Garden Fresh Salsa Verde with Homegrown Tomatillos
The reward of walking out into your garden, picking a vegetable you grew from seed, and turning that harvest into something your family can enjoy for months is unmatchable. This year, our tomatillo plants absolutely went for it. We ended up harvesting 34 pounds of tomatillos from the garden. I was so excited because that harvest became 28 pints of salsa verde!
Tomatillos are one of those garden crops that can seem almost insignificant early in the season. You plant those little seedlings, watch them grow, wait for the first tiny flowers, and then suddenly the plants are covered in those papery husks. Before you know it, you’re walking through the garden with a basket in your hands wondering how one little plant managed to produce so much food.
For me, that is one of the best parts of gardening.
You start with a seed. Then you nurture a plant. Eventually, that plant gives you an incredible harvest that you can turn into something completely different.
Plus, when you have 34 pounds of tomatillos sitting in your kitchen, you suddenly have plenty of salsa verde to share with family.
And honestly, that’s one of my favorite parts.
What Is Salsa Verde?
Salsa verde is a green salsa traditionally made with tomatillos, which are sometimes called Mexican husk tomatoes.
Tomatillos look a little like small green tomatoes, but they have a completely different flavor. They have a naturally tart, citrusy quality that makes them perfect for salsa.
Unlike traditional red tomato salsa, salsa verde gets its beautiful green color from the tomatillos and fresh jalapenos.
The flavor can range from mild and bright to seriously spicy, depending on the peppers you use. This recipe is not mild in the least!
For this recipe, jalapeños bring the heat while onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and cumin round everything out.
Then, because I wanted even more flavor from the garden harvest, I roast the tomatillos under the broiler before blending them.
That little bit of char makes a difference.
Growing Tomatillos From Seed
One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is because these tomatillos didn’t come from a grocery store.
They came from our garden.
I watched them grow.
We started with seeds, planted them, cared for the plants, and eventually watched those plants turn into an absolutely ridiculous harvest.
There is a satisfaction that comes from that process that you can’t get from grabbing a jar off the grocery store shelf.
Once those little papery husks started appearing everywhere, I knew we were going to have a lot of tomatillos to deal with.
Our 34-Pound Tomatillo Harvest
I still can’t get over the fact that we harvested 34 pounds of tomatillos.
That is a lot of tomatillos.
At first, harvesting that much produce can feel a little overwhelming, but that’s exactly when preserving becomes so much fun.
That’s another reason I love gardening. A big harvest doesn’t have to stay in your kitchen. You can turn it into jars of homemade food and send it home with people you love.
A basket of garden vegetables is wonderful.
A jar of homemade salsa made from those vegetables is even better.
Why Roast the Tomatillos?
You don’t have to roast tomatillos to make salsa verde, but I really like the extra flavor it brings.
For this recipe, the tomatillos go under the broiler until their skins become slightly charred.
That roasting step adds a subtle smoky, roasted flavor while also softening the tomatillos.
Afterward, they go directly into the blender and get pureed until smooth.
You don’t need to peel tomatillos, either. NCHFP notes that tomatillos don’t need to be peeled or seeded after the husks are removed.
That makes preparation considerably easier and faster.
How to Make Homemade Salsa Verde
Remove the Tomatillo Husks
Start by removing the papery husks from the tomatillos.
Once the husks are removed, rinse the tomatillos well.
You’ll notice the fruit can feel slightly sticky underneath the husk. That’s normal, and a good rinse takes care of it.
Give them a quick inspection as you wash them and discard any damaged or poor-quality fruit.
For canning projects especially, starting with fresh, high-quality produce is important. NCHFP recommends using high-quality produce for home canning and avoiding damaged or spoiled vegetables.
Roast the Tomatillos
Preheat your oven to broil.
Arrange the cleaned tomatillos on a sheet pan in a single layer.
Place them under the broiler and roast until the skins become slightly charred.
Keep a close eye on them because broilers can go from lightly roasted to burnt surprisingly quickly.
You’re looking for some color and char, not completely blackened tomatillos.
Blend Until Smooth
Remove the roasted tomatillos from the oven and transfer them to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
You’re going to need to work in batches.
Once the tomatillos are blended, pour the puree into a large stock pot.
At this point, you should already have that beautiful green color that makes salsa verde so recognizable.
Add the Rest of the Ingredients
Add the diced white onion, diced jalapeños, minced garlic, vinegar, lime juice, canning salt, cumin, and chopped cilantro.
Stir everything together.
Then bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the onions and jalapeños are softened.
The longer cooking time also gives the flavors a chance to come together.
The Flavor of Homemade Salsa Verde
Fresh tomatillos give this salsa its signature tang.
The jalapeños bring heat, while the onion adds sweetness and savory flavor. Garlic gives the salsa a deeper background flavor, and cilantro adds that unmistakable fresh green note.
Meanwhile, cumin gives everything a little warmth.
The lime juice adds another layer of acidity, while the vinegar contributes both acidity and a distinctive tang.
Because the tomatillos are roasted first, the finished salsa isn’t bright and raw-tasting.
Instead, you get a combination of fresh, tangy, roasted, spicy, and savory flavors.
That makes it incredibly good with tortilla chips.
However, chips are only the beginning.
Ways to Use Homemade Salsa Verde
Obviously, grab a bag of tortilla chips and start dipping.
After that, try spooning salsa verde over tacos. It is especially good with chicken, pork, beef, and grilled vegetables.
You can also use it as a topping for burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, and breakfast eggs.
A spoonful over scrambled eggs makes a quick breakfast taste completely different.
Likewise, you can stir salsa verde into cooked rice or use it as a sauce for shredded chicken.
Try mixing it into a bowl with rice, beans, avocado, chicken, and cheese for an easy dinner.
You can even use it as a marinade or cooking sauce for chicken or pork.
Once you have homemade salsa verde in the refrigerator, you’ll probably start finding excuses to put it on everything.
How Spicy Is This Salsa Verde?
That depends largely on your jalapeños.
Jalapeños can vary quite a bit in heat from pepper to pepper. Even peppers grown on the same plant can have noticeably different levels of heat.
The amount in this recipe creates a salsa with a definite kick, but the tomatillos, onion, lime, and other ingredients balance the peppers.
If you’re making this as a fresh salsa for the refrigerator, you can adjust the pepper level to suit your taste.
A Garden Harvest Worth Celebrating
Now we have salsa verde to enjoy ourselves, and we have plenty to share with family. That’s one of the reasons I love preserving food so much. It lets you stretch a garden harvest beyond one season and turn something you grew into something you can actually put on the dinner table.
So if you’ve got a garden overflowing with tomatillos right now, don’t panic.
Make plenty of salsa verde and share with your loved ones.
Because a jar of homemade salsa made from vegetables you grew yourself is a pretty special thing to hand someone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to peel tomatillos?
No. Remove the papery husks and rinse the tomatillos thoroughly. The tomatillos themselves do not need to be peeled or seeded.
Can I make salsa verde without roasting the tomatillos?
Yes, especially when making a fresh refrigerator salsa. Roasting is used here to add extra depth and a little charred flavor.
What can I serve with salsa verde?
Salsa verde is fantastic with tortilla chips, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, eggs, grilled meats, rice bowls, and roasted vegetables.
This salsa verde is considered a “rebel canning” recipe because the exact recipe and processing method have not been tested by the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP). I tested the pH of my finished salsa verde with a pH meter, and my batch measured 3.25, which is well below the 4.6 pH threshold used in determining whether a food is acidic enough for water-bath canning. However, a pH reading alone does not make an untested recipe an officially validated canning recipe. Factors such as ingredient proportions, density, jar size, processing time, and heat penetration can also affect canning safety.
I am sharing this recipe based on my own preparation and testing, including the measured pH of my finished batch. If you choose to can this recipe, you are doing so at your own discretion and accepting responsibility for that choice. For the most conservative approach to home canning, use a recipe that has been scientifically tested by a recognized food-preservation authority and follow the recipe exactly.
More Canning Recipes
Salsa Roja
Cowboy Candy
Drunken Tomatoes
Salsa Verde
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Equipment
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 8 pounds Tomatillos (12.5 cups pureed after roasting)
- 3 cups White Onion, diced
- 2.5 cups Jalapeno, diced
- 10 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Lime Juice
- 2.5 tsp Canning salt
- 5 tsp Cumin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse well.
- Place the tomatillos on a sheet pan and roast under the broiler until the skins become slightly charred.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer the tomatillos to a blender jar. Blend the tomatillos until smooth.
- Pour the puree into a large stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, jalapeno, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, salt, cumin, and cilantro to the stock pot.
- Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the onions and jalapenos are cooked and softened.
- Fill the water bath and bring to a boil.
- Wash the jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water.
- Using the food funnel, ladle the hot salsa verde into the hot, clean jars, leaving 1/2 headspace. Remove any trapped air with the bubble popper and adjust headspace if necessary.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean paper towel.
- Place the lids on the jars and tighten the rings fingertip tight.
- Using the jar lifter, lower the jars into the boiling water bath.
- Cover and process the jars for 15 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the water bath to a towel lined cutting board and allow to cool in place for 12 hours before labeling and dating for storage. If any jars did not seal, refrigerate and use first.
Nutrition
