Best Salsa From Fresh Tomatoes | Muffin Top Belly Fix

There isn’t much better than a home grown tomato in my opinion. I love making my Best Salsa from Fresh Tomatoes during tomato season.

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber and even better for you when they’re cooked. So why not fix you up some salsa? You have come to the right site to learn how to make it!

Grow your Own Tomatoes & Peppers

Growing your own Tomatoes and Peppers is actually very easy. I must admin though, when they start coming in or I should say, turning red you better be ready! They will keep you very busy because they seem to all turn red at the same time.

I had some help to build my two garden boxes. The are 1 food above ground and each plant is protected and supported by cattle wire rolled up in a circle and tied to wooden stakes.

I started planting my garden soon after the first frost in the early spring. Before you plant your garden, you should work some compost into the soil for added fertilizer and sprinkle some “Preen Extended Control Weed Preventer” to help control the weeds as your plants grow.

I typically like to plant “Big Boy” tomatoes, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, cayenne red peppers, hot banana peppers, and chili peppers for my salsa.

As you can tell, I like my salsa very spicy although that’s easy to adjust according to your taste. There are milder peppers you can plant that wouldn’t be as hot as mine are.

Health Benefits from Tomatoes

Tomatoes is considered to be a super food and tomato juice is a super drink. They provide a lot of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin K1, and Folate (B9). Technically tomatoes are considered a fruit, but generally categorized as a vegetable. They contain a major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene.

Lycopene is the main plant compound found in tomatoes. Lycopene is a red pigment and antioxidant that is highly beneficial for its health effects. Some scientists believe that lyocopene is the agent in tomatoes that prevents certain cancers.

Another Great Reason to make my best salsa from fresh tomatoes……

Cooked or processed tomatoes doubles the effect of lycopene, therefore making salsa out of tomatoes makes them even more beneficial for our health. Examples of processed tomatoes are; tomato juice, tomato-based sauces, ketchup, and even salsa.

Although the benefits of lycopene are greater from processed tomatoes, it is still recommended to consume fresh, whole tomatoes as well.

Other plant compounds found in tomatoes are….

Beta-Carotene, Naringenin, and Chloragenic acid

Beta-Carotene is a yellow antioxidant that is converted into vitamin A in the body
Naringenin, found in tomato skin, has been shown to decrease inflammation and protect against various diseases in mice.
Chloragenic acid is a powerful antioxidant compound that has abilities to lower blood pressure for those who suffer from high blood pressure.

Tomatoes are a good source for insoluble fibers. The water content of tomatoes is about 95%, while the other 5% consist of mainly carbohydrates (about 5 grams in 1 average size tomato), and fiber.

Best Salsa from Fresh Tomatoes – The Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of cooked, peeled, and cored Tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chopped Bell Pepper
1 tablespoon Salt
2 or 3 tablespoons Sugar (I prefer 2 TBSP in mine, so it’s not too sweet)
1 teaspoon Cumin
3 tablespoon White Vinegar
8 ounces Tomato Sauce
6 ounces Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic (or 1 chopped garlic clove)
Hot Peppers

Step 1

Put water in a pot and boil. After it’s boiling, drop tomatoes in 4 or 5 at the time, careful not to splash (You do this so they are easier to peel and core). After about 45 seconds drain the tomatoes in a colander and place the colander into a bowl of ice water.

Step 2

After 5 minutes, take the colander full of tomatoes and place it on top of a pot. (You do this before you start to peel them so that any juices lost will be saved).

Remove all the skin, bad places in the tomato, and the center core (and seeds if you prefer). Place the prepared tomatoes in a pot large enough for all of your ingredients. (Save the extra tomato juice for later use).

Step 3

In a food processor, finely chop your onions and peppers. Add them to your pot of tomatoes.

Step 4

Add all other ingredients; salt, cumin, sugar, white vinegar, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and minced garlic (or 1 chopped garlic clove).

Step 5

Put the pot on the stove and bring to a slow boil. Cook on medium heat until not too soupy, stirring continuously. This will take about 20-30 minutes.

==> While you wait, treat yourself to a nice warm glass of fresh tomato juice (from the juice you set aside). It’s wonderfully delicious!

Periodically taste the mixture and adjust the spices until it is the way you like it. You can always add more ingredients to satisfy your taste buds. If you’ve gotten it too spicy you can just add more tomato sauce or paste to it.

The mixture will pop out of the pot, so be careful not to get it on you. (I usually partially cover mine with a lid in between stirs).

Once the salsa is at the desired consistency, you are ready to move to the next stage. (If canning, be sure your salsa stays hot until you’ve canned it).

Step 6

Freeze, Can, or grab some chips and eat.

If eating now….

Enjoy a warm bowl of your homemade salsa made from fresh tomatoes and love every bite!

It’s also great in this Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad!

If freezing or canning…

Continue to the next section.

Freezing or Canning your Salsa

Freezing

If you are planning to freeze your salsa, you would need to set the pot of hot salsa in the sink with cold water. Change the water out a few times until the pot starts to cool down some, then add ice to the water to speed up the process.

After your salsa is good and cool, you are ready to put into freezer bags. Date and label each bag before putting them into the freeze. (When I freeze mine, I lay my bags of salsa flat, removing as much air as possible. I place them in the freezer this way on top of each other and with a sheet of wax paper in between them. This makes it easier to store, takes less space, and the bags won’t stick together as they freeze.