Chunky Green Tomato Picante Sauce
Thick and chunky, this green tomato picante sauce is a winner! I think it's similar in style to my husbands go to, medium hot Pace Picante Sauce, but it's brighter and tangy with plenty of kick.
One of the things about growing tomatoes up North is that when the end of the season comes, the plants aren't really finished. They are loaded with tomatoes that have not yet had the time to ripen. I leave them on as long as I think they can stand it but eventually I have to bring them in.
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I cut down the vines and cut the tomato clusters off in bunches then put them in big bowls in my kitchen until I have enough time to preserve them.
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I had already made some restaurant style red salsa and some green tomato chili verde sauce when I decided to make this green tomato picante sauce. The picture above is what I had left after making 5 quarts of it.
I ended up freezing some of the red tomatoes whole, to be roasted on sheet pan dinner nights or for pasta sauce. Many of the green tomatoes are ripening beautifully on the kitchen counter and I'm using them up fresh.
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What do you like to do with all of your end of season tomatoes?
This is a very simple recipe and so yummy!
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The one thing to know is that if you don't can it in a water bath canner, it's not shelf stable so it has to be refrigerated at all times, both before and after opening.
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If you do can it properly, it will be shelf stable until after you open it. Then like store bought salsa, it needs to be refrigerated.
Chunky Green Tomato Picante Sauce is really delicious. Who says you need to have tomatillos to make green salsa?
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Cheers!
~Melisa
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Chunky Green Tomato Picante Sauce
Ingredients
20 cups chopped green tomatoes, about 7 lbs.
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 large diced red onion
2 Serrano peppers chopped, leave the seeds in if you like it spicy
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup white vinegar
4 tablespoons lime juice
4-12 shakes Tabasco (to your taste)
1 tablespoon salt (to your taste)
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Equipment
5 quart size or 10 pint size sanitized canning jars.
An 8 quart stock pot and ladle
A water bath canner and it's instructions if you decide to can the salsa*
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This salsa must be kept in the refrigerator if it is not properly canned and will have a shorter shelf life.
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Method
Add all of the chopped vegetables, vinegar, lime, Tabasco and salt to an 8 quart stock pot. Heat over medium high heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until thick and chunky.
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Ladle the picante sauce into hot sterile canning jars, wipe the rims of the jars then center the lids and add the rings just fingertip tight.
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Process in a water bath canner according to the manufacturers instructions or leave to cool on the counter until the lids make a popping sound and the button on the lid no longer depresses when you push on it with your finger.
Tighten the ring after the lid has sealed.
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IMPORTANT NOTE
If you do not process the jars in a canner you must keep the jars of picante sauce refrigerated and the shelf life will be reduced.