Do you love zucchini but get overwhelmed by how many fruits your plant produces? I feel you. I love finding zucchini in the garden, but I can only make so much zucchini bread. Zucchini salsa has quickly become a family favorite.
I love to preserve what I grow in my garden, creating a pantry full of shelf-stable foods. Most of the year, I only shredded the zucchini and froze it for the occasional bread, muffin, and brownie recipes.
Is It Safe to Can Zucchini?
I heard about making zucchini salsa awhile ago from a friend, but I wasn’t sure, so I had to do some research about is it safe to can zucchini. When you think of preserving zucchini, canning doesn’t usually come to mind.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation says that canning summer squash, including zucchini, isn’t recommended because of the uncertain food processing times. Squash is a low-acid vegetable, and you have to pressure can these types of foods. There hasn’t been enough studies to let us know the appropriate length of time to process to kill off all the bacteria.
They did offer a recipe to safely can zucchini, and that was to create zucchini pineapple. Interesting, right?
You are able to can zucchini pineapple because the high levels of acid in pineapple make it safe. The NCHFP does recommend recipes for bread and butter zucchini pickles – which are delicious. I tried those as well!
Gather Up The Supplies
Salsa is a high-acid recipe, so that means you don’t need a pressure canner. That makes a lot of people happy, even though I have a secret love affair with my pressure canner.
It doesn’t have an explosive problem like so many people think. It’s just misunderstood.
You’ll need the regular canning supplies for water bath canning, such as:
You’ll also need other supplies, such as a cutting board, but most kitchens already have those.
How to Make Zucchini Salsa
For the most part, zucchini salsa is a straightforward recipe. The longest part is grating the zucchini. You need 12 cups of zucchini. I used green and yellow zucchini; it all tastes the same.
Usually, you want to soak the grated zucchini in salt for at least a few hours to help draw out the moisture. Rinse well after the salt soak.
Next up, you have to dice onions and peppers. I use jalapeno, and I often stick a few cayenne peppers into the mix as well to kick up the heat for my husband. He’s a heat addict, so each season, I usually make a hot batch for him and a normal one for the rest of us.
Next, dice up those tomatoes. You can toss them into a food processor if you want as well. Ideally, you don’t want a liquid – chunks are good since it’s salsa.
This is a great recipe to use to get rid of all those blemished tomatoes. No one ever knows that the tomatoes you used weren’t beautiful.
Once everything is ready, all of the ingredients need to go into a large stockpot to cook down. Truly, that’s all there is to it. Salsa needs to cook down for at least 45 minutes to boil off some of the water and to integrate the flavors throughout the salsa.
Once the salsa is put into the jars, process in the water bath canner for 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.
That’s all you have to do. I take this salsa with me to family parties, and it’s always a hit!
Zucchini Salsa
It's the perfect salsa for your pantry with a bit of sweetness paired with heat
Ingredients
- 12 Cups Grated Zucchini
- 2 Cups Diced Onion
- 1 Green Pepper Chopped
- 1 Red Pepper Chopped
- 3-4 Jalapeno Peppers Diced
- 12 Cups Fresh Tomatoes Chopped
- 3 1/2 TBSP Canning Salt
- 1 TSP Turmeric
- 1 TSP Cumin
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1 TSP Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 TBSP Red Chili Peppers
- 1 TBSP Mustard Seeds
- 1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar Light
- 2 Cups White Vinegar
Instructions
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The first step is the longest. Grate the zucchini. You can cover the zucchini with pickling salt and let sit in the refrigerator overnight or several hours to dry out moisture. You can skip this step; I often do, and simply let the mixture to boil longer to remove more of the liquid.
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The next day or a few hours later, drain and rinse the zucchini well.
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Dice up the onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Remember you can adjust the heat of this recipe by adding or reducing peppers.
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Put the grated zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and peppers into a large stock pot. Turn it in on medium-high heat.
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Add the turmeric, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, red chili peppers, mustard seeds, brown sugar, and vinegar. Bring up to a boil.
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Once boiling, bring down the heat to medium and let the mixture cook for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how much liquid is in the tomatoes. You might have to cook for longer if the tomatoes are watery.
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Ladle the hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Don't forget to wipe down the rims before adding the lids and rings.
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Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts).
FAQs
Procedure: Peel zucchini and either cut into 1/2-inch cubes or shred. Mix zucchini with other ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Fill jars with hot mixture and cooking liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
What are the best ways to preserve zucchini? ›
Freezing is the best option for safely preserving zucchini. At a recent food preservation class, the topic of preserving zucchini was discussed.
Why can't you pressure can zucchini? ›
Safely canning any low acid food requires a pressure canner to ensure temperatures high enough to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores that produce a dangerous toxin. However, processing squash and zucchini at such high temperatures in a pressure canner would compact them and create an undesirable mush.
Do you need to add lemon juice when canning salsa? ›
The acid ingredients in salsa help preserve it. You must add acid to canned salsa because the natural acidity may not be high enough. Commonly used acids are vinegar and bottled lemon juice. Lemon juice is more acidic than vinegar and has less effect on flavor.
How do you keep zucchini crisp when canning? ›
To increase the crispness of your zucchini pickles, start with firm zucchini. Choosing large zucchini helps, too. Also, always make sure that each slice is fully submerged in the brine. After you can your zucchini pickles, store them in a cool, dry place for optimal crispness.
Is it better to freeze or canning zucchini? ›
We do not recommend canning summer squash or zucchini. We recommend preserving summer squash or zucchini by pickling or freezing.
Can you store zucchini in mason jars? ›
Please read our full disclosure here. You can easily learn how to freeze zucchini with this method of shredding them and placing in jars for putting away for the winter. It thaws easily and is great in soups, smoothies, and baked goods all winter long!
How do you store zucchini for months? ›
Don't Be Afraid to Freeze Zucchini
Pat the zucchini dry, then pack it into freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. For ease, freeze zucchini in quantities you'll use and be sure to label and date the freezer bag.
Can I freeze zucchini whole? ›
We're sometimes asked, "Can you freeze zucchini whole?" You certainly can, but it will be much more challenging to thaw and use later. (Imagine trying to shred a soggy, whole, thawed squash.) So, instead, we recommend tackling the shape in advance so you can quickly use the frozen zucchini when you're ready.
Why is canning squash not recommended? ›
Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern within the jar, and may result in inadequate processing and an unsafe product.
Zucchini contains the water-soluble fiber pectin. Pectin may lower bad cholesterol and lipid levels in a person's blood, promoting good heart health. Furthermore, zucchini is also high in potassium, which can help manage high blood pressure.
Why can't I eat zucchini? ›
If you have nausea, diarrhea, itchy skin, or other allergy symptoms with both cooked and raw zucchini, avoid it. Raw zucchini can also cause gas and bloating, especially if you overdo it. Zucchini is rich in fiber that your gut doesn't digest.
What does vinegar do for canning salsa? ›
*Read your recipe first, then follow it if the tomatoes need to be peeled or not. *Vinegar or lemon juice should be in the recipe to raise the acidity level for canning safety. Make sure to use vinegar of at least 5% acidity and bottled lemon juice.
Why do you boil salsa before canning? ›
Do You Have To Cook Salsa Before Canning? Yes, otherwise, if you can raw or fresh salsa, you will have to process it for a longer time than cooked salsa. This will take much longer, so it is better to cook the salsa before canning.
Why is my homemade salsa bitter? ›
As tomatoes ripen, their sugars start to convert to acids, resulting in a bitter taste. It's important to use fresh, firm tomatoes for your salsa to avoid any bitterness. Additionally, removing the tomato seeds can help reduce bitterness, as they can contain bitter compounds.
Do you have to peel squash before canning? ›
Winter squash varieties must be canned by the hot pack method; wash the squash (or pumpkins), remove the seeds and peel. Cut into 1 inch cubes or slice and put in a large heavy saucepan.
Do you have to take the skin off zucchini? ›
There's no need to peel zucchini. In fact, the skin is a big source of zucchini nutrition (the deep green color is a dead giveaway) so you definitely want to leave the skin on. How to cut zucchini: after giving the zucchini squash a good rinse under cold water, slice off the stem and discard it.
Do you peel zucchini for puree? ›
You should leave the skin on when preparing zucchini, and this is even more important when pureeing it for baby food. Eating the skin is how baby will get all those wonderful vitamins and nutrients.
Do I need to peel zucchini before grating? ›
Rinse the zucchini under water and wipe dry with paper towels. No need to peel the zucchini beforehand-the skin is mild in flavor and will soften when cooked. Plus, much of zucchini's fiber content is in its skin, so you don't want to throw that away.
