Do your tomato plants still have green tomatoes on them when the first frost sets in? Don’t let them go to waste! Harvest them and make this green tomato salsa recipe, also known as salsa verde. You can make this salsa fresh in small batches, or if you have a lot of green tomatoes, use the included canning tutorial to use up every last green tomato in your garden.
Why I Love This Recipe
Green tomatoes have a reputation as a “food that is best fried.” And don’t get me wrong, fried green tomatoes are amazing! But green tomatoes are good for far more than just frying. Think green tomato chili, green fermented hot sauce, homemade curries, tomato jam, and of course, this green tomato salsa.
There are tricks to help ripen green tomatoes if you’d like to enjoy them fresh. But if you haven’t explored the possibilities of green tomatoes, this recipe is a great place to start. Just like so many gifts from the garden, green tomatoes are an opportunity to take something that may seem worthless or insignificant and preserve it to nourish your family for months to come.
Green tomato salsa can be preserved using the water-bath canning method, which is great for beginners. If you’d like to learn more about the basics of canning, sign up for my free canning workshop. Once you’re confident in your canning skills, here are some of my most popular recipes:
What Is Green Tomato Salsa?
Green tomato salsa is a bright, tangy condiment with a spicy kick. It’s traditionally made from tomatillos, but this recipe uses unripe green tomatoes instead (the jalapenos give it heat). You can customize the heat level by either removing the jalapeno seeds and ribs or leaving them in.
Green Tomato Salsa vs. Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)
Although green tomatoes and tomatillos look similar and can be used as a substitute for one another in certain recipes, they are different.
Tomatillos are like little green balls, about as big as a golf ball with a paper-like covering. They taste zesty and a bit sour, almost like they have citrus undertones. Tomatillos shine in dishes like Salsa Verde and Chile Verde Stew.
But not all of us grow tomatillos in our gardens. This is where green tomatoes come in. Green tomatoes are the early fruit of any tomato plant. Where tomatillos have a hint of acid, green tomatoes have more of an earthy taste.
Homesteading Hack: If you happen to have access to tomatillos, you can certainly use them in this recipe. However, the salsa will taste a bit different, so taste and make adjustments prior to canning. Green tomatoes are not as juicy as tomatillos and have a softer texture. I recommend roasting or charring your tomatillos before using them in this salsa recipe to improve the flavor and texture.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering how to use your green tomato salsa? There are so many options!
- Chips and Dip – The salsa’s tart and spicy flavor is perfect for tortilla chips.
- Mexican Dishes – If you love Mexican food as much as my family, you’ll love this salsa. Topping your chicken tacos, beef burritos, fajitas de lengua (beef tongue fajitas), or black bean enchiladas with this salsa makes them even better.
- Breakfast and Brunch – Green tomato salsa isn’t just for lunch or dinner. Top your breakfast items like classic scrambled eggs, this flexible frittata recipe, or make huevos rancheros. It adds a nice spicy kick to breakfast.
In the Homestead Kitchen
This recipe was featured in Issue No. 14 of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine. If you are looking for more recipes and preserving tutorials to support your homesteading lifestyle, this magazine was designed just for you.
We started publishing In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine to give homesteaders an affordable, inspiring read packed with the best recipes, inspirational stories, homesteading hacks, DIY projects, and tips to make becoming self-sufficient doable and FUN.
And guess what? We’re going to print in 2025, and by subscribing now, you can lock in the low digital price for your monthly printed copy, available January of 2025!
Supplies Needed
- Knife – Learn knife sharpening basics to make sure your tools are in good working order and safe condition.
- Cutting Board – Protect those countertops!
- Dutch Oven – My enameled Dutch oven is a workhorse in my kitchen, but if you don’t have one, a large heavy-bottomed saucepan works well, too.
- Wooden Spoon – I love these wooden mixing spoons.
This recipe includes canning instructions. If you choose to preserve your green tomato salsa, you will need:
- Water Bath Canner – This recipe yields 6 pints, so a basic water bath canner works great.
- Jars, Lids, and Bands – Azure Standard and Lehman’s are both great sources for canning supplies. Homesteading Hack: First-time Azure Standard customers can use the promo code “HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10” to receive 10% off their first order of $50 or more!
- Canning Tools – Canning tools such as a headspace measuring tool, a jar lifter, a large ladle, clean kitchen towels, and a funnel will come in very handy when canning.
Ingredients Needed
- Green Tomatoes – You’ll need six cups chopped which is about 10 medium-sized green tomatoes.
- Sweet Green Peppers – You can also use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers if that’s what you have on hand, but the end result will be a little less green.
- Jalapeños – If you prefer a less spicy salsa, seed your jalapeños and remove the inner ribs.
- Onion – Red or white onions work best for this recipe.
- Bottled Lime Juice – You can substitute lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand, but lime juice is preferred. If you’re canning this recipe, it’s important that the lime juice is bottled to ensure proper acidity levels for safe canning.
- Garlic – Learn how to grow garlic here.
- Cilantro – Learn how to grow cilantro here.
- Coarse Salt – We use Redmond Real Salt (Using that link for Redmond Salt will automatically give you 15% off your order!)
How to Make Green Tomato Salsa
To Make the Salsa
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and lime juice. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in cilantro and salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Allow the salsa to cool, and pulse it in a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-7 days.
To Can the Salsa
If you would like to preserve your salsa for long-term storage, follow these canning directions:
- Prepare your jars, lids, rings, and water-bath canner:
- Wash the jars, lids, and bands with hot soapy water. Keep the clean jars warm.
- Fill the canner 2⁄3 with water and turn it on to warm.
- Fill your jars and put the lids on:
- Ladle the hot salsa into warm pint jars, leaving 1⁄2 inch (1.25 cm) of headspace.
- Release all the bubbles, add more salsa if necessary, clean the jar rims with a clean damp towel, add the lid and screw on the bands to fingertip tight.
- Place the jars in the canner, making sure that the water is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the jars.
- Process the jars in boiling water:
- Once the water has come to a full boil, start a timer for 20 minutes (adjust for elevation). After the full processing time is completed, turn off the heat.
- Remove the jars from the canner:
- Take the lid off the canner and let the jars sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a clean kitchen towel. Keep each jar two fingers apart and allow them to cool completely for 12 hours.
- Check seals and clean the jars:
- Check each seal, remove the bands, and, if needed, wipe each jar clean with a damp washcloth.
- Store jars:
- Label each jar with the contents and the date.
- Store out of direct light.
Did you try this recipe? If so, we’d love for you to give us a star rating on the recipe card below. Also, we want to see your green tomato salsa, so snap a picture and tag us on social media!
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- How To Ripen Green Tomatoes
- Easy Green Fermented Hot Sauce
- Easy Cowboy Caviar Recipe – Simple & Delicious Appetizer
- Delicious Pickled Asparagus Recipe
- Plum Jelly Recipe (+Time-Saving Trick)
- How to Make Pickles (Pickled Cucumber Recipe & Best Canning Method)
Green Tomato Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- knife
- cutting board
- Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed sauce pan
- Wooden spoon
- Water Bath Canner if canning this recipe
- Jars, Lids & Bands if canning this recipe
- Canning Tools if canning this recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups green tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup sweet green pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 cup jalapenos chopped (seeded for a mild salsa)
- 3 cups onions red or white, chopped
- 1/2 cup lime juice bottled if canning this recipe
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 Tablespoon salt
Instructions
To Make the Salsa
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and lime juice. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in cilantro and salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Allow the salsa to cool, and pulse it in a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-7 days.
To Water Bath Can the Salsa
- Wash the jars, lids, and bands with hot soapy water. Keep the clean jars warm.
- Fill the canner 2⁄3 with water and turn it on to warm.
- Ladle the hot salsa into warm pint jars, leaving 1⁄2 inch (1.25 cm) of headspace.
- Release all the bubbles, add more salsa if necessary, clean the jar rims with a clean damp towel, add the lid and screw on the bands to fingertip tight.
- Place the jars in the canner, making sure that the water is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the jars.
- Once the water has come to a full boil, start a timer for 20 minutes (adjust for elevation). After the full processing time is completed, turn off the heat.
- Take the lid off the canner and let the jars sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a clean kitchen towel. Keep each jar two fingers apart and allow them to cool completely for 12 hours.
- Check each seal, remove the bands, and, if needed, wipe each jar clean with a damp washcloth.
- Label each jar with the contents and the date. Store out of direct light.
