Home-made salsa is so easy to make and is infinitely more tasty than anything store-bought. It’s also a great, versatile condiment to have in the fridge and can be used for anything from a great dip for chips to an easy sauce for pasta, etc.
You guys, this salsa has been consumed by the bucket-load over the last few weeks. I have always loved salsa but this one. This one has my heart. It’s incredibly rich in flavour with its abundance of fresh tomatoes, peppers, chillies and coriander and I’ve been using it for more than just dipping tortilla chips (but let’s be honest, that’s been happening a ton too).
You see, this salsa has a lot of the same flavours as the “Sheba” my dad makes. Sheba is a South African sauce mostly made to be served with pap (our version of grits/polenta). This rich relish is known all over South Africa and loved by most (if not all). It’s a constant in many homes and is served in abundance. This salsa has many of the same ingredients and can be used in exactly the same way. I’ve also made a delectable Shakshuka with it (eggs cooked in tomato sauce) which went down a treat served with toasted pita bread and a generous sprinkle of Feta cheese. But that’s the beauty of sauces like this, it’s so incredibly versatile and above all, just plain delicious. It also fits perfectly into the #PreservingHeritage campaign I’m working on with Ball® jars. And as Heritage day is just more than a month away for us South Africans, there is no better recipe than this incredibly easy salsa to celebrate with. Serve it with chips as a snack or warm over pap with your braaivleis. Make a couple of jars now and keep them ready for any emergency salsa situations (they happen!) before then. To make things easy peasy, the lovelies at Ball® jars have given me a great preserving starter kit to give away to one of my readers.
If you would love to stand a chance of winning one of their Preserving starter kits, leave a comment below telling me what recipe you will make using the preserving kit. Remember to tag me so I can track the entries. Facebook:Simply Delicious Twitter: @SimplyDelishSA.Â
Entries will close on Friday 19 August and the winner will be notified via e-mail. Giveaway open to residents of South Africa only. To find out more about Ball® jars, visit their Facebook page.  The Ball® Home Preserving Starter Kits can be found at selected Pick n Pay, Spar, Makro and Farm City Stores, or online at Yuppiechef.com and Takealot.com
Easy home-made salsa
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes
- 2½ cups chopped seeded green peppers (I used red bell peppers)
- 2½ cups chopped onions
- 1¼ cups chopped chilli peppers remove the seeds if you want the salsa to be less spicy
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- 2 cloves fresh garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar optional
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce I used Tobasco
Instructions
- Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
- Combine tomatoes, green peppers, onions, chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, cilantro, salt and hot pepper sauce, if using, in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened for approximately 10 minutes.
- Ladle the hot salsa into the hot jars, leaving ½ inch (1.25cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace by adding more hot salsa, if necessary. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
- Process both pint and half pint jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
Notes
I’m not a great cook. this Salsa looks delicious. I would eat mine with samp and beans, and a side dish of Tripe. And definitely I will enjoy it with a lot of dishes I normally prepare for my family.
I would can / preserve anything I can get in bulk – love preserving foods for later and emergencies as well as hbeing stocked up
Wow, this salsa looks delicious! Thanks for sharing. I’d love to try this 🙂
Thanks Sabrina! 🙂 It’s such a great make-ahead salsa to have on hand for salsa emergencies. 😉
I would make some great pickles.
I have always been intimidated by the process of Preserving? I have been looking for a healthier recipe to complement my healthy cooking, and I am wanting to make a healthy jam recipe, free of preservatives and heaping cups of sugar. So I would either make a strawberry or apricot jam 😉
I’m addicted to salsa so I’d probably try out your tempting recipe. I also love watermelon preserve with some Camembert on crackers so I’d give that a go too!
white watermelon preserve. my granny’s favourite.
I’m on this whole growing my own veggies thing and for my first growth of beetroot, I’ll be preserving them so that I can own the bragging rights that I grew them and didn’t kill them! I will be using the pickling recipe my Mom and Grandmother used, so guaranteed to last a couple of years but then again, it’s beetroot and I LOVE beetroot.
That salsa looks so good. I would probably make a few jars of marmalade.
I’d love to make jars of pesto to give as gifts.
I would make a tangy chutney
My mom always used to make the best preserved pears in syrup. I think I would make a few jars of that.
I would love to try making my own jam, I’ve never tried before. Otherwise, maybe preserving all the citrus we have in abundance at the moment would be great.
Wow, this looks so delicious! Does homemade spaghetti sauce count? I’ve always wanted to try it since my kids eat it at least twice a week.
I would make preserved lemon archa or mixed veges pickled
I would love to try your Salsa, but I also really want to try a Spiced Apple Chutney too!
Umm…I want Sheba + Pap!!! It sounds amazing!! If I could enter, I would make my mom’s zucchini relish…sounds bizarre but she’s been making it since I was a kid and it’s THE BEST on a hot dog. xo
Yum, that zucchini relish sounds amazing!
This sounds fantastic. I wish I still had my humongous garden and dozens of canning jars. I really griped about canning then — now I miss it. I’ll have to try this recipe, our whole household I know will love it.
It’s guaranteed to become a firm favourite. I am obsessed with all kinds of preserves and pickles at the moment and am thinking of planting a vegetable garden just for that very purpose. 🙂
Wow Alida, your salsa looks delish!! And your photos are leaving me hungry…very hungry! They’re just beautiful!
Thanks so much Mary Ann! 🙂
To be more original I’m going to say guacamole but in truth I’m going to try that salsa, looks damn tasty