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Roasted Salsa Verde (Citric Acid, Jar-by-Jar Dosing)
- Roasted tomatillo salsa verde suitable for water-bath canning.
- Acidity is controlled per jar using citric acid for consistency and safety.
Target finished pH: 4.0–4.2
Yield
Approximately 2 pints (4 half-pint jars)
Ingredients
1½ lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed 1 medium white onion, cut into chunks 2–3 jalapeños (seeded for mild) 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled 1–2 tbsp fresh lime juice (optional, flavor only) 1½ tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
Per-Jar Acid (choose ONE):
½ tsp citric acid per pint jar
¼ tsp citric acid per half-pint jar
Method
Roast
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place tomatillos, onion, jalapeños, and unpeeled garlic on a dry sheet pan.
- Roast 20–25 minutes, turning once, until tomatillos collapse and lightly char.
- Peel garlic and discard skins.
Blend
- Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add 1–3 tbsp water only if needed to loosen texture.
Simmer
- Transfer salsa to a saucepan.
- Add salt and optional fresh lime juice.
- Simmer 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Adjust salt only.
Jar-by-Jar Acidification
- Add citric acid directly to each jar before filling:
- ½ tsp per pint jar
- ¼ tsp per half-pint jar
- Ladle hot salsa into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
- Stir inside jar with a clean utensil to fully dissolve citric acid.
- Wipe rims and apply lids and bands.
Processing
Water-bath process 15 minutes
Adjust for altitude per standard guidelines
Verification
After cooling 24 hours, open one jar and measure pH
Target pH: 4.0–4.2
Maximum safe pH: ≤ 4.6
If pH > 4.6, refrigerate remaining jars
Notes
Do not add oil, flour, or thickeners
Cilantro should be added after opening jars
Citric acid provides predictable, uniform acidity
Roasting concentrates flavor but does not affect acidity
Storage
Shelf stable up to 12 months
Refrigerate after opening
Flavor improves after 2–4 weeks rest
Scaling Table — Roasted Salsa Verde (pint Jars)
Citric acid is added per jar, so vegetable quantities scale freely.
Citric Acid Dose (fixed): ½ tsp citric acid per pint jar
| Batch Size | Quart Jars | Tomatillos | Onion | Jalapeños | Garlic | Salt (start) | Citric Acid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 quart | 1 | ¾ lb | ½ medium | 1–2 | 1 clove | ¾ tsp | 1 tsp per jar |
| 2 quarts | 2 | 1½ lb | 1 medium | 2–3 | 2 cloves | 1½ tsp | 1 tsp per jar |
| 4 quarts | 4 | 3 lb | 2 medium | 4–6 | 4 cloves | 3 tsp | 1 tsp per jar |
Notes
Salt is a starting point only — adjust after simmering
Citric acid amount does not scale by batch, only by jar count
Optional fresh lime juice (for flavor) may be added to the batch but does not replace citric acid
Maintain ½ inch headspace for quart jars
Water-bath process 15 minutes (adjust for altitude)