favorite cast-iron griddle and started roasting. I am so glad we did! This salsa has the best flavor of any salsa that I have ever canned. You want to roast the tomatoes, peppers, and onion just to the point where they look a little charred. Those black specs are actually beautiful on the finished product.

So for this recipe, we used 20 lbs. of tomatoes. I am one of those people who like to do a lot of canning all at once. You do not have to do this! This recipe can easily be cut in half if you just are getting started at canning and don’t want to spend a ton of time. Along with the tomatoes, we also roasted 5 lbs. of tomatillos, around 8 lbs. of peppers. I did a mix of what the farmer sold me at the market, some Italian sweet peppers, a few jalapeños, a few serranos, some bells, and some anaheims. Of course, if you want it really spicy, you will use more of the hot peppers, and if you don’t want it as spicy, you’ll use more of the bells and sweet peppers. We also roasted 4 lbs. of onions.

To roast, we did a combination of roasting on my cast iron griddle (if you have never used cast iron, it is time to start, but that’s another blog post for another day), and under the broiler in the oven. Once the veggies were nice and charred we blended them in batches. We also blended in a bunch of cilantro (use more or less depending on your preference), a can of fire-roasted chipotle peppers with the juice, a head of peeled garlic, 2 TBS cumin, 3 TBS salt, and 2 TBS black pepper.

Bring your salsa to a low boil and let simmer for an hour or so. This isn’t necessary, but it cooks off some of the water from the tomatoes for a stronger flavor. While your salsa is simmering, prepare your jars in your canning pot and get your lids and rings hot in another pan of boiling water. Once everything is ready, ladle your hot salsa into your hot pint jars, add ½ TBS white vinegar to the top of each jar. Make sure to wipe your rims to ensure a good seal and tighten on your lids/rings. Place in your water bath canning pot and process pints for 20 minutes.

This salsa is similar to a salsa that you would get before your dinner at a Mexican restaurant, but with a smoky, chipotle taste. You can add more or fewer chipotles/hot peppers depending on your preferred degree of spiciness. For what it’s worth, my husband’s comment about this recipe was, “It’s got a kick!”

My favorite thing to do with this salsa is to pour it over a pork roast in my crock pot. I add a can of black beans, a can of corn, and a can of diced green chilies. Then, I warm up some tortillas and have a delicious and easy dinner. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has.

Recipe

20 lbs. tomatoes

5 lbs. tomatillos (make sure to remove the husk first)

8 lbs. peppers (Mix of sweet peppers, bells, jalapeños, serranos, anaheims)

4 lbs. onions

1 bunch cilantro

1 can fire roasted chipotle peppers

1 head garlic

3 TBS. salt

2 TBS. cumin

2 TBS. black pepper

1 cup white vinegar

Roast tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers and onions on sheets in the oven or on a cast iron griddle. Blend in a blender or food processor with cilantro, chipotles, garlic, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Simmer for an hour.

Download the canning process sheet to make these steps a breeze!

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Meanwhile, fill your water bath processing pot with jars and hot tap water. Remember to use a wire canning jar rack or a silicone trivet. You can get the canning equipment checklist here! Bring to a boil.

Put a corresponding number of lids and rings in a saucepan filled halfway with tap water. Bring to a simmer.

Have nearby countertop covered in a towel, and have a jar lifter, funnel, and lid lifter ready.

Ladle into hot, prepared jars. Add ½ TBS vinegar to each jar. Wipe rims, and put on hot lids and rings. Process pints in a water bath for 20 minutes, making sure to adjust for altitude if necessary by adding 5 minutes for every 1000 feet you live above sea level. Let sit on the counter for 24 hours before washing, removing rings and storing.

If you’re not sure if you have the equipment you need to make this recipe, watch this:

Thank you so much for sharing Kimmy! This recipe sounds delicious and I’m convinced that the flavor from roasting the veggies first would be well worth the time. I can’t wait to hear about how you serve this salsa, Wildflowers! Be sure to share in the comments below!

And if you’re wishing you felt confident enough to try this recipe…

Get the Canning Essentials Workbook for $5 and be guided every step of the way making this recipe, and every recipe this season! The Workbook includes

• Canning Season Planner
• Pantry Checklist
• Equipment Checklist
• Acid & Canning Guide
• Canning Log
• Process Cheat Sheet
• Elevation Adjustment Guide
• Bonus Recipes

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