Canned Tomato Salsa

1 . Stage

Heat the jars in a water bath: Place a steamer rack in the bottom of a large (16-quart) stock pot or canning pot. Place new or clean mason jars on the rack. Fill the jars with water and fill the pot with just enough water to come to the top of the jars. Heat water to a simmer. Keep the jars warm while preparing the salsa. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water. Dry well and set aside.

2 . Stage

Roast the chiles: Roast the Anaheim chiles until blackened all over. The best way to do this is directly over a gas flame on the stovetop (see how to roast chiles .) If you don't have a gas stove you can broil the chiles, or blister them on a grill. Note that it is not essential that the chiles be cooked through, only that the outer tough skin is blistered and blackened. This is what will help with flavor. Also it will make it easy to peel the chiles. Just put the chiles near a heat source until blistered and blackened, and turn them so that they get blackened on all sides. Then place the chiles in a brown paper bag (or in a covered bowl), close the bag and let the chiles steam in their own heat for a few minutes. Then gently rub off the outer skin and discard. Cut away the stems and remove the seeds and any prominent veins. Chop up the chiles and set aside; you should have 1 cup of chopped chiles. Do not use more than 1 1/2 cups of chopped chiles.

3 . Stage

Prepare the tomatoes: You want the tomatoes peeled, and there are several ways of doing that. Blanching them is easiest; grilling or broiling will result in more flavor. To blanch them, score the ends of the tomatoes and place them in boiling water for a minute. If you are going to grill or broil the tomatoes, I recommend coring them first. Grilling is best with whole plum tomatoes; grill them on high direct heat until blackened in parts and the peels are cracked. Broiling works with any sized tomato. Just cut them in half and place the cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Broil until the peels are blackened in parts. Remove the tomatoes (from water, grill or broiler) and let cool to the touch. Remove and discard the peels. Cut away any cores if you haven't done so already. Chop the tomatoes taking care to save any juices that may come out of them. Starting with 5 pounds of tomatoes you should end up with about 8 cups of chopped tomatoes and juices. (You must use at least 7 cups of tomatoes.) Place them in a bowl and set aside.

4 . Stage

Simmer the ingredients in a large pot: Put all of the ingredients into a large (8-quart) stainless steel pot. (Do not use aluminum or the acidity of the sauce will cause the aluminum to leach into the sauce.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.

5 . Stage

Blend a portion of the salsa (optional): If you want your salsa to be more smooth than chunky, use an immersion blender to pulse it a few times, or working in batches ladle about half of it into a blender and purée.

6 . Stage

Season to taste: Taste the salsa. If it's too acidic, add more sugar to balance the vinegar! If too sweet, add a bit more vinegar.

7 . Stage

Ladle the salsa into hot jars: Ladle the hot salsa into the hot canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch of empty space between the top of the salsa and the rim of the jar. Wipe the rims with a clean, dampened paper towel so that there is no residual food on the rims. Place the canning lids on the jars. Screw on the rings. Do not over-tighten or you may not get a good seal. Air does need to escape from the jars during the next step, the water bath.

8 . Stage

Boil in a water bath: Place the filled jars back onto the rack in the pot of hot water you used to heat the jars. You may need to remove some of the water from the pot to prevent it from overfilling. Cover the jars with at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a rolling boil and process for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude, if needed: 20 minutes for altitudes 1000 to 6000 feet, 25 minutes above 6000 feet). Then turn off heat and let the jars sit in the hot water for 5 minutes.

9 . Stage

Let the jars cool, then check for a seal: Remove jars from the water bath and let them sit on a counter for several hours until completely cool. The lids should "pop" as the cooling salsa creates a vacuum under the lid and the jars are sealed. If a lid has not sealed, either replace the lid and reprocess in a water bath for another 15 minutes, or store in the refrigerator and use within the next few days. Remember to label the cans with the date processed. (I use a Sharpie on the lid.) Canned salsa should be eaten within 1 year.