I try to make salsa every summer, and I admit that I usually take the quick-and-easy way and use Mrs. Wages’ mixes. My family likes it, and it’s super easy to do. You just get the tomatoes ready, dump in the mix and vinegar, cook, and process. Easy peasy.

This summer, I had jalapenos and poblano peppers in my garden, and I wanted to find a salsa recipe where I could use a bunch of them. I found this recipe in The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving, and I knew I’d found the right recipe. I made a double batch of this salsa, and I discovered how much “fun” working with fresh peppers can be. Must be why I used Mrs. Wages all those years! That said, the end result was delicious, and I’ll be making this recipe again next year.

As the saying goes, a pepper is a pepper in a canning recipe, so you can mix and match to your family’s taste. If you only want green peppers, or you want to heat things up with some habaneros, feel free to substitute. I used a mix of jalapenos and poblanos because that’s what I had. Just make sure you use the same quantity of peppers. A food scale is a great way to make sure you’re getting the correct amount. If you don’t have fresh limes, you can substitute bottled lime juice.

Salsa Ranchera

3 pounds plum tomatoes, cored

3/4 pound jalapeno peppers

4 garlic cloves

1 medium-sized white onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange first 4 ingredients on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Remove garlic from the baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes more or until vegetables are very soft and beginning to char.

Transfer jalapeno peppers to a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove skins from tomatoes and coarsely chop. Coarsely chop onion. Place tomato, onion, and salt in a medium stainless steel or enameled saucepan.

Peel peppers. Remove and discard seeds, if desired. Finely chop peppers and cooled garlic. Add to tomato mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.

Ladle hot salsa into a hot jar, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process jars for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat. Remove lid and let jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Yield: About 4 pints

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