This weekend was very busy. We drove down to my Mom's house to help celebrate her birthday and ended up building a catio. (Yes, more to come on THAT later. Still a wee bit hating the catio since my hands hurt from bending chicken wire).
Right before we left we had to tear out the garden because while we were gone it snowed! So glad we were down in the heat! We had to hurry and make it because we were leaving soon and needed to get everything put away so it it didn't go bad before we left. We made some freezer salsa and froze it in individual servings for my chips and salsa loving daughter. She was so excited!
My mom's birthday went well. she was excited that we had bought her Donny and Marie tickets! She didn't think she would get the chance to see them before they stopped their residency at the Flamingo. She called her friend and they were crushing on Donny--their childhood girl crush. They are so excited to go and see them, er him!
Later that night for her birthday we went to Las Vegas and saw Xavier Mortimers Magical Dream. It was alright but the best part was when my son became part of the act. (I don't know if he realizes this was in the magician's mouth??)
Time to head home and grab some chips and salsa!
Do You Have to Cook The Tomatoes?
Yes, you will need to cook the tomatoes prior to making the freezer salsa. This is due to bacterial growth reasons.
Do I Have to Use a Bell Pepper?
No, I realize that some people do not like bell pepper. It's okay to omit it.
Can I Use Fresh Cilantro?
Yes you can use fresh cilantro but I would add it to your thawed salsa. Fresh cilantro doesn't really freeze well so it's best fresh. This recipe used dried cilantro.
Freezer Salsa
- 10-12 large tomatoes (apx 8 cups) diced, deseeded and peeled (see instructions)
2 green bell peppers, diced and seeded
2 large yellow onions, diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (Use 1 jalapeno for mild salsa, 2 for medium)
2 6oz cans tomato paste
1 10oz can tomato sauce
⅓ cup white vinegar
⅓ cup lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tbsp salt
1 ½ tbsp garlic powder
1-3 tsp cayenne or chili powder - Fresh chopped or dried cilantro, to taste
In a large saucepan, boil water. Make an X at the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomato inside the boiling water for 45-60 seconds. Remove tomatoes from the water, then place tomatoes in ice water for 1-2 minutes. Remove the peels from the tomatoes then slice and deseed.
Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse chop for several seconds. Place all ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes until desired thickness reached. (I go the full 45 minutes as I like a thicker salsa).
Remove salsa from heat and allow the salsa to cool completely before placing in freezer portions. (These are nice for gifts for neighbors or for family sized portions, we love these for individual portions).
Freeze for up to two months. Thaw when ready to eat. Serve with cilantro if desired.
Recipe inspired by Make Ahead Meal Mom
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