How to Water Bath Can Salsa with Apple Cider Vinegar

Making salsa for water bath canning with apple cider vinegar is one of the best ways to preserve your summer harvest. With a simple mix of fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, garlic, and spices, you’ll have jars of homemade salsa ready for winter meals, taco nights, and snacks.

This recipe balances flavor and safety, giving you a tested canning method you can trust. If you’re looking for more canning inspiration, don’t miss our Water Bath Canning Page.

How to Make Salsa at a Glance

• Step 1: Chop tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapeños.
• Step 2: Simmer with apple cider vinegar, salt, and spices.
• Step 3: Ladle hot salsa into jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
• Step 4: Process in a boiling water bath canner for the recommended time.
• Step 5: Cool, check seals, and store.

Why Make Salsa with Apple Cider Vinegar?

If you’re water bath canning salsa, you need to add an acid like apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon/lime juice. If you’re using vinegar of any kind, ensure it has a 5% acidity level. These make the mixture acidic enough to prevent bacterial growth.

Because tomatoes vary significantly in acidity, adding an additional acid is necessary. A lot of people prefer apple cider vinegar because of the flavor it brings to the salsa! It adds more complex flavors and a lot of depth without the sharp tastes of white vinegar or lemon juice.

It’s always important to use a tested recipe for salsa because not all salsas can be water bath canned. Don’t alter the amount of low-acid ingredients, like the peppers or onions, or reduce the amount of vinegar it says to add.

Give me the Guide!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Grab some fresh ingredients from your garden or the farmer’s market!

• 10 cups tomatoes – The juicy, tangy base that gives your salsa its classic flavor.
• 4 jalapeños (up to 2 cups total) – Adds a kick and fresh pepper taste. Keep or remove seeds.
• 2 cups onions – Brings sweetness and depth to balance the spice.
• 10 cloves garlic – A bold, savory punch that rounds out the flavor.
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar – Provides the acidity needed for safe canning and a zesty bite.
• 1 tsp cumin – Adds a warm, earthy undertone.
• 4 tbsp fresh cilantro – Fresh, herby brightness that lifts the salsa.
• 4 tsp oregano – A hint of herbal depth with a slightly peppery note.
• 3 tsp salt – Enhances flavor and helps preserve the salsa.

Supplies Needed

• Food Processor or Manual Food Processor – Speeds up chopping so you get even-sized pieces.
• Pint-Sized Jars – Use the size that works best for you.
• Lids – If you have wide-mouth jars, make sure you get extra wide-mouth lids.
• Water Bath Canner – Essential for safely preserving high-acid recipes like salsa.
• Canning Tools – Jar lifter, funnel, and bubble remover make the process smoother and safer.
• Stainless Steel Funnel – I like to reduce plastic whenever possible, so I love this funnel.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Canning Salsa

Chop the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapeños into small pieces. You can use up to 2 cups of chopped jalapeños. Remove the seeds from the jalapeños if you don’t want the added spice. I only used 4 because I didn’t remove the seeds, and that was enough heat for us!

I used my food processor to chop everything up, but if you don’t want them chopped quite that much, use a manual food processor or chop by hand.

Place the veggies into a medium-sized pot. Add apple cider vinegar, salt, and spices, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing burns.

Prepare your water bath canner by adding water and heating it. You start to heat the water because we will be adding hot jars to it. If we put hot jars into cold water, there’s a risk that they will crack.

Ladle the hot salsa into pint-sized jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jar and put on the lids and rings fingertip-tight.

Add jars to the canner and make sure water is covering the jars by at least 1 inch. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes. Let jars cool for 5 minutes in the canner and then remove them using a jar lifter.

Cool, check seals after 12-24 hours, and store in a cool, dark place with the rings off. Storing with the rings off ensures a proper seal and food safety.

Tips for the Best Homemade Salsa

Choose the right tomatoes – Paste varieties like Roma or San Marzano have less water and give you a thicker, richer salsa. If you’re using slicing tomatoes, drain off some of the liquid before measuring.

Adjust spice safely – You can decrease the number of peppers (or seeds included) to suit your heat preference, but avoid going above the amount in the recipe or changing the amount of vinegar or tomatoes, since those ratios keep the recipe safe for canning.

Prevent watery salsa – Core tomatoes well, remove excess seeds, and simmer the salsa a bit longer before jarring if you want a thicker consistency.

How to Store and Use Your Canned Salsa

Properly sealed jars of water bath canned salsa will keep up to 12–18 months in a cool, dark pantry. Once opened, refrigerate and use within a week. Keep an eye out for spoilage signs like bulging lids, leaks, or off smells before eating. This salsa is perfect for dipping with chips, spooning over tacos, stirring into chili, or even using as a base for Mexican-style soups.

A Note on Safety

This salsa recipe is adapted from a Ball® canning recipe. I’ve adjusted ingredient amounts for flavor and yield, but the changes stay within safe guidelines for water bath canning. Always use the correct amount of vinegar (or another approved acid) to ensure your salsa is shelf-stable.

Explore More Tomato and Onion Recipes

When the garden veggies are in season, you need a few favorite canning recipes to get them all preserved before they go bad. Check out these ones to get you started:

• Tomato Sauce: A simple recipe that can be adapted later into pizza sauce, marinara sauce, or used plain in recipes.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes are always great to have on hand for all your favorite recipes. From chili to Italian dishes, you’ll always need diced tomatoes.
• How to Make Tomato Powder with Scraps (coming soon!): Don’t waste the skins, dehydrate them and make powder!
• Pressure Canned Diced Onions: Because onions are a low-acid food, they need to be pressure canned.
• Pickled Red Onions: Not a canning recipe, but still a must-try if you have onions.

FAQs About Canning Salsa

Grab the Chips and Get to Making Salsa

Homemade salsa is one of the most rewarding canning projects; it’s fresh, flavorful, and always a hit on the table. Once you’ve stocked your pantry with this salsa, try branching out with other tomato-based recipes. Visit my Food Preservation page for more tried-and-true canning ideas to keep your shelves stocked.