Salsa Basic

Description
This is a basic tomato and jalapeño salsa recipe to be used for a beginner. No one I know likes it the same, so I'm sure you will alter it for your own preferences.

Ingredients

 * 28 oz. Diced Tomatoes (it's the big can in the grocery store, or you can cut and weigh your own)
 * 3-4 Jalapeños (1 or 2 is mild, 5 or 6 is HOT)
 * 2 Limes
 * 1 Bunch of Cilantro
 * 1 medium White Onion
 * 2 cloves Garlic
 * 3 tsp. (rounded) Cumin
 * 1 tsp. Garlic Salt
 * 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Directions
Set up your blender to add ingredients, but don't start blending till everything is together!

Put tomatoes in blender.

Slice Jalapeños open and remove seeds. The white portion and seeds inside the Jalapeño is where most of the heat is, so if you want a milder salsa, cut that portion out (depending on the Jalapeño, it could still be quite hot though). Put in Blender.

Juice limes and put juice in blender.

Skin garlic cloves and onion, quarter each, and put in blender.

Separate as many stems as you can (as you have the patience to) from Cilantro and put herb into blender (it will look like half the blender is cilantro).

Add remaining spices to blender. I like ALOT of Cumin, but some people don't. You can also use Paprika for an interesting flavor.

Now blend ingredients together. You will need a good speed to chop the tomatoes and onions, but using a lower mixer setting and using the pulse on your blender will make for a chunkier salsa.

Before removing from blender, taste with chips to see if you need to add anything else.

Pour from blender into medium sauce pan on stove on a high heat, stirring frequently.

Once the mixture reaches a quick boil, turn down heat to low, place a lid on the pan, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

The fresh made, hot-off-the-stove salsa is best, but you can cool in the fridge or even can the salsa to eat later. The mixture is enough that you'll want a good size, sealable container to store what you don't eat right away.

Next time, try different peppers (serrano, pablano... for the brave, habanero) or tomatillos (like a green tomato). We also have a little stove top smoker which, if you smoke your veggies before blending, adds some REALLY good flavor. Be adventurous, and if you come up with something good, share it with the rest of us! (ie. Salsa Jones, Salsa Loco, Salsa... Hawaiian?... i dunno, think of something).