When we came back from our recent peach picking adventure, I knew that I wanted to make a peach salsa. After I reviewed a few recipes, I adapted two recipes to come up with this salsa. Normally I don’t recommend making changes to canning recipes because of the risk of changing the acidity level, making the final product unsafe. But, I felt comfortable with these minor changes as this recipe didn’t alter any acidic components. My main inspiration for this recipe comes from the fabulous “Canning for a New Generation” by Liana Krissoff for her Peach and Cilantro Salsa.

Peach Salsa

Makes 5 pint jars

• 5 pounds peeled, pitted and diced peaches
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 jalapeno peppers, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Prepare a boiling water bath and process 6 pint jars (I always process at least one more jar than I think I’m going to get in case I’m surprised.) Place the lids and rings in a small pot, cover with water and heat to a low simmer.

Put all the ingredients, except the cilantro, in a 6 quart preserving pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a lively simmer for about 30 minutes, until all the ingredients are combined together, the peaches and onions are soft and the liquid is reduced. Stir in the cilantro. Taste the salsa to add an additional jalapeno or another tablespoon or two of sugar, if needed.

Carefully remove the jars from the boiling water bath. Ladle the hot salsa in to the jars through a funnel, leaving 1/4 inch headspace at the top. Wipe the rims, place a lid on each jar and tighten a ring on the top. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water for an additional 10 minutes to ensure a proper seal. Remove the jars and allow to sit for 24 hours. Check the seal by pushing your thumb up on the edge of the lid and if any lids pop up, put those jars in the fridge and use within a couple weeks. Store jars in a cool, dry place for up to a year.