Veggie garden & some canned salsa recipe

We have been hard at work fixing things up around this place and in the vegetable garden we put in as well as canning some of the goodies

I took a video for my CA friend, might as well share it here as well

just being goofy in the garden

these beefsteak tomatoes were huge, overhung the bread and were so delicious!

We also grow roma tomatoes for the sauces we make

homemade salsa, nothing like it, the kids eat it up like its going out of style

SALSA RECIPE

3 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (15-20 lbs) we use Roma

3 cups chopped onions

6 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped (or banana pepper, what ever kind you like)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or use garlic chips found with spices, they give it a kick!)

2 six-ounce cans tomato paste - OR 2 Tablespoons CLEAR JEL this helps thicken it up

2 cups bottled lemon juice 

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional)

2 tablespoons oregano leaves or chopped cilantro (optional)

Add all your tomatoes and seasonings into your stock pot, start simmering, I bring to

a quick hard simmer, almost boil then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes

Taste it as it cooks, adjust spices to what YOU like

Fill the jars with sauces and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within ¼-inch of the top, seat the lid and hand-tighten the ring around them.  

Boil the jars in the water bath canner for 15 minutes

Put them in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling.

Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for pints 15 minutes

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight)  You can then remove the rings if you like, I do so they don't build up moisture and rust.

Makes about 9 pints.

 the tomato and pepper garden

 can't keep tall enough stakes in this tomato garden

 and you can hardly walk between the rows again 

 fried green tomatoes!!

 growing some german strawberry neighbor gave me to try

I even had to venture out into the flower beds with tomatoes this year because we ran out of room in the actual garden plot

 peppers, need lots for salsa

 area of strawberries, just put in this year, so over planted with peppers this year

more peppers