Last month we harvested a few large zucchinis from our garden. I’ve already canned several jars of zucchini relish and zucchini pickles. You can find both of those recipes on the blog. This time around I knew I wanted to make a large batch of mild zucchini salsa. Making your own salsa is an easy process but it does take quite some time to complete.
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You’ll need a water bath canner, basic home canning supplies, glass mason jars, a grater, colander, large bowls, knives, large pot, cutting board, etc. Gather up all of the ingredients and canning supplies before starting the recipe. If you can get another person to help you…better yet! You can find over 100+ home canning recipes on The Classy Chics blog.
Mild Zucchini Salsa Recipe
12 cups zucchini, shredded
12 cups tomatoes, chopped, seeds rinsed away
1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. Ball Canning Salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white vinegar
Wash zucchinis, peppers, and tomatoes under running water. Use a scrub brush if necessary to remove dirt and debris. The zucchinis that I was using were quite large so I cut them down into manageable chunks which made them easier to handle. You need to grate the zucchini (skins-on) until you get 12 full cups. Place shreds in a bowl and sprinkle the Ball Canning Salt over the top. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for several hours.
While that’s in the refrigerator you want to chop up the tomatoes, onions and peppers. I try to avoid tomato seeds in our salsa so I rinse those away by placing chopped pieces in a colander and running tap water over them. Shake off excess water and pour your chopped tomatoes into a clean bowl. You need a total of 12 cups of chopped tomatoes. Proceed on by chopping up your onions and all of the peppers.
Remove zucchini from the refrigerator and pour it into a large colander. Rinse all of the salt off by placing it under running water from your faucet. Let strainer sit for several minutes to allow all of the water to drain away.
Place the grated zucchini, chopped tomatoes, onions and peppers into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the rest of the ingredients, stirring after each addition. Bring mixture to a full boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour to allow everything to cook down. You need to stir the mixture every 5-10 minutes to prevent sticking and to make sure everything is cooking down evenly.
While that is cooking down get all of your canning supplies in order. Wash jars, rings and lids. Add water to your water bath canner filling it 2/3 of the way full. Lay out your funnel, ladle, spoons, etc. that you’ll need for the canning process.
Your canner needs to have simmering water, not boiling so do that over medium heat. I warm up my glass mason jars in my oven set at 170 degrees F. I place my seals in a small pan on my stove-top on low heat. They need to be warm but not boiling hot. Fill your hot jars with the relish leaving a 1/2″ headspace. Use a clean cloth to wipe the jar rim. Add your warm seal and ring until it’s fingertip tight. Place jars in your canner and continue until all of your jars are filled. Lower rack into the canner. Cover. Turn up the heat to medium-high to bring it to a boil. Process your jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove canner lid. Let your jars sit in the hot water for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove jars from canner. I place mine on a towel on my kitchen counter-top to cool. Once cool check to make sure all jars have sealed. Label and store for up to 1 year.
Canning Tips: This recipe makes a lot of salsa! My water bath canner only holds 7 pint-sized jars at a time. You can make several batches one after the other or run two water bath canners at a time. If you’re doing one batch after another keep the salsa still left in your pot warm by turning down the heat to the lowest setting. You don’t want to keep it cooking…just keep it warm!
Cooking and canning can be messy! Wear an apron or an old t-shirt. I keep all of my old kitchen linens in a bin and use them only for canning, so don’t toss away your old linens…save them just for this purpose. The process goes a lot faster and easier if you can recruit someone to help you with all of the prep work (grating and chopping).
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I don’t do any canning but I would still like to make it in a smaller quantity to have since it looks so delicious.
I’m not about to make this but I would love to eat it! My mother did a lot of canning when I was growing up.