Salsa, and stability
This was originally a newsletter, but it felt important enough to immortalize in blog form!
When I was growing up in Spokane, there would come a time near the end of the summer months where my mom would get out the canning supplies and start preparing for the coming chill by stocking up on jars of her long-held salsa recipe. It was a whole-family activity—together we’d go out and buy pounds of fresh tomatoes grown in the big back garden of a house down on Montgomery, and at home we’d all work on chopping, slicing, seasoning, and canning, until our shelves were stacked with jars of rich red salsa, perfect for a treat in the cooler months when those summer tomatoes would just be a happy memory, and a perfect Christmas gift for friends and relatives afield, too.
I thought I’d let you all in on this family tradition, and share our salsa recipe with you. This makes a hefty batch, big enough for preserves, but even if you don’t can and preserve it, this is a great dip to make and eat day-of (in smaller proportions, of course)! Feel free to adjust the spice to your own preference—we make ours fairly mild.
Salsa Recipe
Ingredients:
15 lbs. ripe tomatoes, chopped
10 large bell peppers, cut into short strips
1 lb. jalapeno peppers, chopped, with the seeds removes
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 large onions, chopped
1 ½ cups of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp. of Schillings seasoned salt
1-2 cups of cooking oil
Instructions:
Put oil in a large pot
Add the vegetables and seasoned salt—simmer on medium heat until blended
Add sugar and vinegar and simmer for another hour
Enjoy and can for later!
It’s a simple one, but good as can be. I hope you enjoy it!
Tradition is a point of stability, return, around which our days and seasons rotate. This consistency helps us keep track of our lives, even when the world is chaotic. It’s something good to fall back on, and I value these rituals deeply.
Home, too, should always be a point of return. A place of comfort, consistency, and respite.
Are you ready to think about embracing your home, as it is now and as it could be? Drop me a line and let’s talk! I’m here to help you make your home you, affordably and stress-free.
If you need me, I’ll be sourcing those ripe tomatoes and getting to work. I hope your salsa turns out brilliantly!