The first box is dedicated to Salsa, since it is the most ripe and probably wouldn't survive the trip home. So here you go, Nikki, my recipe:
Equipment:
The biggest pot you have
The biggest spoon you have
A super sharp knife and cutting board
Various bowls
About 1/2 day if you are a ninja, most of a day if not
12 x 1L wide mouth mason jars, with lids & rings
Ingredients: (I had to make two batches since the pot wasn't big enough...)
30lbs tomatoes
6lbs onions
3lbs bell peppers
4 heads garlic
1.5 lbs jalapeño peppers
1 bunch cilantro
1 lb limes (the juice of)*
1/2 cup lemon juice*
3 tbsp salt
1.5 cups sugar (optional)
*important: you need to add an acid in order to preserve it safely and properly; tomatoes are right on th verge of being considered a "low acid" food. You could also use cider vinegar instead of the lemon and lime juices.
1. Wash all your jars, lids, and rings. Sterilize them in a clean dishwasher, or boiling water. Set them aside. Wash all your other cooking utensils and rinse well. This step is important to prevent spoilage and unwanted bacteria in your canned foods!
2. Wash and chop tomatoes, discarding any bruised or damaged spots, and the core if you want. If they are really watery, feel free to remove the seeds. It will also save you a little time in step 5. Chop them as small or as coarse as you want your finished salsa to be. I hand chopped mine, and was able to do 10lbs every half hr. Do not mistake the pink-red colour of the tomatoes with your fingers, as you probably don't want blood in your salsa.
Put the tomatoes (not your fingers) in the pot with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Get them starting to simmer.
3. Chop the onions and peppers and add them to the pot.
4. Use gloves to remove the tops and seed the jalapeños, and mince them together with the garlic in a food processor. Do not touch your eyes. Trust me. Toss these in the pot and then go wash your hands.
5. Simmer, stir, simmer some more, until your salsa starts to thicken. The longer you let it simmer for, the less water in your salsa, and the less runny it will be.
6. Near the end, add the minced garlic and jalapeños, the lemon and lime juices, chopped cilantro, salt, and sugar if you're using it. Stir well. Let it simmer for an extra few minutes, then remove from heat.
7. Use a ladle and a canning funnel to get the hot salsa into the sterilized jars. Use a rubber spatula or plastic spoon to remove air bubbles from the inside of the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars to ensure a good seal, add lids and rings. Turn to finger tight only.
8. Process the closed jars in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. Remove the jars and set them on a wire rack.
9. Wait for the "pop!" that lets you know the jars are sealed!
There you, good luck!
