Salsa Goes With Everything

I love homegrown tomatoes. They might not be the prettiest girls at the party, but by gosh they've got good taste.

I love them enough to steal them from small children. I make pies out of them. I loathe squirrels because of them. I beg them from anyone who grows them, and I have even been known to buy out a farmer at the market, just so I can go home and make sauce and salsa to my heart's content.

If you find yourself with a big whoppin' load of them (lucky you) you have two options: You can send them to me, or you can make salsa.

I'm voting for option number one, but if you must go with the second, this is really, REALLY good salsa. You'll need a very big bag of chips. Don't say I didn't warm you. 

8 cups of tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained. (It's a heck of a lot easier to get the skin off if you freeze them first – whole – and let them thaw a little before peeling, or you give them a couple of minutes in a boiling bath.) 

2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 cup jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (Wear gloves, or you'll regret it)

 2 teaspoons cumin 

2 teaspoons pepper 

6 cloves garlic, minced 

1/8 cup canning salt 

1/3 cup sugar 

1/3 cup white vinegar 

2 (12 oz) cans tomato paste

Freeze, or put in clean, hot jars (fresh from the dishwasher is fine) and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.