The Best Canning-Friendly Salsa Recipe from Fresh Tomatoes

This canning salsa recipe uses fresh tomatoes, simple ingredients, and a safe water bath method. Perfect for preserving your summer garden bounty.

There’s something magical about biting into a fresh summer tomato—warm from the garden, bursting with flavor, and just begging to be turned into something delicious. Every year, when the tomato plants start going wild, I make sure to set aside a day or two for salsa canning. Because trust me, come January, there is nothing better than cracking open a jar of homemade salsa that tastes like summer.

This canning salsa recipe from fresh tomatoes has been my go-to for years. It’s simple, full of flavor, and tested for safe water bath canning. If you’re new to canning or just want a reliable recipe that doesn’t require weird ingredients or fancy equipment, you’re in the right place.

Why This Salsa Recipe Is a Keeper

This isn’t one of those “throw in everything but the kitchen sink” salsa recipes. It’s balanced. Bold. Just the right amount of heat. And best of all? It’s safe for canning without pressure.

Here’s why I keep coming back to this one:

• It uses only fresh ingredients—no canned tomatoes or shortcuts.
• The recipe is tested for proper acidity, which is critical for safe water bath canning.
• It’s easy to adjust the heat level without messing up the pH.
• It tastes amazing straight from the jar or after a few months in storage.

Whether you’re stocking your pantry or prepping gifts for the holidays, this is a great place to start.

What You’ll Need

To keep this beginner-friendly, I’m breaking this into two sections: ingredients and equipment. If you’re brand new to canning, I’ve got you covered.

Ingredients (Full recipe in card below)

• Fresh tomatoes (paste varieties like Roma work best)
• Onions
• Jalapeños or other hot peppers
• Bell peppers
• Garlic
• Fresh cilantro (optional)
• Vinegar (5% acidity)
• Canning salt or pickling salt
• Tomato paste (optional for thickening)

Equipment

You’ll also need:

• A large pot for cooking the salsa
• A boiling water canner or deep stockpot with a rack
• Canning jars, lids, and rings (I prefer pint jars)
• A jar lifter, funnel, and ladle

Tip: Most people blanch tomatoes to peel them—but there’s an even easier way that doesn’t require boiling water or ice baths. It’s my go-to method during canning season, and it saves so much time. Here’s how I do it.

Step-by-Step: How to Can Salsa from Fresh Tomatoes

This is where the magic happens—and don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it like a neighbor helping from across the counter.

Prep the Tomatoes

Start by peeling, coring, and chopping your tomatoes. You’ll need about 10 cups of chopped tomatoes for a medium batch of salsa. This is your base, so choose ripe, flavorful tomatoes—Roma or other paste varieties. If you’re harvesting your own tomatoes for this recipe, make sure you’re picking them at peak ripeness. Here’s how to tell if your tomatoes are ready to pick and preserve.

Common Paste Tomato Varieties

If you’re looking to go beyond basic Romas, there are plenty of other paste-style tomatoes that work beautifully for canning salsa. These varieties tend to be meatier, less watery, and full of rich tomato flavor—just what you want when you’re cooking down a thick, flavorful salsa.

Here are some great paste tomato varieties to try:

• Amish Paste – A longtime favorite among home gardeners, Amish Paste tomatoes are large, meaty, and sweet with very few seeds. Great for chunky salsa.
• San Marzano – This Italian heirloom is prized for its rich flavor and low moisture content. It cooks down into a thick, balanced salsa.
• Opalka – These Polish paste tomatoes are long and narrow with dense flesh and a mild sweetness. They’re easy to peel and perfect for smooth salsas.
• Speckled Roman – A fun, striped variety that’s both beautiful and practical. Meaty and low-acid, it adds visual interest to your salsa jars.
• Italian Plum – Similar to Romas, these are reliable paste tomatoes that hold up well to heat and have a classic tomato taste.
• Viva Italia – A hybrid variety known for its productivity and consistency. Great for canning with a balanced, tangy flavor.

If you’re growing your own or buying in bulk at the market, look for tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and have fewer cracks or blemishes. The better your tomatoes, the better your salsa—every time. Not growing your own tomatoes yet? Here’s how to get started with lush, bountiful tomato plants that thrive in your garden.

Chop the Vegetables

Next up: onions, peppers, and garlic. Finely dice everything so the salsa has a smooth, scoopable texture. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly the flavors blend—and it just looks nicer in the jar.

You can mix things up a bit with your veggie choices, but stick to low-acid, canning-approved additions. Bell peppers, hot peppers (like jalapeños or serranos), and sweet onions are all safe bets. You could also toss in a little finely chopped cilantro or corn for flavor and texture—just don’t go overboard.

Avoid adding things like zucchini, carrots, or black beans to this recipe. These ingredients can raise the pH and make your salsa unsafe for water bath canning. If you want to get creative with ingredients that aren’t tested for safety, plan to freeze the salsa instead or use a pressure canner.

Cook the Salsa

Toss everything into a large, heavy-bottomed pot—your chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Stir it all together and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then let it simmer for 10–20 minutes. This helps blend the flavors and reduce any extra liquid.

Fill the Jars

While the salsa simmers, get your clean, hot jars ready. (You can keep them warm in the canner or your oven at low heat.) Ladle the hot salsa into the jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top.

Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe the rims—any residue can prevent the lids from sealing properly. Add your lids and screw on the rings until they’re fingertip tight.

Process the Jars

Place the jars in a boiling water bath canner with at least 1 inch of water covering the tops. Bring the water back to a rolling boil and process the jars for 15 minutes for pint jars. Adjust for altitude if needed—see the note in the recipe card.

Once time is up, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before lifting them out.

Cool and Store

Set the jars on a towel-lined counter and leave them undisturbed for 12–24 hours. This gives them time to seal properly.

After they’ve cooled, press the center of each lid—if it doesn’t pop back, you’ve got a good seal. Label the jars with the date and stash them in a cool, dark place.

Any jars that didn’t seal? Pop those in the fridge and use them up within a week. (They’re still delicious—just not shelf-stable.)

Canning Safety Notes

Because this is a tomato-based salsa, acidity matters. Do not reduce the vinegar or add low-acid ingredients like corn or black beans unless the recipe is tested for canning. If you want to modify flavor, do it with herbs and safe swaps like changing the type of pepper.

How to Use Your Homemade Salsa

This salsa is more than just a dip. Here’s how we use it:

• Taco nights (obviously)
• Mixed into scrambled eggs or breakfast burritos
• As a base for chili or soups
• Over grilled chicken or fish
• Poured over a block of cream cheese as a party dip

Honestly, the hardest part is not eating it all before winter.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canning Salsa

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably just about ready to grab your tomatoes and get started. But before you do, here are a few extra questions that often come up after reading a salsa canning recipe—especially if it’s your first time making it from scratch.

Skip store-bought and make your own salsa! This easy, water-bath-safe canning salsa recipe uses fresh tomatoes and garden veggies.

Canning salsa from fresh tomatoes is one of the best ways to stretch your summer harvest just a little further. It’s satisfying, frugal, and a whole lot of fun once you get the hang of it. This recipe has never let me down—and I think it’ll become a favorite in your kitchen, too.

If you make this salsa, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you’re growing—and preserving—this year.

Here’s to full shelves and full bellies,
Jessica