Use research-tested salsa recipes
Canned salsa recipes that have not been tested for safety can result in food spoilage or a food-borne illness. We recommend using recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
- The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s Choice salsa lets you choose if you want more flavor based on the type and combination of peppers or onion used in the recipe.
- Canning recipes for salsa are popular on food blogs and social media sites. The University of Maine researchers evaluated 56 home-canning salsa recipes from 43 blogs and found that 70% of the recipes did not include USDA food safety home canning standards.
- Credible and standardized salsa recipes will instruct you to use pint jars and give processing times for only pint jars. There are no current research-tested guidelines for processing salsa in quart jars. There are no formulas for extending the processing time for a larger jar.
How to preserve safe, high-quality canned food at home
- Follow a research-based recipe.
- Use fresh, high-quality foods.
- Understand key food safety terminology.
- Know how to inspect your final product for quality and safety.
There are only USDA-tested salsa recipes and processes for boiling water canning. There are no tested pressure-canning processes for salsa.
Acidic ingredients are key for food safety in salsas
Adding acid is necessary to preserve salsa safely.
Because the acidity level of tomatoes varies greatly, acid must be added to produce a safe salsa.
- Use commercially bottled lemon or lime juice or 5% acidity vinegar.
- Lemon or lime juice is more acidic and has less effect on the flavor than vinegar.
- Follow recipe directions for adding vinegar or bottled lemon or lime juice to home-canned salsa.
- Don't substitute vinegar for bottled lemon or lime juice, unless this substitution is given in the tested recipe, or an unsafe product may result.
If you are not using a research-tested recipe or like being creative with your salsa mixtures, store it in the refrigerator for up to a week, freeze it for up to one year, or eat it fresh. Freezing will soften the salsa. Thaw in the refrigerator and drain before serving.
Salsa ingredients
Types of tomatoes impact quality.
The variety of tomatoes you use in your salsa will affect the quality. Roasting tomatoes and including some of the roasted skins adds another flavor.
- Italian plum-style or paste tomatoes, such as Roma, have firmer flesh and produce a thicker salsa.
- Slicing tomatoes produce a thinner, more watery salsa. If you use slicing tomatoes, you can thicken your salsa by adding tomato paste or draining off some of the liquid after you chop the tomatoes. Never add flour or cornstarch to salsa before canning because an unsafe product may result.
Choose fresh, firm tomatoes at their peak ripeness.
- Use tomatoes free of bruises, cracks, and disease or insect damage. These may be entry points for pathogens.
- Tomatoes with bruises, cracks, blossom end rot, mold, insect damage, or harvested from dead or frost-killed vines, or that are soft or overripe or can alter the acidity level of the entire batch and make it unsafe.
- Peel tomatoes before removing and core and chopping. The tomato skin may interfere with the transfer of heat during the canning process resulting in a potentially unsafe product.
Salsa can be thickened by adding tomato paste
- Never thicken salsa with flour or cornstarch before canning as this may produce an unsafe product.
- Salsas can also be thickened after opening.
Green tomatoes or tomatillos
- Tomatillos can be substituted for red tomatoes or mixed with them.
- Tomatillos don't need to be peeled or seeded.
- Dry outer husks must be removed.
Onions
Red, yellow, white, and purple onions can be substituted for each other.
Spices and herbs
- Add flavor and may be altered in recipes.
- For a stronger cilantro flavor add fresh cilantro to the salsa just before serving. The hot processing temperatures may reduce the flavor.
Use high-quality peppers.
- Don't increase the total amount of peppers in any recipe.
- You can substitute one type of pepper for another.
- Canned chilies can replace fresh ones.
- Peppers add color and range from mild to fiery in taste.
Hot peppers, usually 1 to 3 inches long, include:
- Jalapeno
- Serrano
- Cayenne,
- Habanero
When cutting or dicing hot peppers:
- Always use disposable gloves: oils in the peppers can cause extreme irritation to the skin.
- Don't touch your face, particularly around your eyes.
Mild peppers, usually 4 to 10 inches long, include:
- Bell
- Sweet cherry
- Pimiento
- Sweet banana
You may choose a mild pepper when the recipe calls for long green chilies.
- The skin of long green chilies may be tough and can be removed by heating the peppers.
- When finely chopped, peppers don't need to be skinned.
Storing your canned salsa
Store home-canned salsa in a cool, dark place. For the best quality and nutritional value, use within one year.
Sources
- The National Center for Home Food Preservation
- Garden-Robinson, J., Houge, K., Smith, R. 2018. Why Add Lemon Juice to Tomatoes and Salsa Before Canning? North Dakota State University.
- Savoie, K., Perry, J. 2019. Adherence of Food Blog Salsa Recipes to Home Canning Guidelines. Food Protection Trends, Vol 39, No. 5, p. 377–386. International Association for Food Protection
Reviewed in 2026