Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce Recipe
This is a delicious sauce to use up your green tomatoes at the end of the season and store them for winter enchilada casseroles! You can make as much or as little as you want, depending on how many green tomatoes you have, if you're canning just use 4 Tablespoons per Pint jar, 8 Tablespoons per Quart jar of lime juice to make sure it's acidic enough to be shelf-stable.
Of course, you don't need to can this either, you can just refrigerate for 1 week, or use the sauce immediately in our Green Tomato Sauce Enchilada Casserole Recipe »
Ingredients:
- 10-20+ chopped cored green tomatoes (any size, type, or feel free to use a mix of green tomatoes, just use all the green ones that you have!)
- 10-20+ Jalapeños or any hot peppers or even super hot peppers (to taste, add a lot if you want it spicy and sample until it gets to the desired spiciness)
- 2-4 cups chopped onion (you can use the onion greens, too!)
- 1/4 Cup - 1 Cup of Sugar (we found that our green tomatoes were pretty tart, so we added sugar to tasted, we made 9 Pints worth and added about 1 Cup of sugar, add sugar a couple tablespoons at a time and taste the sauce and keep adding sugar until it's not so tart)
- 4-6+ cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2-1+ cups lime juice (Measure per jar: 4 Tablespoons per Pint, 8 Tablespoons per Quart)
- 1/2 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro
- 2-4 tsp ground cumin
- 2+ tsp pickling salt to taste
- 1-2 tsp ground black pepper
- Half Pint jars, Pint Jars or Quart Jars as desired
Directions:
Note: you can also make this fresh, and cut down on the lime juice if you're not canning it. The lime juice helps keep it shelf-stable after canning.
Bring water to a boil in your large pot or canner. Simmer the clean jars until ready for use. Wash lids in warm soapy water, then set aside with the bands.
We core the tomatoes, cut off the stems of the peppers, then in batches, we throw the tomatoes and peppers along with the salt, pepper, garlic and cilantro in our food processor and blend until fairly smooth. You could also instead chop your tomatoes to desired thicker consistency if desired. Then we pour all of the batches of pureed veggies (excluding onion) into the pot to bring to a boil. Stir in the cumin, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. Add onion at the end.
Bring water to a boil in your large pot or canner. Simmer the clean jars until ready for use. Wash lids in warm soapy water, then set aside with the bands.
We core the tomatoes, cut off the stems of the peppers, then in batches, we throw the tomatoes and peppers along with the salt, pepper, garlic and cilantro in our food processor and blend until fairly smooth. You could also instead chop your tomatoes to desired thicker consistency if desired. Then we pour all of the batches of pureed veggies (excluding onion) into the pot to bring to a boil. Stir in the cumin, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. Add onion at the end.
Take jars out of simmering water, place on a towel-lined counter near the canner. Add lime juice to each jar (4 Tablespoons per Pint, 8 Tablespoons per Quart) - this gives it enough acidity to preserve it. Depending on how many tomatoes and peppers you used, this could make anywhere from 6 pints to 20 pints of salsa. That's why it's nice to just measure the lime juice on a per jar basis.
Then spoon or ladle the hot salsa into the jars, leaving a half inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles by agitating with a butter knife or small spatula, then wipe rim clean. In the meantime, put lids in hot water for a minute or so, then place on top of each jar, screw each band on to fingertip tight. Put jars back in boiling water and process for 20 minutes (adjust for altitude). Remove the jars, place on a towel lined counter and leave them for 24 hours. Remove the bands and check lids for seal with your fingers, and check to make sure the lid doesn't flex up and down if pressed. If sealed, store in a dark dry place, unstacked, and use within a year.
To make an easy casserole dish with this sauce that is sure to please, check out our: Green Tomato Sauce Enchilada Casserole Recipe »
Then spoon or ladle the hot salsa into the jars, leaving a half inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles by agitating with a butter knife or small spatula, then wipe rim clean. In the meantime, put lids in hot water for a minute or so, then place on top of each jar, screw each band on to fingertip tight. Put jars back in boiling water and process for 20 minutes (adjust for altitude). Remove the jars, place on a towel lined counter and leave them for 24 hours. Remove the bands and check lids for seal with your fingers, and check to make sure the lid doesn't flex up and down if pressed. If sealed, store in a dark dry place, unstacked, and use within a year.
To make an easy casserole dish with this sauce that is sure to please, check out our: Green Tomato Sauce Enchilada Casserole Recipe »
Hot Pepper Caution:
Be careful when cutting hot peppers, wear gloves if cutting super hot peppers so you don't burn your fingers. That's why we like to use a food processor, you can just cut them in half and throw into the food processor rather than dicing them by hand.
Be careful when cutting hot peppers, wear gloves if cutting super hot peppers so you don't burn your fingers. That's why we like to use a food processor, you can just cut them in half and throw into the food processor rather than dicing them by hand.
