Lisa's Salsa

To make my very own salsa, have ready:

5 lbs. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large red inion, diced
1 large white onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs. tomatillos, diced
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Juice from 4 limes (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 lb. fresh strawberries, finely chopped
2 bunches cilantro, finely chopped

The Peppers:
I tend to buy whatever is available and looks good.  The variety of peppers varies from batch to batch but the peppers that always get used are Jalapeño and Serrano.  Other common peppers used include:

Georgia Flame
Banana
Melrose
Cubanelle
Anaheim

Begin by dicing the tomatoes.  Add them to a huge bowl so you'll have plenty of room to toss everything together.   Add the other ingredients to the tomatoes in the order listed above.  Toss everything together as each ingredient is added to get a visual on the ratio of each component.  The tomatoes should be the largest in size and volume.   Since we eat with our eyes first, the medley should look balanced too.

Unlike the other ingredients, the peppers never get minced by hand.  The reason for this is because, too many times to count, I've ended up rubbing one of my eyes with a capsaicin-laden finger and then howl and weep for at least twenty minutes following my mistake.  Use a small electric mill or food processor to mince the peppers.  Lop off the tops of the peppers and then split them lengthwise.  Use a paring knife to remove the seeds and membrane of the peppers to your liking.  (I'm not overly picky about this process.  In fact, it's pretty random.  Some peppers are stripped clean, others are simply chopped without being cleaned, and some peppers still have some of the seeds and membrane attached.)  Coarsely chop and drop the peppers in the food processor and loosely mince them.

Allow the salsa to steep at room temperature, stirring periodically, for and hour or two before refrigerating.  Taste and adjust with salt if needed, or to add additional peppers for more heat.

This recipe will yield about a gallon and a half of salsa.  I've tried to make less but, really, why?  It should go without saying that the best time to make salsa is in the summertime when the produce is in season, especially the tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Garlic Dill Pickles

The key to success when making pickles is getting the brine just right.  Too much salt and the pickles will ultimately shrivel and become soft; too little salt and the fermentation process won't be as efficient and the pickles will begin to spoil.

Most recipes call for approximately a half-cup of salt per gallon of water.  You'll also find many recipes that call for vinegar and an equal number of those that don't.  Personally, I like the taste that vinegar adds, along with the other spices and herbs, so vinegar is included in my brine recipe.

In a large stockpot, add 2 quarts of water, 1 quart of white vinegar and a half-cup of salt.  With the heat on med-high, stir the mixture.  You only want to warm the water just enough to dissolve the salt.  Once the salt is dissolved turn the flame off and allow the brine to cool.

Wash your cucumbers and remove any floral-ends still attached to the fruit.

Now we're ready to begin filling the quart jars with pickles, herbs and spices.

Begin by lining the bottom of your canning jars with a bed of fresh dill.  You can use the fern-like fronds as well as the flower heads, provided they're not spend and turning to seed.

This amount of dill is about a 1/4-cup.
Once the pickles are added, it will compress and take up less room in the jar.

Add pickles to the jar, lining them vertically without packing them in like sardines.  Once the pickles are in the jar, add the herbs and spices to the jar.

1 TB yellow mustard seeds
1 TB brown mustard seeds
1 TB coriander seeds
1/2 TB of black peppercorns
2 medium-sized bay leaves
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
More dill leaves if desired

When you're finished adding the herbs and spices, slowly ladle brine into the jar, making sure to add enough to cover the pickles.  I like to add a few of the dill flowers on top of the pickles to help keep them submerged, and then seal the jars with a lid and ring.

Place the jars in the refrigerator and allow them to ferment for 10-14 days before eating them.

If you have larger cucumbers (closer to deli-sized pickles), use a half-gallon canning jar and allow them to ferment 15-20 days before eating.  Double the amount of herbs and spices you use as well.

Shorten the fermentation time to one week if you choose to make pickles slices.

The whole pickles, regardless of size, should last in the refrigerator for 3-4 months, give or take.  Keep them as long as the pickles retain their crispness.  Homemade pickles are so delicious that having them remain in the fridge too long shouldn't even be an issue.