Canning Peach Salsa

According to the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, peach salsa is "a refreshing change... and can be a nutritious topping for ice cream. For something quite different, try it on graham crackers, pancakes, or waffles, or rolled up in a crêpe with a dollop of whipped cream." It has some heat to it, so I'm sure it would be wonderful with a bag of tortilla chips as well!

Here's what I did...

I peeled, pitted, and diced 6 cups of peaches, then in my large, stainless steel saucepan I combined...

1/2 cup white vinegar

... and the 6 cups diced peaches

I added 1-1/4 chopped onion

4 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (I left the seeds and veins in the peppers because I was going for HEAT! If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds and veins from the peppers before chopping)
AND... always remember to wear gloves when chopping hot peppers!

1 seeded and chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup loosely packed, finely chopped cilantro (I might have used a little more than half a cup)

2 Tbsp. liquid honey (that's what the recipe called for, LIQUID honey, that's the only honey I know!)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

I brought the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. I reduced the heat and boiled gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened (about 5-10 minutes).

In my previously prepared, washed, sterilized and heated pint jars, I ladled the hot salsa mixture, leaving a half inch headspace.

I wiped the jar rims and tightened my hot lids on to fingertip tightness.

I placed the jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring they were completely covered with water. I brought it to a boil and processed for 15 minutes.

After processing I removed the jars from the canner using my jar lifter and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool... and to listen for the music of the PING of each successfully sealed jar!

This recipe makes 4 pint or 8 half pint jars.

For a printable copy of this recipe, click here.