Experiments in Self Sufficiency: Salsa Verde (Green)? More Like Salsa Morada (Purple)

Last year we were given some beautiful Tomatillos from our neighbors at Green Goddess Suburban Farmstead. We quickly learned the joys of making our very own Salsa Verde. It was a fun experiment, which we resolved that we must repeat this year by planting our own tomatillos. We really wanted to add some to our food storage shelves.

We were able to procure a couple of plants from Teresa, at Green Goddess, and waited patiently for them to grow and produce fruit. After we came back from our family vacation, we finally had some fruit coming on. The tomatillos were deep purple, and excitement for salsa verde got the better of us.

As we prepared the salsa, it became quite evident that the finished product was not going to be green, but purple. In color it felt more like preparing a berry chutney, something that would be fun to do someday. For fun I learned the word for purple in Spanish, so I was using a more accurate name, I have dubbed it Salsa Morada.

We found a Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe on Pinterest, the same one we used last year, and tweaked it to the ingredients we have on hand. We didn't grow Anaheim chilies this year, and so we substituted extra jalapeños and some banana peppers which we have in abundance. The peppers were unseeded, which added to the heat, so we altered the seasonings accordingly. I believe, by the end, we ended up with a recipe something like this. It was a little on the spicy side.

We really enjoyed this one, and hope you do too!

Salsa Verde

Yield 18 1/2 pints or 9 pints

8lbs Tomatillos
4 Medium Onions wedged
6 Whole Banana Peppers, topped
12 Whole Jalapeños, topped
3-4 Tablespoons Minced Garlic or several Garlic Cloves (we didn't have any cloves, so we improvised)
1 Bunch Cilantro Leaves
4 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 Cup Lime Juice
8 Scant Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
4 Heaping Teaspoons Ground Cumin
3 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
3 Teaspoons Salt

Roast the Tomitillos, onion wedges, peppers, and garlic cloves if you have them 😉 on foil lined baking sheets in a 500* oven, 475* if convection. Bake until tops start to char a little, and vegetables soften, about 15-20 minutes or so. Let cool, then in batches pure' in a blender or food processer with other ingredients. Add to large bowl and combine everything. This is a good time to test flavor and make additions or tweaks. Salsa can be stored in the fridge, as well as canned in a water bath for shelf storage.

Water Bath Processing time 15 minutes

To can salsa bring to a boil in a stockpot, and boil for 15 minutes. (I kind of forgot this step, so I processed it a bit longer...) Ladle into prepared jars, wipe rims clean and top with heated lids and rings. Process submerged at least 1" over the top of the jars at a full rolling boil for 15 minutes. Remove jars from water and place on a towel on the countertop. Jars will seal themselves. Once fully cooled, check seal on center of lids before storage.

Our Tomatillos