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This month's notes: May 2013: The cool weather has delayed blooms and slowed growth by a couple of weeks, but don't miss strawberries: they started in most Southern areas in late April, and in late May up north. Click here for strawberry facts and picking tips, and this page for easy strawberry jam making directions. Blueberries will come in June in most areas. Of course, Florida, southern Texas, and other very warm areas are already picking both crops! See this page for hundreds of easy canning and freezing instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Then see each state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. Organic farms are identified in green!  See our guide to local fruit and vegetable festivals!. Please tell the farms you found them here - and ask them to update their information!!

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How to Make Peach Salsa - Easily! With Step-by-step Photos, Recipe, Directions, Ingredients and Costs

How to Make Homemade Peach Salsa

Click here for a PDF print version

If you like peach salsa like you've had in restaurants and bought in the stores, then you'll LOVE your own home made peach salsa.  you can impress friends and family with this easy and tasty recipe! You can refrigerate it or can it to have in the winter! Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated.

Prepared this way, the jars have a shelf life of about 12 to 18 months, and aside from storing in a cool, dark place, require no special attention.

For more information about stone fruits, see Peach Picking Tips

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Peach Salsa Ingredients

Yield: About 7 pint jars

• 6 cups (2¼ pounds) chopped Roma tomatoes (about 3 pounds tomatoes as purchased)
• 2½ cups diced yellow onions (about 1 pound or 2 large as purchased)
• 2 cups chopped green, red yellow and/or orange bell peppers (about 1½ large peppers as purchased)
• 10 cups (3½ pounds) chopped, firm peaches (about 9 medium peaches or 4½ pounds as purchased peaches)
• 2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples or other tart apples (about 2 large apples as purchased) (optional, but they add flavor)
• 4 tablespoons mixed pickling spice
• 1 tablespoon canning salt
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 3¾ cups (1¼ pound) packed light brown sugar
• 2¼ cups cider vinegar (5%)

Equipment

• At least 1 large pot
• Large spoons and ladles
• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)
• Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sanitize them. ($2 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates)
• Jar funnel ($2 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates)
• Ball jars (Publix, Kroger, other grocery stores and some "big box" stores carry them - about $8 per dozen quart jars including the lids and rings)
• 1 Water Bath Canner (a huge pot with a lifting rack to sanitize the jars of peaches after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates) You CAN use a large pot instead, but the canners are deeper, and have a rack top make lifting the jars out easier. If you plan on canning every year, they're worth the investment.

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Recipe and Directions

Step 1 - Selecting the peaches

Choose firm, not quite ripe, mature fruit of ideal quality. They should not be mushy, but they also should not be rock hard: just as very firm. 

 

 

 

 

Step 2 - Wash the jars and lids

This is a good time to get the jars ready! The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle. Otherwise put the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. I just put the lids in a small pot of almost boiling water for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" (available from target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) to pull them out.

 

 

 

Step 3 -Wash the peaches, apples and peppers

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit and vegetables in plain cold or lukewarm water.

Step 4 - Peeling the Peaches

Peaches and nectarines should be peeled, as their skins can be tough / chewy in jam.  Peaches have such thin skins, you really don't need to peel them.

For those you want to peel, here's a great trick that works with many fruits and vegetables with skins (like tomatoes): just dip the fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. 

Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and put into a large bowl or pot of cold water and ice.

The skins will easily slide off now IF the peaches are ripe! The more unripe they are, the longer you'll need to heat them.

Step 5 - Cut up the peaches

Cut out any brown spots, pits and mushy areas. Cut the peaches in half, then dice into 1/2 cubes! Sprinkle  with lemon juice, citric acid or FruitFresh to prevent browning.

Step 6 - Peel, core and chop the apples, onions and peppers

 Wash, peel and core the apples, then cut them into halves and chop the apples into ½-inch cubes. - Prepare the onions and peppers

Peel, wash and dice onions into ¼-inch pieces. Wash, core, and seed bell peppers; chop into ¼-inch pieces.

Step 7 - Preparing the spice bag

Place 4 tablespoons mixed pickling spice on a clean, double-layered, 6-inch-square piece of 100% cheesecloth Bring corners together and tie with a clean string. (Or use a purchased muslin spice bag or use a baby's mesh ice holder. ). I use a baby's ice lollipop bag (available at mall kitchen stores, Target and other local "big box" stores) as it is reusable and easy to use (see the photo).

• 4 tablespoons mixed pickling spice
• 1 tablespoon canning salt
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 3¾ cups (1¼ pound) packed light brown sugar

Step 8 - Combine the veggies and fruit

Combine the chopped peaches, apples, tomatoes, onions and peppers in an 8- or 10- quart Dutch oven or saucepot.

Step 9 - Add all ingredients and heat

Add the pickling spice bag to the saucepot; stir in the salt, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and vinegar. Bring to boiling, stirring gently to mix ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 10 - Remove from the heat

Take the pot off the stove, remove spice bag from pan and discard the spices.

Step 11 - Fill the jars

With a slotted spoon, fill salsa solids into hot, clean pint jars, leaving 1¼-inch headspace (it takes about ¾ pound solids in each jar). Cover with cooking liquid, which then should leave ½-inch headspace.

Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth. Add lid, screw band and tighten firmly and evenly. Do not over tighten.

Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.

 

 

 

 

Step 12 - Process the jars in the water bath

Put the sealed jars in the canner and keep them cover with at least 1 inch of water and boiling. Boil them for at least 15 minutes - as specified in the table below, for your altitude..

 

 

 

 

Step 13 - Remove and cool

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight), here they won't be bumped. You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

Peaches, pears and apples may also show a blue, red or pink color change after canning. This is the result of natural chemical changes that sometimes occur as fruits are heated. It is harmless and won't affect flavor!

Also, avoid storing canned food near heat sources such as a furnace, water heater, hot water or sunny areas. Jars need to be kept cool and dark for longer storage life and to protect against spoilage. Be sure to store in a dry place. If the lid or band rusts, that can cause the seal to break.

Your salsa will probably be darker in color than this.  It depends upon how much spice you use and how long you cook it.

 

 

Adapted from the NCHFP recipe, developed at The University of Georgia, Athens, for the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Released by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences. August 2003.

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Other Equipment: From left to right: Jar lifting tongs          helpful to pick up hot jars Lid lifter          - to remove lids from the pot          of hot water  Lid         - disposable - you may only         use them once Ring        - holds the lids on the jar until after       the jars cool - then you don't need them Canning jar funnel       - to fill the jars	You can get all of the tools in a kit here:
Frequently asked questions!

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Don't forget the Ball Blue Book!

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Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc. Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store! Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!

 

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Picking Tips

[General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable] [How much do I need to pick? (Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)] [Selecting the right varieties to pick] [All about apple varieties - which to pick and why!]  [Picking tips for Vegetables] [ Strawberry picking tips] [ Blueberries picking tips]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

[ All About Home Canning, Freezing and Making Jams, Pickles, Sauces, etc. ] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]