Canning homemade salsa

Listen to this radio story on canning homemade salsa (MP3 download)

Making homemade salsa is a great way to use up the fresh produce from your garden, but it's smart to spend some time learning about canning safety before you begin. Canning salsa is a tricky task because you are combining highly acidic tomatoes with peppers, onions, and other low-acid foods. If you fail to properly balance the acid levels in your salsa, you create a breeding ground for food-borne bacteria that can make you seriously ill. For this reason, it's important to follow the recipe precisely and use a hot water bath or pressure canner to allow the final heat treatment to kill any bacteria that may be present.

Radio Interview Source: Karen Blakeslee, Food Scientist, Kansas State University

If you're interested in additional information about canning homemade salsa, we suggest the following Web sites:

Salsa: An assortment of delicious salsa recipes you can make using produce from your garden.

Canning Salsa Safely: A printable brochure to use as a guide when making homemade salsa.

Freezing and Canning Tips for Homemade Salsa: Safety tips to reduce the risk of spreading food-borne illnesses through your homemade salsa.