Freezer Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa

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This freezer tomatillo and tomato salsa packs a lot of flavour into each spoonful. Not only does it liven up a wide range of foods, it tastes better, is healthier and more economical than store-bought bottled versions! 

The secret to the fantastic smoky flavour of this green and red salsa is charring the ingredients, a traditional Mexican and Guatemalan cooking technique. At our family’s ranch in Guatemala, almost every sauce involves pan-roasting or toasting ingredients. 

This simple but flavour-building technique of blistering chiles, tomatoes, seeds or other ingredients over a flame until caramelized adds a rich intensity to salsa that captures the essence of life in the campo (countryside). 

While my mother-in-law uses a comal (a heavy clay griddle) over an open fire, you can achieve the same delicious result through the technique of pan-roasting, grilling or broiling. It’s well worth taking this extra step to get the best tomato salsa. 

Why I Love This Recipe for Charred Tomato Salsa 

• Freezer salsa is super easy to make! It’s so easy to put this recipe together. If you have tomatoes about to go bad, then this recipe is a lifesaver as it’s ready quickly.
• If you’re worried about making common canning mistakes or don’t have a pressure canner then freezer salsa is a safe alternative. 
• Got too many tomatoes or tomatoes that are too ripe?  Charring tomatoes makes the most of less than stellar tomatoes you might have in your garden.
• You can even use cherry tomatoes, misshapen beefsteak tomatoes and any colour of tomato in this forgiving recipe. The more tomatoes the merrier for this salsa! 

• If you have tomatillo plants in your garden you’ll know that one plant produces a lot of tomatillos! You’ll soon be desperate for tomatillo recipes to use up all your ripe tomatillos. This recipe is a lifesaver!  
• While it’s possible to freeze whole tomatillos, cooking them first helps preserve the texture and flavour. 
• This versatile salsa is fantastic with freshly made tortilla chips and is wonderful with a wide range of foods.  
• It’s healthier than commercial varieties as it contains less salt and has no additives, colouring, thickeners or added sugar.  
• Unlike Guatemalan chirmol, a charred tomato salsa that’s served fresh, this cooked tomato salsa improves with freezing.  

Ingredients for Freezer Salsa  

It’s so easy to make homemade salsa as the ingredients you can use are so flexible. 

You can easily vary the proportions and types of tomatoes and peppers you use depending on what you have in your garden or what’s fresh and seasonal at the market. 

The basic ingredients include: 

• tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
• beefsteak, roma or cherry tomatoes 
• yellow or white onion 
• jalapeño peppers, halved and ribs and seeds removed
• poblano or bell pepper
• fresh cilantro 
• 2-3 cloves garlic (optional) 
• white vinegar
• tomato paste
• cumin
• Mexican oregano (read about the difference between Mexican and Italian oregano in our guacamole recipe)  
• salt

Step by Step Instructions for Freezer Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa

1. To make freezer salsa from fresh tomatoes, wash and remove stems from the tomatoes. Wash and dry the peppers. 

2. Peel the dry husks from the tomatillos, wash off the sticky residue and dry.  Peel the onions and garlic (if using).  

3. In a dry heavy skillet or cast-iron griddle over medium high heat, roast the chiles, tomatoes, garlic, onion and tomatillos in batches until they are dark brown and fragrant. Turn them with tongs to brown evenly.

Do not add oil or salt or any other ingredient to the pan.

4. Also don’t crowd the pan as the vegetables need space to develop the wonderful charring that’s one of the keys to success in this salsa. This should take around 3 minutes per batch. As the vegetables brown, remove them and place in a bowl or on a pan. The key here is to brown the ingredients but not burn them until bitter. 

5. Once all the vegetables are charred, remove the blackened skins and the eye of the tomatoes. Don’t worry about removing all of the browned parts as they add to the flavour. 

6. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one with your hands to extract as much moisture and seeds as possible. Chop them  coarsely and place inside a large cooking pot. 

7. Chop the onions, tomatillos, garlic and cilantro and place in the cooking pot. 

8. Wipe the skins of the charred peppers to remove any thick skins. But don’t worry about removing all of the blacked areas. Then, remove stems and slit the peppers lengthwise and shake or brush out the seeds and pull out the veins. 

Tip: Wear glove to protect your hands when working with hot peppers like jalapeños. Avoid touching your eyes or other sensitive areas.  

9. Chop the browned sweet bell peppers coarsely and the hot peppers finely, adding them to the cooking pot.

10. Mix the vinegar, tomato paste, salt,  cumin and oregano (if using) in a bowl. Pour into the tomato and tomatillo mixture and stir.

11. Bring to a boil slowly and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. The salsa will thicken slightly when cooling thanks to the tomatillos. 

12. Remove from the heat, stir gently and serve at room temperature.

13. Store salsa covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze (see below for instructions).

Can You Freeze Salsa?

This recipe makes around 16 ounces of salsa so I usually divide the cooked salsa in two batches. Half is poured into a glass jar where it keeps well up to five days in the refrigerator.

The other half is frozen. Unlike salsa verde (tomatilla salsa) that tastes best when served fresh, the flavour of cooked salsa actually improves in the refrigerator and during freezing. It can be frozen for up to three months.

Just thaw in the refrigerator when ready to serve. Stir and serve at room temperature. 

Canning vs Freezing Salsa

Freezing tomato salsa is much easier and safer than home canning if you’re not a canning pro. According to research by the Iowa State University, improperly canned tomatoes can cause botulism poisoning. Clostridium botulinum spores grow in a low acid environment so when home canning it’s important to choose tomatoes with sufficient acidity.

Because too-ripe tomatoes aren’t ideal for canning, to ensure safe acidity, you must add citric acid to each jar before processing. You also need special canning equipment, jars and lids for your salsa. 

Freezing tomato salsa is so much easier. You don’t require any special equipment and it’s one of the safest ways to preserve food. 

For me, freezing salsa is also a great choice if you don’t have much storage space. A frozen package of salsa is easy to slip into a slim space in the freezer and doesn’t takes up valuable cupboard space. 

How to Freeze Homemade Salsa

• Allow the salsa to cool to room temperature. 
• While a food vacuum sealer removes air from specially designed bags and seals it with heat, it’s possible to create a DIY freezer bag system that works well to prevent freezer burn. 
• Label a medium-sized freezer bag (BPA-free) with the date and name of the salsa.
• Pour the salsa into the bag and fill allowing for one-inch head space at the top of the bag. 
• Seal the top of the freezer bag almost completely, leaving a small opening. Insert a plastic straw, hold the plastic tightly and suck out the air from the bag until it’s flat. Remove as much air as possible and close the bag. 
• Removing the air will keep food fresher longer. 
• Lay the bag (s) flat in the freezer until frozen (4-6 hours) and then stack.
• It will keep up to three months in the freezer.
• When ready to enjoy, defrost in the refrigerator and then serve at room temperature. 

How Do You Use Freezer Salsa?  

If you’re wondering what to eat with salsa besides tortilla chips, this salsa is delicious with everything from tacos to burgers to grilled beef steak and even Guatemalan green bean fritters. 

It’s also a fantastic game day staple as it adds a boost of flavour to chili con carne, nacho platter and queso dip (Mexican cheese dip). 

We also love this easy recipe for freezer tomatillo and tomato salsa for breakfast and scoop spoonfuls of it on tortitas de berro (Guatemalan watercress fritters) and scrambled eggs.  

Notes and Tips 

• If you can’t find tomatillos, they can be omitted and the salsa will still taste great!
• Don’t be tempted to use a food processor or blender for freezer salsa. It chops the ingredients too finely and bruises the herbs. It just takes a few extra minutes to chop the ingredients by hand and makes a big difference in the flavour and texture. Totally worth it!  
• Be sure to try to extract as much juice from the tomatoes as you can or your salsa will be watery after it cooks.  
• Don’t stint on the peppers. This recipe is very mild as the jalapeño peppers lose much of their heat when cooked. If you prefer more heat, you can add more fresh hot peppers or even a few canned chipotle peppers in adobo.  
• Rather than using a heavy skillet you can brown vegetables on a large pan in a 425 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until they are dark brown.  
• If you want to make a bigger batch of freezer salsa, simply double or triple the recipe. 

If You Enjoyed This Salsa, Check Out These Other Fresh Tomato and Tomatillo Recipes:

• Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Soup
• Guatemalan Shrimp Ceviche
• Bacalao a la Vizcaina (Spanish Salt Cod Stew)
• Jocon de Pollo – Guatemalan Chicken in Tomatillo Salsa  

Print

4.84 from 25 votes

Freezer Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa

This freezer tomatillo and tomato salsa packs a lot of flavour into a spoonful. Not only does it liven up a wide range of foods, it tastes better, is healthier and more economical than store-bought bottled versions! 

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Guatemalan, Mexican

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 75kcal

Author: Michele Peterson

Cost: $10

Equipment

• ▢
  Knife
• ▢
  Skillet
• ▢
  Freezer containers or bags
• ▢
  large cooking pot

Ingredients

• ▢ 7 cups tomatoes Roma, beefsteak or cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 10 tomatillos large
• ▢ 1 green pepper bell
• ▢ 1 green pepper poblano
• ▢ 1 jalapeño  or more to taste
• ▢ 2 medium white onion
• ▢ 1 cup cilantro packed
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic optional
• ▢ 1/2 cup white vinegar
• ▢ 5 oz tomato paste (156 ml can)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano dried
• ▢ 1 tsp salt

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Wash and remove stems from the tomatoes. Wash and dry the peppers.
• Peel the dry husks from the tomatillos, wash off the sticky residue and dry.  Peel the onions and garlic (if using).
• In a dry heavy skillet or cast-iron griddle over medium high heat, roast the chiles, tomatoes, garlic, onion and tomatillos in batches until they are dark brown and fragrant. Turn them with tongs to brown evenly. Do not add oil or salt or any other ingredient to the pan.
• Also don't crowd the pan as the vegetables need space to develop the wonderful charring that's one of the keys to success in this salsa. This should take around 3 minutes per batch. As the vegetables  brown, remove them and place in a bowl.
• Once all the vegetables are charred, remove the blackened skins and the eye of the tomatoes. Don't worry about removing all of the browned parts as they do add to the flavour.
• Squeeze the tomatoes one by one with your hands to extract as much moisture and seeds as possible. Chop them  coarsely and place inside a 2 quart cooking pot.
• Chop the onions, tomatillos, garlic and cilantro and place in the cooking pot.
• Wipe the skins of the peppers to remove any thick skins. Then, remove stems and slit the peppers lengthwise and shake or brush out the seeds and pull out the veins.
• Chop the sweet bell peppers coarsely and the hot peppers finely, adding them to the cooking pot.
• Mix the vinegar, tomato paste, salt,  cumin and oregano (if using) in a bowl. Pour into the tomato and tomatillo mixture and stir.
• Bring to a boil slowly and cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve at room temperature.
• Store covered salsa in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze.

Notes

• Tip: Wear glove to protect your hands when working with hot peppers like jalapeños. Avoid touching your eyes or other sensitive areas.
• If you can’t find tomatillos, they can be omitted and the salsa will still taste great!
• Be sure to try to extract as much juice from the tomatoes as possible before chopping them. 
• Don't stint on the chile peppers. This recipe is very mild as the jalapeño peppers lose much of their heat when cooked. If you prefer more heat, you can add more fresh peppers or even a few canned chipotle peppers in adobo.  
• Rather than using a heavy skillet you can brown vegetables on a large pan in a 425 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until they are dark brown.  
• If you want to make a bigger batch of freezer salsa, simply double or triple the recipe. Follow the same instructions for freezing in medium-sized bags.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed to be accurate. It is created by online calculators and although we attempt to provide accurate nutritional information, the figures are only estimates.

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 441mg | Potassium: 710mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1669IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

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Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.