Simple and Delicious Tomato Salsa

Although I enjoy cooking from scratch, I also appreciate recipes that are homemade and simple. If you’re looking for a simple and delicious tomato salsa recipe to make fresh right now or can for later, this is the one!

With a fixer-upper farmhouse to restore and a full-time job, I don’t have a lot of extra time on my hands to spend in the kitchen. There are so many recipes I consider, but if they call for a zillion specialty ingredients and more than an hour or two of my time, I bounce. 

With lots of tomatoes still on my hands after making my fresh and simple tomato sauce, I recently decided to whip up a batch of tomato salsa. Who doesn’t love salsa? It’s so good with tortilla chips and to pour on practically any Mexican dish, but I also love adding it to things like scrambled eggs.

This simple and delicious tomato salsa calls for peeled tomatoes. Now, I hate peeling fruits and vegetables unless it’s easy as a banana, which isn’t the case with anything except, well, bananas. The good news is tomato peels slide off easily if you briefly boil them and then dunk them in ice water. It’s a small price to pay for fresh salsa, in my opinion.

What Makes This Simple and Delicious Tomato Salsa Special?

First, I want to be clear in telling you my intention is to make 5 pints of salsa and can it for future use. However, if you want to freeze your salsa or just make a quick batch to serve right away, I’ll give you those instructions too. The best news is you only need 3 ingredients for this tomato salsa. And, you can even use canned tomatoes if you want to take another shortcut. Don’t you love shortcuts?

1. Tomatoes – fresh or canned, diced tomatoes
2. White distilled vinegar or cider vinegar
3. Mrs. Wages salsa mix 

The magic ingredient is the salsa mix. By making your salsa with this mix, you don’t have to worry about adding unnecessary chemical ingredients to your salsa or wondering if your additions of onions and peppers won’t work with the canning option. Canning chemistry is everything! All of the ingredients in the mix are natural with no preservatives. The salsa mix is often found in grocery stores but you can also purchase it on their website or on Amazon here. You can make a small batch and serve it fresh, freeze it, or can it – your choice! I bought the medium heat in the four-ounce package because I like a little kick to my salsa.

Small Batch Salsa Ratio

• 1 pound of tomatoes (about 3 medium or 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of Mrs. Wages salsa mix

Larger Batch Salsa Ratio to Freeze or Can

• 6 pounds of tomatoes (about 18 medium or 5 14.5 ounce cans
• )1/2 cup white distilled vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 4-ounce pouch of Mrs. Wages salsa mix

Simple and Delicious Tomato Salsa Directions

1. Wash your fresh tomatoes. If you’re peeling the tomatoes, the best way to do it is to boil water and immerse them in it for 1-3 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes, and then immediately dip them into ice water. From there, you can cut out the cores, easily remove the skins and give them a coarse chop. You should end up with approximately 2 cups of chopped tomatoes for the small-batch and 10 cups for the large batch. If you’re using canned, diced tomatoes, don’t drain the juice!
2. Combine the distilled vinegar and Mrs. Wages salsa mix in a non-reactive saucepan, i.e. not aluminum. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then follow the directions. 

To Serve

Place in a container to cool. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. It will keep for about a week.

To Freeze

Pour into freezer-safe containers and let cool. Cover and place in the freezer. It will be good to use for about 1 year. 

To Can

Sterilize your jars and lids. Pour hot salsa into clean canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace, then cap and band the jar. Place your jars in your canner and process for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let your jars stand for 5 minutes before removing them, letting them cool for 12-24 hours. You should hear that satisfying pop sound that signifies they sealed. If they didn’t seal, you’ll notice a bubble in the middle of the lid. Don’t throw it out! Just put it in your refrigerator and eat it within 1 week. Cooled, sealed jars should be used within 1 year. 

How do you like to eat your salsa? Do you have a favorite spin you like to put on it?