Best Mild Salsa Recipe (Canning Instructions Included)

If you are looking for the best mild salsa recipe designed for canning, look no further! This recipe is our one of our favorite ways to preserve some of our fresh picked tomatoes, peppers and onions from the garden.

It is our go to salsa recipe that we make when we know we will be sharing it with family and friends who don’t like or can’t tolerate spicy foods. Whether we gift them a jar around the holidays or pop open a jar at a football tailgate party, we know that everyone who likes salsa can enjoy it.

However, for those who like medium or hot salsa, don’t worry. You can add more heat to the salsa when the jar is open.

Dice up a few jalapeños or serrano peppers and add them to your individual bowl of salsa. Or sprinkle some cayenne pepper powder and add a pinch or two of hot red pepper flakes to turn up the heat.

There are always ways to customize salsa to your liking. That is exactly why we have so many different salsa recipes on this website, there is something for everyone.

If you want to take a look at some of our other salsa recipes, I have listed them below. After you read the instructions on how to make this mild salsa, you will find a variety of our other salsa recipes, including some that don’t even require canning!

Equipment Required To Can Salsa

However, this mild salsa recipe is designed for those individuals who want shelf stable salsa that can last for over a year. Of course, you could make the salsa as instructed and eat it right away.

Or you could place it in a covered container and refrigerate or freeze it as well. Although I find that it tastes best after it has been sitting at room temperature for a few weeks.

And now that canning equipment is back on the shelves, it is a great recipe to can for use throughout the year. Not to mention with grocery prices on the rise, even the novice canner should give this recipe a try as it is simple and easy to make.

So what do you need to make this mild salsa recipe for canning? Besides the obvious list of food ingredients, you are going to need the following equipment:

1. Canning Jars

Canning jars, or often times referred to as mason jars, are what most people use when canning food. Just be sure that the clear glass jars are designed to withstand the heat of boiling water.

Some of the smaller, half pint jars are intended for use only in the freezer and not on the stove. Although, most people use pint or quart jars to can salsa.

If you are buying new jars, I highly recommend the wide mouth jars. They are easier to fill and easier to serve from when compared to regular mouth jars.

2. Canning Lids and Bands

Canning lids are the flat tops that seal the canning jars. It is best to purchase a few extra boxes just in case you have extra produce that you could possibly can at the end of summer.

Just be sure to read the label well. Wide mouth jar lids will be stocked right alongside of regular mouth lids. So be sure to know what type of jars that you have at home so you can purchase the correct ones, as they are not interchangeable.

As for the bands that hold the lid in place while the salsa is in the canning vessel, these can be reused over and over again. That is of course if they aren’t damaged or rusty.

Before purchasing new ones, inspect any of the bands that you have at home and determine if you need to buy new ones this year. Unfortunately, they aren’t sold individually in most areas.

However, you can purchase them as a lid and band combo set.

3. Water Bath Canner

Most people who are considering canning mild salsa will use the water bath method for canning. Therefore, a water bath canner is recommended.

This is simply a large pot that has a lid and oftentimes a canning rack placed inside it. It is intended to hold half-pint, pint and quart jars and must be deep enough so that the jars can be covered with 1-2 inches of water.

I have been able to find water bath canners at my local hardware store, farm store, and even large box stores. You can also order them online through Amazon or Lehman’s Hardware store.

Although, if you are in an absolute pinch, you could use a large stockpot as your canner. Just be sure that it is deep enough to hold the filled jars and enough water to cover them.

4. Jar Lifter

Although there are a lot of canning accessories that you can purchase to help make canning mild salsa easier, the one that I wouldn’t do without is a jar lifter.

This is a wide pair of canning tongs that will help you lower and remove canning jars from the hot water. In my opinion, I wouldn’t can without them.

If you use standard kitchen or grilling tongs, you risk the chance of you dropping the jar or burning yourself as you try to handle each jar.

Instead, the jar lifters allow you to hold onto the jar with a firm grip, decreasing the risk of anything awful from happening.

5. Washcloths and a Thick Towel

Some of the most utilized items when someone is canning, and also the most underrated are kitchen washcloths and towels. While canning this mild salsa recipe, along with anything else, I will go through 4-5 washcloths and/or towels.

Not only will you use them as you are cutting and preparing the actual ingredients for the salsa, you will also need them to wipe the rim clean of each filled jar before you add the lids and bands.

Then you will also need a thick towel to place the jars that come out of the water bath canner. Here they will sit overnight as the jars seal completely.

So now that you know what equipment is required, let’s get to the actual recipe.

The Best Canned Mild Salsa Recipe

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 9 cups peeled and diced tomatoes, paste style tomatoes preferred
• 2 1/2 cups diced green bell peppers
• 2 1/2 cups diced sweet, white or red onion
• 2 medium jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed, diced*
• 8 large cloves garlic, finely diced
• 6 teaspoons canning salt
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar (5%) or lemon juice
• 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste

*Yes, even in mild salsa a couple of jalapeños are added for extra flavor. When you remove the seeds and ribs the heat also gets removed. However, if you prefer, you can leave them out of the recipe.

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making mild salsa for canning is to remove the skins from the tomatoes. Although you can technically keep the skins on, they will come off during the canning process.

Then they will float in the sauce and provide an unpleasant texture for some people. Therefore, I find it best to remove the skins before making this salsa recipe.

Start by cutting a thin ‘X’ in the skin at the bottom of each tomato. Then place the tomatoes, working in batches as needed, in boiling water for 1 minute.

Once the minute is up, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and immediately place them in an ice water bath. Once safe enough to handle, peel the skins off with your fingers or a small paring knife.

Discard the skins or save them for your compost pile. Now slice the tomatoes in half and remove the core and most of the seeds.

It is okay if some of the seeds remain attached to the tomato. Next dice the tomatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. You want them a little larger so that they have room to shrink as they break down during the cooking and canning process.

Heat The Salsa On The Stove

Place the tomatoes in a large, 10 quart stockpot. Dice the green pepper, onions and jalapeno peppers.

Place the diced vegetables and remaining ingredients in the pot with the tomatoes and place over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the salsa is heated through and thickened.

Be sure to stir the pot often so that the tomatoes don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Now it is time to can the salsa.

Canning Instructions For Mild Salsa Recipe

Using a wide mouth funnel, ladle the cooked salsa into clean, sterile canning jars. Be sure to leave 1/2 inch headspace at the top of the mouth of the jar to allow for expansion.

When the jars are full, run a plastic utensil down the inside of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Then wipe the rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth and place the lids on top.

*Most canning lids no longer require you to heat the lid before placing it on the jar. However, be sure to read your manufacturer’s label and follow the instructions.

Secure the lid with the band and finger tighten. Using those valuable jar lifters, place the jars in the water bath canner with water 1-2 inches above the top of the jars.

Place over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, start the timer and process for 30 minutes, adjusting for altitude as necessary.

Once the processing time is up, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Then use the jar lifters to remove the jars and place on a thick towel.

Let the jars sit at room temperature, undisturbed for 24 hours before testing the jars to make sure that they have sealed.

How To Test The Seal of Canning Jars

To test if the jars sealed properly during the canning process, test each lid by pushing on the center. If it doesn’t move, then the jars sealed properly and can be stored in a cool dark place for 12 months.

However, if a jar did not seal properly (the lid bounces up and down), place the jar in the refrigerator for safe storage.

Other Favorite Salsa Recipes

Here are some of our other favorite salsa recipes:

• The Best Canned Salsa Recipe
• Pico de Gallo – Fresh Salsa Recipe
• Food Processor Salsa
• Instant Pot Salsa
• Best Salsa Verde Salsa Recipe

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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