{This post is sponsored by Ball® Fresh Preserving}
If you have a lot of green tomatoes in your garden, this green tomato salsa verde recipe is for you! It has the subtle tang of green tomatoes with a hint of lime. This green salsa is perfect paired with chips, as a taco topper, or on grilled meats or fish. Can your own homemade salsa with homegrown ingredients!
Ball® Preserving Starter Kit
If you are new to home canning, the Ball® 9 Piece Preserving Starter Kit is perfect for the aspiring canner. I was so excited when I got mine in the mail!
The Starter Kit includes:
- 4 Half Pint jars, preserving rack, real fruit classic pectin, jar lifter, headspace/bubble remover tool, and jar funnel.
- A recipe card with step-by-step visual and written instructions that make learning the canning process as easy as possible.
- Coupon for a 12-pack of mason jars.
Visit FreshPreserving.com for new, seasonal recipes from Ball® Fresh Preserving, as well as to find new promotional offers!
Green Tomato Salsa Verde Recipe
Now for this amazing green tomato salsa verde recipe! This green salsa is easy to make and is a great way to use up any green tomatoes you might have in your garden. It’s an easy canning recipe that is perfect for beginners!
The first thing you want to do is prepare your boiling water canner. Heat 4 pint jars or 8 half pint jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil. Wash the lids in warm soapy water and set aside with the bands.
Related: Green Tomato Recipes
You’ll need 7 cups of cored, peeled, and chopped green tomatoes (about 12 medium).
The easiest way to peel them is to score the bottoms with an X then drop them in boiling water for a few minutes or until the skins start to peel off. They take a bit longer than ripe tomatoes for the skin to release.
Then you can either chop them well with a knife if you like chunky salsa, or run them through a food processor for a smoother salsa.
Once your tomatoes are prepared, combine them with the hot peppers, onion, garlic, and lime juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then stir in the cilantro, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Using a jar lifter, grab one canning jar, place on a towel or wooden cutting board, then ladle hot salsa into a hot jar leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles (this headspace tool is perfect for this). Wipe jar rim.
Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Once the water is boiling, process the jars for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove lid, and let jars stand in the water for 5 minutes.
Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed on a towel or wooden cutting board for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.
How to Use Green Tomato Salsa Verde
This green tomato salsa verde is so delicious! I don’t know about you, but I love green salsa even more than red salsa. There’s just something about the slightly more tart flavor that green tomatoes add that really makes this salsa special!
Serve it with grilled fish, over enchiladas, on top of tacos, or go classic with chips and salsa! Another great way to use this salsa is to blend it with some avocados for amazing avo-salsa.
I absolutely love preserving my own homemade food! Not only does it mean that I know exactly what’s in it, but it also tastes better than what you can buy at the store.
I love how this green salsa tastes and I feel good about serving it to my family. Even my toddler loves it! We kept it on the mild side for him, but you can make it as spicy as you like.
If you want to do more canning this summer, check out this delicious strawberry honey butter for another easy recipe!
If you have a lot of unripe tomatoes you can also make these fermented green tomatoes or pickled green tomatoes. If you are swimming in cherry tomatoes try these fermented cherry tomatoes (they’re amazing)!
Have you done any preserving this year? Tell me what you’ve made!
Green Tomato Salsa Verde
Equipment
- 8 half pint or 4 pint Ball® Jars with lids
Ingredients
- 7 cups chopped, cored, and peeled green tomatoes about 12 medium
- 5-10 jalapeno, habenero, or scotch bonnet peppers seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cups chopped red onion about 2 large
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare your boiling water canner. Heat 8 half pint jars or 4 pint jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
- Combine the tomatoes, hot peppers, onion, garlic, and lime juice in a
large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then stir in the cilantro, cumin,
oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. - Using a jar lifter, grab one canning jar, place on a towel or wooden cutting board, then ladle salsa into a hot jar leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles (this headspace tool is perfect for this). Wipe jar rim.
- Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Once the water is boiling, process the jars for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove lid, and let jars stand in the water for 5 minutes. Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed on a towel or wooden cutting board for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.
Notes
- The easiest way to peel the green tomatoes is to score the bottoms with an X then drop them in boiling water for a few minutes or until the skins start to peel off. They take a bit longer than ripe tomatoes for the skin to release.
- You can either chop the green tomatoes well with a knife if you like chunky salsa, or run them through a food processor for a smoother salsa.
- Use 5-10 hot peppers (or less if you prefer) depending on how spicy you like your salsa. Wear rubber gloves when cutting and seeding hot peppers to avoid your hands from getting burned.
In the story part of the recipe it says leave 1/2” headspace. The recipe part further down says 1/4” headspace. We went with 1/4” like our other salsa recipes.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! This is my first year with a garden and water bath canning. I followed the recipe as instructed, but had to substitute the lime juice for lemon. It turned out delicious! I’ll be using it again next year as my go-to green tomato recipe.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Madeline! Enjoy!
Question:
Can I substitute vinegar for the lime juice?
Yes, but It’ll change the flavor profile of the salsa.
Did you use fresh squeezed lime or bottled lime juice?
I used fresh for this recipe, but you could use either.
Canning newbie here and I’m just curious why this recipe cannot be pressure canned as I have a ton of green tomatoes but only have a pressure canner not a water bath canner?
Hi Hannah. This recipe wasn’t tested with a pressure canner, but you can use one if that’s all you have. Just be aware that it may change the texture a bit since you’ll be processing it at a much higher temperature.
you can use any pressure canner as a water bath canner… just fill with water & take out the seal or don’t lock the lid
A pressure canner with the lid off and the water above the jars becomes a boiling bath canner. Also a large, deep pot will work as a water bath canner if you put something in the bottom to keep the jars off the pan. In a pinch you can use lid rings, or a steamer insert.
Steam can using your pressure canner.
Just don’t put the weight on the canner.
Same time as wb.
Made this yesterday,really good, can add stevia instead of a tbsp. Sugar to “ cut” the acid abit, works great,love it thanks
Is this any tomatoes ? Or a special green type ??
Could I use lemon juice in place of lime juice?
Yup.
This is a great way to use up green tomatoes and jalapenos from my garden before the big frost. (I live in Minnesota.) I didn’t peel the tomatoes. Mostly because I had a lot of cherry and yellow pear tomatoes and peeling all those tiny things would have taken a lot of time. I just put them in my food processor and chopped them to “chunky.” The peels did not come off during cooking of the salsa so I’d recommend skipping the whole peeling step. I added a lot of small jalapenos from my plants, but the heat level came out to a nice medium level. The lime and cilantro add a great fresh flavor. I will be making this again
So glad you liked it!
Sharing changes I made. Did not peel tomatoes(I’m lazy), chopped tomatoes directly into my vitamix, around the 4 cup mark, I added garlic(4-5 cloves) and spicy peppers, continued addding tomatoes to just past the 7 cup mark. Pulsed that with the plunger piece to help get the big stuff down. Added onions(or more tomatoes for my no-onion batch), pulsed some more. Did not blend until fully liquid.
Put that in pan with lime juice and followed rest of recipe. Used Italian seasoning as I didn’t have oregano.
Did one batch with green peppers instead of spicy, co-worker loved it.
I’m so glad your coworkers loved the salsa!
This is great – I’m going to do mine the same. Thanks for sharing.
Can I pressure can this recipe ? How long ? Thanks in advance.
Hi Don. No, this recipe shouldn’t be pressure canned as it would destroy the finished quality of the salsa.
Can you use sweet peppers instead of hot peppers? And can you add pinapple?
Of course. Enjoy!
I really love this recipe- it is such a great use for green tomatoes.
I don’t find peeling the tomatoes to be necessary. I also like to roast the tomato (unpeeled and whole unless very large), alliums, and hot peppers in the oven on broil until the tomatoes start to pop and things start to brown. Then I simply blend everything together with the remaining ingredients and proceed with the recipe as stated.
:)
So glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve never made salsa verde but had a lot of green tomatoes left over this year due to weather issues! Made this today and it is now a family favorite! Hoping I can find more green tomatoes out in the garden to do a second batch! Thank you!
I’m so glad this recipe is a family favorite. Enjoy!
I added a teaspoon of tequila before I added the salsa to jar.. omg it’s so divine.
Patron silver is what I used..
First time making this recipe. I subbed ground coriander for the cilantro, half fresh garlic cloves & 1/2 garlic powder, and 3/4 red onions & 1/4 yellow onions. Two thumbs up from my teenage testing crew!
Sounds wonderful. I’ll have to try that next time.
Love love this, I always have an abundance of green tomatoes…I used Arapaho cayenne, jalapano, red lantern and orange habanero peppers. I diced the jalapeño pepper seeds and all to add extra heat, also added an extra clove of garlic. Thank you for this yummy recipe 😊
You’re welcome, Marsha! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Why did I end up with several extra jars? I measured everything.
Hi Sandra. That is really hard for me to answer. It made 8 half-pint jars for me.
I found a easier & faster way to peel green tomatoes, I didn’t blanch them, but used a potato peeler to get he skins off. Worked like a charm. I have a batch simmering now. Smells wonderful!
Great idea, Pat! I’ll have to try your technique next time I make this recipe!
This was a pro tip, thank you!!!
My husband and I just made a quadruple batch. We had lots of green tomatoes left over from the garden.
Taste tested it and it is SO delicious! Making Salsa Verde Chicken enchiladas tonight!
I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Corla! Enjoy!
I have made two batches of this. Excellent!!
I’m so glad you liked it!
I’ve made two batches of this with my and my son’s green tomatoes and hot peppers. It looks great and I can’t wait to try it after it sits for the month you recommend. The second batch I used my food processor on pulse and it was much faster. I used 5 jalepenos and a pablano as that’s what I had. And the second batch I used yellow instead of red onions. A good use for end of garden veggies. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you loved this recipe, Carol. Enjoy!
Hoping to try this recipe this weekend! Does the lime juice need to be fresh or concentrate from a bottle?
Hi Julie. I used fresh lime juice in this recipe, but you could use concentrate if that’s what you have available.
Never use fresh lime or lemon juice because the acidity is not guaranteed 5% which is what you need for safe canning procedures
I’m making this tonight. Why is it suggested to store without the rings on the jars?
Hi Connie. It’s best practice to store home canned goods without rings because jars that are improperly canned can let air into your food (and consequently cause bacteria to grow). Keeping the ring off ensures you’ll be able to detect when the seal is broken.
I always leave them on-helps prevent the air from getting in. When going to use them and you take the band off, it is obvious if air has leaked in or not.
Thanks for the clear instructions and easy to follow recipe. We are harvesting all green tomatoes today because there is snow in the forecast. I can’t wait to try this!
Let me know how they turn out, Becky!
can we use vinegar instead of lime? Thanks
Hi there. I’m not sure how that would taste, so maybe start with a quarter cup of vinegar and adjust as needed, since vinegar can be overpowering.
One question from a canning newbie. In Step 5 it says “Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed on a towel or wooden cutting board for 12-24 hours. ”
Do you mean remove the BANDS? (Not that actual lid, right?)
Thanks
Sorry, I meant this line: “Turn off the heat, remove lid, and let jars stand in the water for 5 minutes. “
Hi Karen. I should have clarified — I cover my pot with a lid, so I meant to say remove the lid from your pot, not the jars themselves. However, it is best to remove the rings from your jars before storing them in your pantry.
When canning processing time ends….
Turn off heat and wait 5-10 minutes before lifting the jars out of the water. Making sure not to tip the jars.(reframe from tipping the jars to get excess water off the top of the jar) Tipping the jars at this point can unset the seal and let air in.
Lift and place jar on a heavy towel or wood board and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours. No touching or moving around NOTHING. After this time period you can remove the bands before placing in a cool dark storage shelf. I mark my jars with month and year and product.
Can I freeze instead of can this recipe?
Sure, that should work fine!
Can this be made without the cilantro?
Sure, that should be fine.
A concern & question is 1/2 cup of lime juice enough acid for this recipe to keep it safe for preserving?? There is a lot of low acid elements. Thanks
This is a tested and approved recipe from Ball® Canning, so it should be good!
If you use bottled lime juice can you cut the amount. I made a batch and the lime juice is a bit over powering. Any suggestions?
Of course! The lime juice is only for flavor in this recipe.
If this is a ball approved canning recipe, then you cannot mess with any of the ingredients or the amounts of them. The lime juice is there for acidity, if you reduce it or change it you mess up the safety of the recipe.
I was thinking the same thing. The lime is very over powering.
This salsa is amazing! I’ve been wanting to try making my own anyway, and my mom’s garden had plenty of green tomatoes, so I gave this a go. I only used four jalapeños and it still had plenty of kick, and I added some fresh lime juice after it was blended and cool. Otherwise, I kept it as-is! I may try fire-roasting the veggies next time for fun. Thank you for the great recipe and canning instructions! 🙂
You’re welcome, Rachel! I’m so glad you liked it!
This is the BEST green tomato salsa recipe I have tried. It has just the right amount of all the right seasonings. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked it! 😊
I just harvested 42 lbs of green tomatoes . Our weather turned nasty wet and cold so they were never going to ripen.
Question .. can this be made with unpeeled green tomatoes? Would it make that much difference? The fresh recipes I’ve seen don’t require peeling ?
Delicious recipe! I didn’t peel the tomatoes, I cooked everything on the stove for about an hour then used my immersion blender. It’s so tasty! I tripled the recipe as well.