It might sound crazy, but my family’s favorite salsa is made with green tomatoes, not tomatillos. Green tomato salsa is a great accompaniment for tortilla chips and can be used as a topping for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas.
We enjoy this fresh tomato salsa so much that I try canning 15 or 20 pints each fall just before the first frost.
Our Family’s Favorite Canned Green Tomato Recipe
I love making this green tomato salsa canning recipe because it tastes similar to regular red salsa but with a hint of tartness and a thicker consistency. The addition of onions, peppers, cumin, garlic, and cilantro cooked together creates a traditional green salsa that’s simply addictive. By canning my own fresh salsa, I can control the heat and spice levels to suit our family’s taste.
This homemade canned salsa was always the most requested when my kids were growing up.
Home food preservation saves money and provides a delicious way to use up the last of the garden’s green tomatoes that didn’t ripen before the frost.
Ingredients You Will Need For The Water Bath Salsa
- Green Tomato: You can use Roma tomatoes, beef steak, or any traditional thick paste tomatoes. If you have trouble finding enough green tomatoes, you can use tomatoes that are still very firm but have started to turn red slightly.
- Peppers: If you like your salsa mild, only use banana peppers. However, if you like hot peppers in our salsa, add a few jalapeno peppers to your liking. If you like mild salsa, use banana peppers, poblano, or Anaheim. For spicy salsa, use jalapeño peppers or cayenne peppers. If you are brave, make your salsa verde hot by adding a few habanero peppers with your mild peppers.
- Garlic: For this recipe, it is best to mince fresh garlic, not the kind you can buy already minced in a jar.
- Lime juice: Since this is a water bath canning recipe, you should use canned lime juice for safe canning protocol. The acidity is a constant percentage, as fresh lime can vary in acidity.
- Fresh cilantro: Only use fresh cilantro, not dried.
📝 Note: You can find the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
Canning Green Tomato Salsa With A Water Bath Canner
It is essential to use a tested recipe for safe canning. When canning homemade salsa, I only use recipes from qualified canning cookbooks or the National Center for Food Preservation.
Prep Boiling Water Bath Canner
- Fill your boiling water bath canner halfway with clean, hot water.
- Place the canner on a burner. During the last 20 minutes of cooking the salsa, turn on the heat for the boiling water bath canner and heat the water to 180°F.
- Have an extra kettle of hot water on standby in case you need more water to cover the jars fully.
Prep and Cook the Salsa
- No need to peel the green tomatoes. Simply wash them, remove the cores, and dice into small cubes.
- Dice the onions, banana peppers, and jalapeños into even, small pieces.
- Combine all the diced veggies in a large stock pot.
- Add the vinegar, lime juice, diced garlic, and other seasonings to the stock pot.
- Heat the mixture on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it boils.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often. Keep an eye on the salsa. If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, turn the heat down a little bit. Stir often.
- After the salsa is cooked, use an immersion blender to puree it until it is smooth. If you prefer a chunkier salsa, lessen your processing time. A food processor works as well.
Water Bath Process Green Tomato Salsa
- Ladle the hot salsa into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½-inch of headspace. A canning funnel will make this easier.
- Run a non-metallic utensil around the inside edges of the jar to remove any air bubbles, then re-check the headspace.
- Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel to ensure a clean seal. Place the two-piece metal lids on the jars and screw them on until just finger-tight.
- Place the jars into the boiling water in your canner, ensuring they’re fully submerged. If they are not completely covered, add more boiling water. Place lid on canner.
- Allow the water to come back to a full boil. Then start your timer. Process pint jars for 15 minutes at elevations up to 1,000 ft. For elevations between 1,001 – 6,000 ft, process for 20 minutes.
- Once the processing time is over, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow jars to remain in the canner for 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner. Do not tilt the jars. Place them on a towel or cooling rack on the counter, leaving space between them.
- Let the jars cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Do not tighten the rings or press down on the lids during this time.
- After 24 hours, remove the ring bands and check the seals. If any jars don’t seal, store them in the refrigerator and use them first.
- Wash the jars and lids with a wet cloth to remove any residue. Label the jars and store them in a cool, dry place away from direct light.
| Recommended process time for Green Tomato Salsa in a boiling-water canner. | ||||
| Process Time at Elevations of | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0 – 1,000 ft | 1,001 – 6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
| Hot | Half-pint or Pint Jars | 15 min | 20 | 25 |
Tips and Questions About Canning Salsa In A Water Bath
How long can home-canned salsa be stored once opened?
According to the University of Minnesota’s Extension Office, it is advisable to refrigerate home-canned salsa once it is opened and consume it within one week. Alternatively, for longer storage, you can freeze it for up to one year.
Do you have to peel green tomatoes for salsa?
When using green tomatoes in a salsa canning recipe, you do not need to peel them. Give them a good scrub, then remove the core of each tomato.
Do you have a question about the recipe? Feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help!
⚖️ Need a big batch to feed a crowd? You can easily change the number of servings in the recipe card below by tapping 2x or 3x. The ingredient measurements will automatically double or triple. You can then tap print and there you have it, a recipe for a crowd.
Canned Green Tomato Salsa Recipe (Water Bath)
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
You can add any recipe from Intentional Hospitality to your shopping list to plan a full menu!
Ingredients
- 8 cups green tomatoes, cored and diced
- 2 cups banana peppers, seeds removed and chopped (see pepper variations below)
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoon jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (optional, add more for spice)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped (remove large stems)
- 1 cup vinegar, 5% acidity
- ½ cup bottled lime juice, do not use fresh
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
- 1½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the Canner
- Fill your boiling water bath canner halfway with hot water and place it on the stove.
- Heat the water to 180°F during the last 20 minutes of cooking the salsa.
- Keep a kettle of hot water ready in case you need to add more to cover the jars later.
Make the Salsa
- Prep the vegetables:
- No need to peel the green tomatoes—just wash, core, and dice them.8 cups green tomatoes
- Chop the onions, banana peppers, and jalapeños.2 cups banana peppers, 1 cup onions, 2 tablespoon jalapeño peppers
- Cook the salsa:
- In a large stockpot, combine the diced veggies, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, and seasonings.6 cloves garlic, ½ cup cilantro, 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup bottled lime juice, 2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano leaves, 1½ teaspoon salt
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often. Lower the heat if it sticks.
- Blend (optional)
- Use an immersion blender for a smooth salsa. For a chunkier salsa, blend less or skip this step.
Waterbath Can the Salsa
- If the canner water isn’t boiling, turn up the heat until it reaches a full boil.
- Ladle hot salsa into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles by running a non-metal utensil around the inside of the jars.
- Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel and secure two-piece lids (finger-tight).
- Place jars in the canner, ensuring they are fully submerged (add boiling water if needed).
Process the Jars
- Bring water back to a full boil before starting the timer. See notes for processing time.
- When done, turn off the heat and let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing.
- Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter (don’t tilt them) and set them on a towel to cool for 24 hours.
Check & Store
- After 24 hours, check seals by pressing the center of each lid (it shouldn’t pop back).If a jar didn’t seal, store it in the fridge and use it first.
- Remove ring bands, wipe jars clean, and label them with item name and date.
- Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Notes
- If you like mild salsa, use banana peppers, poblano, or Anaheim.
- For spicy salsa, use jalapeño peppers or cayenne peppers.
- If you are brave, make your salsa verde hot, adding a few habanero peppers with your mild peppers.
| Recommended process time for Green Tomato Salsa in a boiling-water canner. | ||||
| Process Time at Elevations of | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0 – 1,000 ft | 1,001 – 6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
| Hot | Half-pint or Pint Jars | 15 min | 20 | 25 |
Equipment
Can these be water bath canned?
Brian, You have me thinking with your question about water bath canning this recipe. I have always used my pressure canner, but after careful research, I believe a water bath canner would work fine. I always refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They suggest salsa to be hot packed in pint jars and processed for 15 minutes. I am going to try and update this green tomatoes salsa post to using a water bath canner. I think more people are comfortable with a water bath canner than a big pressure cooker. Be sure and visit my How To Water Bath Can for tips.
Can you please tell me how long canned salsa will last with this recipe AFTER opening it?
Elizabeth, you asked a great question, thank you. I have added it to the post for others to read too. According to the University of Minnesota’s Extension Office, it is advisable to refrigerate home-canned salsa once it is opened and consume it within one week. Store bought salsa has preservatives added so it can keep longer in a refrigerator, up to 3 weeks. Home canned salsa does not have preservatives, hence the shorter
Alternatively, for longer storage, you can freeze it for up to one year.
To defrost frozen salsa, remove the container from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can thaw it more quickly by transferring the salsa to a microwave-safe dish and using the defrost setting in short increments, stirring occasionally to ensure even thawing.
Haven’t made any yet,but I intend to soon
However, I am confused by the directions, “cut tomatoes into 3″cubes”. Most of my tomatoes are about 2.5″ in diameter. How do I cut them into 3″ cubes?
Just cut them in half.This is to help break the tomatoes down easily while cooking. The green tomatoes are hard and take longer to soften.
I question the direction to prepare green tomatoes in three inch cubes. I don’t think I have ever seen a tomato, red or green, big enough to get a three inch cube out of!
Also, the sentence “If you prefer a chunkier salsa lesson, your processing time” should read, “If you prefer a chunkier salsa, lessen your processing time.” Sorry, I am an incurable proofreader.
Thank you for the recipe.
Well Lynda, I wish I could hire you to proofread all my posts. My brain thinks my hands are writing what it’s saying. :) I do appreciate your corrections. However, in the day of AI generated content becoming predominant, even in the recipe websites space, it does point out to Google and my readers that I am a human talking to you instead of machine generated content. AI content, text and images, are becoming the norm and people don’t even realize that entire recipe websites are written by computers. (off my soapbox now) I went into the post and tweaked the recipe to make it easier to follow. I have been canning for so many years that I forget the little details are helpful if someone is new to home canning.
Hello, The directions say to add all vegetables and simmer but it says nothing about adding the vinegar, lime juice or spices. I’m assuming that you’re supposed to add everything and then cook it down am I correct?
Irene, you are so right! Thank you for pointing this out to me. I went in and updated the recipe card. Now, each group of ingredients is under the steps. To make it easy, I suggest reprinting the recipe card. Again, thank you for pointing this out, I appreciate my readers help. One thing to note: keep an eye on the salsa while it’s cooking. I was cooking a big batch on a fish cooker burner outside once and forgot to stir it every so often, which burnt the whole thing. I was so sad.
Hi Gina, made this today and now curious how you are able to get 8 pints out of this batch. I got only 3. So, was this meant for 6-8 half pints? Since we grow a market garden I have a wide selection of peppers and tomatoes. Will doubling this recipe work?
Hi Matt, I rechecked the recipe. The total starting volume is about 12.5 cups of ingredients. After simmering and reducing for 45 minutes, you’ll end up with about 8.5-9.5 cups of cooked salsa, which should fill around 5 pint jars. The yield can vary slightly depending on how much moisture evaporates during cooking. Green tomatoes seem to have more moisture than ripened ones usually so there is more evaporation compared to red ripe tomatoes. I will adjust the recipe card to yield 5 pints. Thanks for your help, I appreciate my readers sharing how their recipe turned out and issues they had.