Peach Salsa

This year was a strange year in Colorado weather-wise, and because of that many of the peach farms on the western slope lost their peach crops! Which honestly is both terrible for the farmers and for Colorado peach season! The peaches here in Colorado are amazing, juicy and sweet with a great texture, perfect for making this sweet and tangy peach salsa!

I was so glad that I was able to get my hands on a full box of peaches because I love everything peach- even the scraps! (See my Peach Scrap Syrup recipe to see how to reduce your food waste!) But I do think my favorite is the salsa. Which is wonderful immediately but also to waterbath can for winter so you can taste summer’s peaches in the middle of a snowstorm!

Peach Salsa Ingredients

Note: This salsa is meant to be more tangy than spicy, though it does have some heat! If you want to make the salsa spicier you can swap the bell peppers for a variety higher on the Scoville Scale. However, because this is meant for water bath canning, I would not alter the *volume* of peppers as they are a low-acid food and can alter the pH of the salsa! (The vinegar -should- counteract their low-acidity, but we want to be safe canners!)

Peach Salsa Method

Start by prepping  your peaches to peel- if you need a refresher on how to blanch and peel peaches, check out my Peach Scrap Syrup.

Leave the peaches in the ice bath as you prep the other veggies so they are easier to slice later.

De-seed and dice the tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeño. If you want to leave the jalapeño seeds in to make the salsa spicier, you can! Tip: Because of the peaches, this salsa can tend to get a but liquid-y. So, I de-seed the tomatoes by removing the seeds and the wet matrix around them and just use the firm tomato flesh!

In a large, heavy stockpot (I use a Le Creuset) combine the brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Peel the skin off each peach and dice into pieces that are about ½” long. We want the peach pieces big enough that they can maintain their integrity in the salsa!

Add peaches, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and the two spices to the stockpot. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for fifteen minutes.

Remove from the heat and then stir in the minced cilantro.

If you are planning to use this as-is, transfer to airtight containers in the fridge for about 24 hours for the best flavor before using.

If you plan on waterbath canning, using a canning funnel, transfer the still-hot salsa into hot canning jars leaving ½” headspace. Process the jars for 20 minutes (adjusting for altitude if necessary- if you need a step-by-step on how to water bath can, see this post!) Let settle for five minutes, then transfer to a towel-lined workspace and allow to seal for 12 hours. Check seals and store!

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