All the cool kids are doing it.

My version of salsa verde – long live the tomatillo!

Adapted from Tomatillo Salsa in The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, J. Kingry & L. Devine, eds.

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Salsa Verde

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups (about 2  lbs husked) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced to 1/4-inch (about 1 tennis ball-sized)
• 1/2 cup Cubanelle peppers (or green bell peppers), diced to 1/4-inch
• 1/2 cup minced jalapeno & long green chile peppers, with or without seeds (about 3 – 4 large) (wear gloves)
• 1/4 + 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp chile pepper flakes
• 1 tsp raw sugar (optional)

METHODS

1. If canning, prepare canner, jars and lids.
2. Chop vegetables (a food processor works well here).  Add all ingredients except cilantro to a medium stockpot; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 – 15 minutes, or until vegetables have softened and the salsa has thickened slightly. Add cilantro, mix well and return to a boil.
3. Ladle hot salsa into hot, sterilized jars; remove air bubbles and push all vegetables down below the level of the liquid, adding more salsa to yield a 1/2-inch headspace if necessary.  Wipe rims, affix lids and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Yields about 5 half-pints.

OPTIONS

1. This year’s tomatillos seemed espeically astringent, therefore I added just a small amount of sugar to the salsa; not to taste any sweetness, just to cut the astringency.
2. I added Cubanelle peppers this year as well, to add a little balance and sweetness to the salsa. Cubanelles are a light green pepper that look like banana peppers and have a similar mild flavor. You can substitute banana peppers, green bell peppers, or eliminate them entirely; just make sure that the total amount of onions, peppers and chile peppers is no more than 1 and 1/2 cups [as always, for safety in canning do not alter the proportions of acid (tomatillos, vinegar, lime juice) and low-acid (onions, peppers, cilantro, garlic) ingredients].
3. The jalapenos give this a nice kick but this salsa is not overly spicy; you can easily control the heat by modulating the amount of seeds you include.  If you want a very spicy salsa verde, you can replace the Cubanelles with jalapenos and/or add a habanero or two (remembering to keep the total amount of low-acid veg to 1 and 1/2 cups).
4. Since there is plenty of acidity in the recipe from the tomatillos & vinegar, feel free to use fresh lime juice. Toss in the zest while you’re at it.
5. Roasting the vegetables works nicely as well;  you lose the bright acidity of the tomatillo but you add a nice, complex smoky note. Roast whole vegetables, then chop, then add remaining ingredient and bring to a boil before canning.

STORE

Canned, store in a cool, dark spot for up to 1 year.  Refrigerated, use within 3 weeks.

SEASON

Summer.