Sweet and Smoky Salsa

This home made Sweet and Smoky Salsa is a salsa-lover’s dream! Better than anything you could ever buy in a bottle!

We have great friends who make the best salsa. They grow a big garden and then use their produce to make a huge vat of salsa, which they then bottle and graciously bestow upon grateful beneficiaries. Last year, their salsa had a wonderful smoky undertone. I asked them what they did to achieve this delightful nuance. They said they accidentally burned it. I said, “Can you burn it again next year?” So they did! But this time, it was on purpose! So that is the secret to this salsa, my friends. You must burn it. I suppose you could add liquid smoke, but I have never tried it (and neither have they). There is a certain method to properly burning this salsa, so pay particular attention to the instructions.

Remember how I mentioned that this recipe made a vat of salsa? Perhaps you do not wish to make vat of salsa. Perhaps you only wish to make a large pot, or a small pot. To this end, I have used my impressive mathematical skills to give you three variations of this recipe. The instructions will be the same for all. As another note, you can vary the heat of this salsa by including the ribs of the hot peppers instead of discarding them. You can also substitute other kinds of hot peppers to alter the flavor of the salsa. Feel free to play around with the amounts of the ingredients so you get a salsa you really love! The large vat recipe makes about 16 pint-sized jars of salsa.

For a vat of Sweet and Smoky Salsa, you will need:

2 gallons (32 cups) pureed, fresh tomatoes (Roma are recommended, but any tomato blend can work)

6 large onions, diced

6 large bell peppers, diced

6 habanero peppers, ribs removed and seeded

12 jalapeno peppers, ribs removed and seeded

6 Anaheim peppers, ribs removed and seeded

1 head of garlic, peeled and minced

1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

8 Tbsp. granulated sugar

8 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

8 tsp. salt

3 tsp. black pepper

5 tsp. MSG, optional (monosodium glutamate–you can find it in the spice aisle)

For a large pot of Sweet and Smoky Salsa, you will need:

1 gallon (16 cups) pureed, fresh tomatoes (Roma are recommended, but any tomato blend can work)

3 large onions, diced

3 large bell peppers, diced

3 habanero peppers, ribs removed and seeded

6 jalapeno peppers, ribs removed and seeded

3 Anaheim peppers, ribs removed and seeded

1/2 head of garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

4 Tbsp. granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 1/2 tsp. MSG, optional (monosodium glutamate–you can find it in the spice aisle)

For a small pot of Sweet and Smoky Salsa, you will need:

8 cups pureed, fresh tomatoes (Roma are recommended, but any tomato blend can work)

1 1/2 large onions, diced

1 1/2 large bell peppers, diced

1 1/2 habanero peppers, ribs removed and seeded

3 jalapeno peppers, ribs removed and seeded

1 1/2 Anaheim peppers, ribs removed and seeded

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1 1/4 tsp. MSG, optional (monosodium glutamate–you can find it in the spice aisle)

Instructions for all:

1. After dicing hot peppers, puree with the tomatoes to evenly distribute the heat.
2. Add all ingredients except the salt, black pepper, and MSG to to a pot on the stove. Heat to almost boiling, then turn down and simmer over low heat for several hours, stirring every thirty minutes.
3. After the salsa has thickened, add the salt, black pepper, and MSG. Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook for about 30 minutes. Don’t stir. The salsa on the bottom of the pan will begin to burn. (Remember, this is what we want!) Using a ladle, stir the salsa, rubbing the bottom of the ladle over the burning salsa at the bottom of the pan. Don’t scrape the burnt salsa off the pan. We just want to distribute the smoky flavor throughout the rest of the salsa.
4. Remove from heat and ladle into pint-sized jars. Wipe the edges of the jars to remove any spilled salsa, then top with lids. Process and seal jars in a steam canner or by boiling the jars, completely covered, for 12 minutes.