Perfect for all of your Mexican dishes, canning tomatillo salsa, or salsa verde as many call it, is a great way to preserve your tomatillo crop and have a delicious salsa in the cupboard.

This exotic seeming fruit naturally grows in Mexico and Central America. But, you can actually grow tomatillos in your backyard pretty easily. They're a prolific crop and don't require a lot of fuss to grow a lot in a small area. You will have to have two plants, but two is actually enough for most folks as a single plant can produce up to 20 pounds of fruit.

When you harvest tomatillos, they have a papery husk on the outside, which is why they are often called "husk tomatoes". This husk is easily peeled off with just your fingers to reveal a green, purple, or yellow fruit that is incredibly sticky to the touch. This is due to the high pectin content of these fruits.

That high pectin content gives tomatillo salsa a nice thickness, similar to a thick syrup, instead of your typical thin salsas made with tomatoes. This amazing green salsa is perfect on tortilla chips, venison tacos, or even chicken chimichangas. It's bright with a hint of citrus and just spicy enough that it really makes any Mexican dish taste even better.

Tomatillos on their own are kind of lackluster with just a hint of bright, citrus flavor. But, when you combine them with peppers, cumin, paprika, cilantro, onion, and garlic? Amazing things happen.

Is Salsa Verde Spicy?

I made this salsa a little on the spicy side with the peppers I chose. However, you can change the heat level to your liking by changing up the types of peppers you use, or removing all of the seeds first.

Is This Tomatillo Salsa Safe for Canning?

Yep. This is an approved canning recipe totally safe for water bath canning. However, do not change the amounts of anything other than the cilantro and spices. You can change the types of peppers, but you should be sure you have a cup of peppers in total. If you change anything else like the vinegar or lime juice, that changes the acid content within the salsa and it may not be safe enough for water bathing.

Also, use bottled lime juice in this recipe if you're canning it. If you aren't canning, fresh lime juice is fine. Some say you can use lemon juice as a substitute but lime juice is actually slightly more acidic than lemon juice and the flavor of lemon juice just isn't my cup of tea.

The vinegar in this recipe is essential to keep the acidity levels where they need to be. If you open up a jar too soon, the flavor can be a bit off-putting (though I think it blends pretty well). If you just let the salsa sit for a few days before you try it, it's super good.

How to Can Salsa Verde

Canning tomatillo salsa verde is really easy. Unlike tomatoes, tomatillos do not need to be peeled prior to canning. Everything just gets roasted, chopped up a bit, combined, warmed, and canned.

Exact measurements and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below, but these are the basic steps and ingredients.

Note that it is important to follow a tested recipe when it comes to canning salsa as the acidity can change quite drastically when you start messing with ingredients. However, you can safely change the types, not the amounts, of peppers in the recipe.

You can leave the seeds in the peppers or remove them. I used a mixture of jalapeno peppers, habaneros, and chili peppers. You can use all bell peppers if you want. Just make sure you're using a whole cup of chopped peppers.

You can also safely change up the amounts or even completely omit any of the seasonings. However, you cannot decrease the amount of tomatillos, peppers, onions, or change the amounts or types of lime juice or vinegar these are put in the recipe to make the acidity where it needs to be.

Roast the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse off the sticky residue and then halve them. Place them on a baking sheet. Halve the peppers and remove the seeds and place them on a baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the hot oven and roast the vegetables until they're crispy on the edges... about 15 minutes. Remove the roasting pans from the oven and allow them to cool slightly while you prepare the jars.

Prepare Jars and Canner

While the vegetables are cooling, prepare the jars and canner by washing the jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Fill them full of water, fill a water bath canner with water up to the top of the jars and begin heating everything over medium-high heat while and bring it to 180°F. Keep it warm while you prepare the recipe.

Make the Salsa

Chop up the roasted tomatillos and peppers in a food processor or use an immersion blender. Chop up the onions and combine vinegar, lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic cloves, salt, onions, cilantro, tomatillos, and peppers in a large saucepan.

Bring the salsa to a boil over medium heat. Continue gently boiling for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pack Jars

Pack the hot jars with the hot salsa, leaving a half inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust for proper headspace if necessary. Wipe rim. Center the lid and finger tighten the screw band.

Process

Place jars back in the hot water bath canner and make sure they are covered by an inch of water. Place the lid on the canner and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.

After it comes to a boil, process both pints and half-pints for 15 minutes, adjusting processing time for altitude if necessary.

After processing, turn off heat and remove the lid. Allow the jars to sit in the canner for five minutes before removing to a towel-lined counter. Wait 12 to 24 hours before checking for proper seal.

How Long Can This Salsa Be Stored?

Canned properly and stored in a cool dark place, this salsa will keep for 18-24 months. Don't stack the jars higher than two high, as this can mess with the seals and be sure to store with the rings removed.

Other Canning Recipes You'll Want to Try:

• Black Bean and Corn Salsa for Canning
• Easy Canned Venison