Tomato Salsa - cooking recipe

Ingredients

7 lbs ripe tomatoes
3 cups diced green bell peppers
1/3 cup minced jalapeno pepper
2 cups diced white onions
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon canning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Peel, seed, core, and chop the tomatoes (you should have about 14 cups). Place the tomatoes in a large colander and let them drain for 15 minutes. Discard the tomato juice drained off, or save for another purpose.
Place the drained tomatoes in an 8 quart stainless steel pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 1 1/4 hours until thickened, stirring frequently. Add the green bell pepper, jalapenos, onion, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper (if you have chosen to add cilantro to the recipe, now is the time to add it). Return mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Ladle the hot salsa into hot canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any salsa which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a \"plink\" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid \"gives\" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 15 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.