Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 pound onions, diced
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Note: You can use any variety of heirloom tomatoes to make this salsa. Using a combination of several different colors makes for a gorgeous salsa.

Directions

1. Bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a large nonreactive saucepan. Add the tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños. Return to a gentle boil for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and remove from heat.

2. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or can the salsa using the boiling-water method in steps 3 through 5.

3. Ladle into clean, hot 1/2-pint canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each (for directions on sterilizing jars and lids, see Plum Verbena Jam). Stir to release trapped air.

4. Wipe the rims clean; center the lids on the jars and screw on the jar bands. Process in a water-bath canner with a rack for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.

5. Remove jars with tongs and set aside for 24 hours. Check the seals and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Excerpted from Put 'em Up! © by Sherri Brooks Vinton, used with permission from Storey Publishing.