Scotch Bonnet Salsa Canning Recipe

Who loves hot salsa? I love hot salsa! I’ve canned Ghost Chili Pepper Salsa and Trinidad Scorpion Pepper Salsa and now I want to share my Scotch Bonnet Salsa canning recipe. These are all a riff on my popular Chunky Tomato Salsa Canning Recipe because honestly, who likes runny salsa?

If you don’t have any of these hot peppers, choose your own or better yet, add a variety. Just be sure you continue to taste your salsa as you put it together because the heat will intensify as it sits in your pantry. Also, I added lots of garlic to this batch but feel free to adjust it to your taste.

Scotch Bonnet Salsa Canning Recipe

First, make sure you’ve got your jars, lids, and bands sterilized first so everything is ready to go. If you’re new to canning, this means you need to boil your clean jars for a minimum of 10 minutes in your canner. Sterilize your lids and rings in a separate pan for 10 minutes. If you have any questions, please drop me a comment and let me know.

Makes 5 Pints

• 8 cups peeled, cooked tomatoes, simmered down until their liquid is reduced (see full instructions here)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 3 cups diced sweet pepper (I prefer a mix of red and green for flavor)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 Scotch Bonnet peppers (more or less to taste)
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (can substitute white vinegar)

Directions

• Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Ladle the hot salsa into sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace, and wipe rims clean. Add sterilized lids and bands and process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner, making sure the boiling water covers the jars by at least 1 inch.
• When the processing time is complete, shut off heat but leave the jars sitting in the canner and water for 10 minutes.
• Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars and leave them undisturbed until completely cool.
• Be sure to check that all of your jars properly sealed before storing them.
• This recipe makes about 5 pints – usually, I have a little extra which my husband is happy to taste test.

Canning your own salsa isn’t difficult and it’s the vinegar that makes it safe to can in a water bath canner. I’ve gotten to where I prefer to add fresh cilantro right before serving it (when I have it) but you can add some to the canning recipe as well.

Life should be spicy! Enjoy!