Smoky Roasted Salsa

So I made two different batches of salsa this year. Nate said he liked them, but he still wanted to try creating his own recipe. I was a little skeptical that he could come up with a recipe on his own with no recipe build from because canning is so fickle and you have to have a balance between acid and non-acid ingredients. I knew he liked the Chipotle salsa from Smith's so I looked up a recipe from Foodie with family for Smoky roasted salsa. It is amazing. I love the flavor you get from roasting all the ingredients and the dried guajillo chiles not to mention the chipotle peppers. Yum! Nate made some changes such as reducing the lime juice (!) I'm a little worried about that... He also added some fresh jalapeños and roasted anaheim peppers and used a Vidalia Onion Wizard to chop most everything because he wanted a chunkier texture. I'll leave the recipe as written here and put a few notes at the bottom with the changes he made. My favorite addition is adding a fresh grinding of salt on top right before you dip into it. 

Yield: about 6 pints

Reprinted from "Not Your Mama's Canning Book"

Ingredients

• 12 dried chipotle peppers stems and seeds removed
• 12 dried guajilllo peppers stems and seeds removed
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 small to medium sized onions
• 1 head garlic separated into cloves but not peeled
• 2 lbs plum or Roma tomatoes
• 2 lbs tomatillos husks removed
• 1 cup bottled lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey agave, or raw sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. In a heavy, dry skillet (cast iron, for example) toast the chiles in batches until pliable. Place in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Pour boiling water over the chiles and weigh down with a plate or weight. Let soak for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a half sheet pan under the broiler. Turn all of them occasionally until blistered all over and blackened in places.

3. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth: add to a large stockpot. Transfer the onions and garlic to a cutting board. Leave the tomatoes in the half sheet pan and cover with a second, inverted sheet pan or with plastic wrap to allow it to cool.

4. While the tomatoes cool, peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic. Add them to the blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped or smooth. Add to the tomatillos in the stockpot.

5. Add the soaked chile peppers to the blender or food processor, strain the soaking liquid through a fine mesh sieve, add the liquid to the food processor or blender, and blend on high until smooth. Add to the stockpot.

6. Turn your attention to the tomatoes. The skins should peel easily from the tomatoes. Discard the skins and add the tomatoes and juice to the blender. Pulse until the tomatoes are your desired texture. (See Cook’s Notes)

7. Add to the stockpot with the honey, sugar, or agave, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Lower heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly less thick than ketchup. Ladle into prepared pint or half pint jars to within 1/2-inch of the rim. Fix jar lids in place and tighten appropriately.

8. Use canning tongs to transfer jars to a boiling water canner with boiling water to cover by 2 inches. Put the canner lid in place and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Transfer jars to a wire rack or towel lined counter. Cool completely (at least 12 hours) before removing rings, wiping clean, and labeling. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Nate's Changes: Add 2-3 roasted anaheims and 2 jalapeños per batch. He decreased the lime juice to a half a cup. If you do this, it's probably best to pressure cook it. He also increased the chipotle and guajillos just a little to give a little more heat. Add until you think it tastes hot enough.