megkor - this is what I posted on your other post about this recipe: There is just no way to no for sure since as far as we know it has never been tested for pH level or density. Especially without knowing the source of the recipe as that at least might provide a clue. While it has a lot of vinegar it also has a LOT of low acid vegetables in it - many pounds of them. How can anyone know what the pH would be? Salsa is one of the most risky foods since it is eaten straight from the jar with no further cooking. That's who only tested and approved recipes are recommended. Safety with salsa requires knowledge of the acidity level and the density to determine proper processing. Both are unknown in this case. Dave PS: cre8tivman68 - Annie is one of the regulars here and has been for several years. She developed the recipe and had all the USDA testing done on it for safety approval.

Perhaps I should have said, Safety expert! Thanks for the info. I reviewed the 2012 thread on the details. Since the instructions are so specific, I wanted to be sure. Thanks for the quick reply.

AS, there is no "science" behind that particular ingredient, it's simply a matter of trial and error to get the texture my family likes. The juice and goo inside the tomato is much more liquid than the sauce is. I could cook it down for a long time and eventually get a similar texture, but then it tastes more "cooked", if that makes sense. I found that draining the watery portion of the juice and getting rid of some of the "goo" and seeds made the texture better for me. I don't like a lot of seeds in the salsa, so I remove some of them, that makes it more palatable for me, other people might not even notice. I do want the salsa thick enough to stay on a chip, so I add the sauce and I don't have to boil it for hours to make it thicker. Annie

Not to start a heated discussion, but. . . I am NOT proposing to can just "any tomato based recipe". I am proposing to follow the guidlines put forward to the public by a research based State Co-op Extension service. The directions for pressure canning are simple, and straightforward, and contain no language warning that the product will be unfit to eat after processing. There are extensive warnings about following salsa directions explicitly when water bath canning. We all understand and agree that those warning are of the utmost importance, including the need for proper acidification and not increasing the ratio of low acid veges to tomatoes. Perhaps I should have stated my intentions differently. I plan to pressure can at 11 lbs/ 35 minutes a salsa with a much lower pepper content (since I am allergic to peppers), different dried herbs (a safe substitution) and a different and lower source of acid (red wine). I will be following an approved recipe for amounts of tomatoes vs garlic, onions, and herbs; for amounts of tomato paste; and for length of cooking (to control for density issues). After canning this salsa, I may choose to heat it until boiling and serve it over pasta. It still seems like I am within the guidlines put out by WSU. Sharon