Chili Salsa

Chili Salsa: Date Added: 13 Nov 2009 Ingredients:

7 pounds tomatoes -- chopped
1 pound chili peppers - (to 2 lbs) -- chopped
1 pound onions -- chopped
1 cup vinegar or 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Caution: Wear rubber gloves while handling chilis, or wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face. Wash and dry chilis.

Slit the sides of the peppers and peel them, using the following method. Cover a hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy wire mesh. Place chilis on the burner for several minutes until the skins blister.

Allow the peppers to cool. Place them in a pan, and cover the pan with a damp cloth. This will make peeling the peppers easier. After several minutes, peel each pepper. Cool, and slip off the skins. Discard the seeds, and chop the peppers. If desired, you may leave the skins on, and grind or coarsely chop the peppers.

Wash the tomatoes, and dip them in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until the skins split. Dip the tomatoes in cold water, slip off the skins, and remove the cores. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, and combine with the chopped peppers and remaining ingredients in a large kettle.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer it for 10 minutes. Fill the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Adjust the lids, and process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. This recipe yields about 9 pints.