Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 6 pint jars (or 12 half-pint jars), bands, and new lids in hot soapy water and keep the jars hot until ready to fill.
2. 2Simmer the new lids in hot water per the manufacturer's instructions.
3. 3Wash the tomatoes, score an X on the bottom, blanch 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water, cool in ice water, slip off the skins, cut out the cores, and chop the tomatoes.
4. 4Combine the chopped tomatoes, corn, black beans, onion, pepper, the 1 cup bottled lemon or lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt, and cumin in a large pot, keeping the corn, beans, onion, and pepper each at or below the amounts listed here, since this is a denser, lower-acid mixture than a plain tomato salsa.
5. 5Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. 6In addition to the bottled lemon or lime juice already in the salsa, add the required extra acid directly to each hot, empty jar before filling: 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per half-pint or pint jar.
7. 7Ladle the hot salsa into the jars, distributing the corn and beans evenly, and leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
8. 8Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic tool, wipe the rims clean, center the lids, and screw the bands on fingertip tight.
9. 9Process in a boiling-water canner, jars covered by 1 to 2 inches of water, timing from a full rolling boil: 20 minutes for half-pints and pints at 0-1,000 ft, adding 5 minutes at 1,001-3,000 ft, 10 minutes at 3,001-6,000 ft, 15 minutes at 6,001-8,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 8,000 ft, since the added corn and beans make this a denser product than a plain salsa.
10. 10Turn off the heat, wait 5 minutes, then move the jars with a jar lifter to a towel-lined counter and let cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
11. 11Press each lid to confirm sealing, label with contents, acid added, and date, and refrigerate any jar that did not seal.
12. 12Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to about 1 year; refrigerate after opening and use within about a week.
13. 13This is a strict, tested-style ratio recipe: never increase the corn, beans, onion, or pepper beyond the amounts specified, and always add the full bottled lemon or lime juice, since corn and beans are low-acid and depend entirely on the surrounding acid and tomato ratio for safety.