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Tomato Taco Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 quarts paste tomatoes peeled, cored, and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 5 cups onions chopped
- 4 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped
- 4 long green chiles seeded and chopped
- 2 1/2 cups vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons oregano leaves optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin optional
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner
- 16–18 Pint canning jars with lids and rings
- 1 set Jar lifter and canning funnel
Directions
- Wash and rinse pint canning jars; keep them hot until ready to fill. Prepare lids according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling hot peppers and do not touch your face.
- If peeling the long green chiles, blister them in a 400°F oven or under a broiler for 6 to 8 minutes, or blister them on a hot range top. Place blistered peppers in a pan, cover with a damp cloth, cool, and peel. Finely chopped chiles usually do not need peeling.
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick, about 1 hour.
- Fill clean, hot pint jars with hot taco sauce, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace if needed, wipe jar rims, and apply prepared lids and rings.
- Process pints in a boiling-water canner for the time specified for your altitude: 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Share your results how it turned out.Safety classification
Tested recipe: National Center for Home Food Preservation. Method: Boiling-water
Processing details
Method: Boiling-water
- Pack: Hot pack
- Jar size: Pint jars
- Headspace: 1/2 inch
- Yield: About 16–18 pints
Tested source
Preparation timeline
Prepare and measure produce; cook until the tested thickness is reached; fill hot pint jars; process; cool undisturbed.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner with rack and lid, pint jars, jar lifter, funnel, bubble remover, gloves, and large nonreactive pot.
Visual method guide
- Prepare the canner, jars, and measured ingredients.
- Cook and fill jars using the tested recipe card.
- Process with the schedule below, then cool jars upright and undisturbed.
Safety essentials
Bottled lemon juice may replace the 5% vinegar, and spices or herbs may be varied. Do not change the proportions of vegetables, acid, and tomatoes.
About this recipe
A smooth, cooked condiment formulated for paste tomatoes and a measured 5%-acidity vinegar component.
Before you begin
Hot pack only. Use pint jars and 1/2-inch headspace. Wear gloves when handling hot peppers.
Altitude/pressure schedule
| Elevation | Pints |
|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 15 min |
| 1,001–6,000 ft | 20 min |
| Above 6,000 ft | 25 min |
Serving suggestions
Spoon onto tacos, nachos, burritos, eggs, or grilled meat after opening.
FAQ
May bottled lemon juice replace vinegar? Yes, the tested source permits bottled lemon juice in place of the specified 5% vinegar.
Recipe context and comparison
This is cooked to a sauce consistency rather than the chunkier texture of table salsa.
Troubleshooting
Cook to the source’s specified consistency without adding starch. If boiling stops during processing, restart the full time after the boil returns.
Source and provenance
Safety-critical formulation and processing values are tied to the original NCHFP source. Editorial blocks do not replace that source.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September
Main ingredient: Paste tomatoes
Basis: Typical fresh tomato harvest months in much of the Northern Hemisphere; local harvest timing varies by climate and cultivar.
Months describe typical main-ingredient availability, not canning safety.
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
40–80 lb of Tomatoes per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.