Lori's Fire Roasted Salsa

With love I say this.  For all you people that think your canned salsa is good,  I say it just may be, but this salsa is totally worth checking out.  It totally blows people out of the water.

I should add that the University of Minnesota has some great advice on canning salsa and other things. You can check out their site here.

Lori's Fire Roasted Salsa
The small size recipe in parenthesis, larger size on the right
This is one of those recipes where you have to go by your taste.  I am just giving you a guideline.  The true flavor of this recipe comes from the roasted/smoking.

(10)                   peck of tomatoes, preferably a meaty tomato like romas
(1 or 2)             3 or 4 jalapeños or more (red is better but green works as well)
(1 cup)              6 cups Spanish onions, skins removed
(1/4 cup)           1 bunch of cilantro about 1 cup chopped
(1 teaspoon)     4 tablespoons kosher salt
(2 tablespoons) 1/2 to 1 cup white distilled vinegar
                         mesquite or hickory wood chips
(1)                    10 pablano peppers (you can add or subtract based on heat)
                        1/2 cup oil (to rub on tomatoes prior to roasting)

1. Clean and oil tomatoes, pablanos and jalapeños.
2. Fire up your grill and get your wood chips soaking (they need a good 30 minute soak).
3. Roast the tomatoes, pablano peppers and jalapeños on the grill until they are charred.

4. Remove stem and skin.  Discard with any of the juice that is sitting in the pan from roasting.
5. Combine onion, tomatoes, jalapeños and pablanos in a large kettle.
6. Add white vinegar and kosher salt.
7. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 15 to 25 minutes.  Taste periodically for desired heat, vinegar and salt level.  Feel free to add in more jalapenos if you want a lot of heat.
8. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend the salsa.
9. Add chopped cilantro.
10. Pour into pint jars. Clean rims.  Place lids on and screw on bands.
11. Add into hot water bath and bring pot to a boil.
12. Process canned salsa for 20 minutes.
Yield about 8 pints for a peck of tomatoes.

*I know it is crazy that I do not put garlic into this salsa.  It is so good I really don't want to mess with it.  The pablanos are new this year.  I took a chance.  It worked out good but it really did kick up the heat.

2013 Notes- I added garlic this year.   We yielded 27 pints from 3 pecks of tomatoes.  Two pecks romas, one peck regular.  Two bunches of cilantro. Also added a lot of cumin- like 4 tablespoons. Not quite enough heat from two pablanos so I added 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.  We were going for a mild salsa.

Let me know if you make it and what you think.  Please let me know if you add in garlic or anything else.  Would love to hear about some variations.