Today is the last day of the boys’ summer, but not the last day for our gardens. There’s still more to do!

Today we made salsa!

We used tomatoes from everyone’s plants, and Rex’s onions and jalapenos. All other ingredients were from the store. I tried to involve a boy in each step of the process.

Morris helped me blanch and peel the skins off the tomatoes. He loved this job! He was diligent and focused, picking off every piece.

Rex was a little under the weather with a sinus infection, and cutting his onions would have been too much for his nose to handle. So, instead, I had him pose next to his contribution.

Jude sprinkled in cilantro, but I really needed his muscles to squeeze the limes and lemons. Perfect guy for the job!

I took care of all the hot stuff, knowing boiling tomatoes and water is no place for a boy. We canned three jars. There was a lot of work for three jars, but I’m hoping it’s worth it when we eat it.

I want to save it for a cold day, an inevitable Iowa day, when we all need a little taste of our summer salsa.

OUR RECIPE:

14 Tomatoes (blanched, skin peeled, chopped into pieces)

½ Green Pepper (chopped)

 4 Small Onions (sliced)

 1 Jalapeno (diced)

 ½ Cup Cilantro

 ½ Cup Lime/Lemon juice

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Directions: Boil ingredients. Distribute salsa into jars. Tighten lids and boil in large pot full of water for 5 minutes. Remove from water and listen for the lid to pop. (For more detailed canning directions and this recipe, see the new edition of the Ball Canning cookbook. Simple, with pictures for novices!)