Salsa Verde Canning Recipe

Homemade salsa verde canning recipes are a delicious way to preserve the bright, tangy flavors of fresh tomatillos for year-round enjoyment. Unlike traditional red salsa, salsa verde offers a zesty, citrusy bite that pairs perfectly with tacos, enchiladas, grilled meats, and more. By learning how to can salsa verde at home, you can stock your pantry with a versatile condiment that not only elevates everyday meals but also provides a long-term food storage solution. Whether you’re looking to make quick dinner solutions, build an emergency food supply, or simply enjoy the taste of garden-fresh tomatillos in the middle of winter, this recipe makes it easy to capture the essence of the season in a jar.

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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva® 
Last updated: August 29, 2025

Homemade Salsa Verde Belongs in Every Pantry

Bright, zesty, and packed with flavor, salsa verde is the unsung hero of the home pantry—especially when it’s homemade and shelf-stable. Unlike red salsa, salsa verde gets its signature tang from tomatillos, not tomatoes. Often mistaken for green tomatoes, tomatillos are actually part of the gooseberry family and come wrapped in a delicate papery husk. Their naturally high pectin content makes them perfect for canning, offering a thick, velvety texture without the need for added thickeners.

Rooted in Aztec culinary tradition, salsa verde has been a staple in Mesoamerican kitchens for centuries. Today, it’s still a go-to condiment that can be spooned over everything from tacos and enchiladas to grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, and even roasted vegetables. Once you start canning your own, it’s easy to see why it’s considered green gold—flavor-packed, versatile, and customizable to your desired level of heat.

Here’s why homemade canned salsa verde deserves a spot on your shelf:

• Long-lasting flavor: The ingredients continue to develop after canning, giving you even deeper flavor weeks later.
• Year-round convenience: A jar of salsa verde brings summer’s harvest into your winter meals.
• Custom spice level: Make it mild and citrusy or bold and spicy—it’s up to you.

Whether you’re new to preserving or a seasoned canner, this salsa verde recipe is simple, satisfying, and perfect for capturing the essence of the season—one jar at a time.

Salsa Verde Canning Recipe

Yield: 3 quarts, 6 pints, or 12 half-pints

Transcend your favorite Mexican dishes by drizzling this amazing salsa over tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, and refried beans. Use a pint of this flavorful salsa when baking enchilada verdes.

Ingredients

• 32 tomatillos (6 pounds), husks removed and halved
• 2 white onions, chopped (3 cups)
• 2-4 jalapeños, destemmed and finely chopped (1 to 2 cups)
• 12 garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Using a rimmed baking sheet, place tomatillos flesh-side down onto the sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatillos are lightly charred and soft. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Using a food processor, purée the onions, jalapeños, and garlic cloves. Empty mixture into a large stockpot. Working in batches, purée the cooled roasted tomatillos and their juice and add to the stockpot. Mix well.
3. Add to the stockpot the lime juice, cumin, paprika, and salt. Mix well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir often to distribute heat and avoid scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro, mix well, then remove from heat.
4. Using a funnel, ladle the salsa into hot jars leaving a ½-inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional salsa if necessary to maintain the ½-inch headspace.
5. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean washcloth dipped in vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten.
6. Place the jars in the water bather, ensuring each jar is covered by at least 1-inch of water. Bring the canner to a boil on high heat and process quarts for 25 minutes, and pints and half-pints for 20 minutes. Do not start your timer until the water is at a full rolling boil.
7. After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing the jars from the canner.

Ingredient Tip: If you have green tomatoes to use, feel free to swap out tomatillos for 6 pounds of green tomatoes to create this tart and delicious salsa.

For more canning recipes like this one, be sure to purchase a copy of my second edition book, Canning Full Circle and begin preserving and cooking today!

Salsa Verde Canning Recipe

Recipe by The Canning Diva

5.0 from 4 votes

Servings

3 quarts or 6 pints

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Transcend your favorite Mexican dishes by drizzling this amazing salsa over tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, and refried beans. Use a pint of this flavorful salsa when baking enchilada verdes.

Ingredients

US Metric

• 32 32 tomatillos (6 pounds), husks removed and halved

• 2 2 white onions, chopped (3 cups)

• 2 2 -4 jalapeños, destemmed and finely chopped (1 to 2 cups)

• 12 12 garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)

• 1 cup 1 fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon 1 ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons 2 smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoons 2 salt

• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Using a rimmed baking sheet, place tomatillos flesh-side down onto the sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatillos are lightly charred and soft. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Using a food processor, purée the onions, jalapeños, and garlic cloves. Empty mixture into a large stockpot. Working in batches, purée the cooled roasted tomatillos and their juice and add to the stockpot. Mix well.
• Add to the stockpot the lime juice, cumin, paprika, and salt. Mix well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir often to distribute heat and avoid scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro, mix well, then remove from heat.
• Using a funnel, ladle the salsa into hot jars leaving a ½-inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional salsa if necessary to maintain the ½-inch headspace.
• Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean washcloth dipped in vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and handtighten.
• Place the jars in the water bather, ensuring each jar is covered by at least 1-inch of water. Bring the canner to a boil on high heat and process quarts for 25 minutes, and pints and half-pints for 20 minutes. Do not start your timer until the water is at a full rolling boil.
• After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing the jars from the canner.

Notes

• If you have green tomatoes to use, feel free to swap out tomatillos for 6 pounds of green tomatoes to create this tart and delicious salsa.

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About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.

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