Ok, this might sound crazy but my family’s favorite salsa is made with green tomatoes. Not tomatillos, just go out in the garden and pick early green tomatoes. Our family loves this so much I try and can 15 or 20 pints each spring or late fall just before a frost when I still have green tomatoes.
WHAT IS GREEN TOMATO SALSA?
Green Tomato Salsa has a combination of green tomatoes, chilies, onions, and cilantro that tastes just like authentic salsa verde. It can be mild or spicy depending on many jalapenos you add.
CAN GREEN TOMATOES BE USED INSTEAD OF TOMATILLOS?
To make authentic Mexican salsa verde tomatillos are not the only vegetable you can use. Green tomatoes are a good substitute to use when soup, salsa, or sauce recipes call for tomatillos. Be sure and pick unblemished green tomatoes. These have a slightly sour taste similar to the tomatills. Sometimes when you substitute using green tomatoes in a recipe you will need to add a tart element. A few tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice will help flavor your dish.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH UNRIPE TOMATOS?
Have a lot of green tomatoes and wonder what to do with them?
- Make fried green tomato slices
- Make salsa verde
- Green tomato ketchup
- Green tomato curry
- Substitute green tomatoes for squash in a casserole recipe
WHAT DOES GREEN TOMATO SALSA TASTE LIKE?
Green tomato salsa tastes similar to regular red ripe tomatoes however the salsa has a hint of tartness and a thicker consistency than red salsa. In this recipe, the addition of onions, peppers, cumin, garlic, and cilantro all cook together create green traditional style salsa that you might become addicted to.
What can you serve green tomato salsa with?
- The most obvious way is with chips.
- Use as a topping on fish or chicken like my Thai Grilled Chicken
- This salsa goes great with Spicy Verde Pulled Pork Tacos or Vegan Tacos
CANNING SUPPLIES GUIDE
If you are new to canning be sure and read my Canning Supplies Guide. There are many helpful tips and ideas.
GREEN TOMATO SALSA VERDE RECIPE FOR CANNING
Here is the best part about using green tomatoes, it’s so simple to make because you just quarter the tomatoes and toss them in a roaster with the other ingredients and allow to simmer for a few hours.
Then blend with an immersion blender and presto you have salsa. There is no labor intensive peeling off the tomato skins like you would in red salsa!
As you can see there are a few tomatoes I threw in that were starting to turn red but they were not near ready to enjoy eating, more like the feel of a hard baseball. So, they got made into salsa too.
Once the tomato mixture is cooked down I use a KitchenAid Hand Blender stick right in the roaster pan. This creates a perfect and consistent small chunky salsa.
HOW TO MAKE GREEN TOMATO SALSA
- Place all the ingredients into the roaster pan. Cook at 250 degrees.
- Stir the mixture every 15 minutes to prevent sticking.
- Allow to simmer for 2 hours or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to fall apart.
- Using a hand blender stick, blend until the salsa is smooth yet slightly chunky
TIPS FOR MAKING GREEN TOMATO SALSA
HOW TO MAKE GREEN TOMATO SALSA VERDE MORE OR LESS SPICY
This recipe has 2 cups of green chilies coarsely chopped. The heat comes from the peppers you choose to use. Choose your heat using this Williams Sanoma pepper guide.
FREEZING GREEN TOMATO SALSA
If you do not want to can this salsa you can put in in freezer safe containers. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just be sure and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
GREEN TOMATO SALSA IS HEALTHY
This salsa is vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan.
MORE CANNING RECIPES
Canned Green Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
- 11 cups green tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 2 cups onions coarsely chopped
- 2 cups peppers coarsely chopped: If you want it spicy use Jalapeñosor or Anaheim. If you like it mild then choose Banana peppers
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 10 tablespoons lime juice reshly squeezed
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 4 teaspoons cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or more if you like it spicy.
Instructions
- Using a Roaster
- Place all the ingredients into the roaster pan. Cook on 250 degrees.
- Stir the mixture every 15 minutes to prevent sticking.
- Allow to simmer for 2 hours or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to fall apart.
- Using a stock pot
- In a large stock pot combine all ingredients. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stir continuously.
- Reduce heat, and simmer gently. Stir frequently so the tomatoes do not burn. Allow to simmer for about 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are very soft, starting to fall apart.
- Canning green tomato salsa
- Use hand blender stick to puree the salsa until it is smooth, yet slightly chunky.
- Pack hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1-inch of headspace.
- Wipe jar rims clean
- Center lid on the jar and adjust the band to fingertip- tight.
- Process filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure 55 minutes for pints and 1 hour and 25 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. The lid should not flex up and down when the center is pressed.
- For complete pressure canning instructions be sure and visit National Center for Home Preserving. https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html
- Freezing green tomato salsa
- 1. Use hand blender stick to puree the salsa until it is smooth, yet slightly chunky.
- 2. Allow salsa to cool to room temperature. Then ladle salsa into freezer containers, seal with a lid and freeze for up to 6 months.
- 3. Allow thawing overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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