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Canning Green Tomato Enchilada Verde Sauce

This green tomato enchilada sauce is an easy way to put all those end-of-season green tomatoes to use. The canning recipe below follows the tested proportions for the National Center for Home Food Preservation's Tomato Taco Sauce, using green tomatoes in place of ripe tomatoes.
Yield: About 16 to 18 pints

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 quarts peeled cored, finely chopped green tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 5 cups chopped onions
  • 4 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped
  • 4 long green chiles seeded and chopped
  • 2½ cups white vinegar 5% acidity
  • 2 tablespoons canning salt
  • 1½ tablespoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano optional
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin optional

Method
 

  1. Prepare your canner and jars. Wash your pint canning jars and keep them hot while you prepare the sauce. Prepare your boiling-water canner and lids according to the manufacturer's directions.
  2. Prepare the green tomatoes. Wash the tomatoes and place them in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, or until the skins begin to split. Transfer them immediately to cold water. Slip off the skins, remove the cores, and finely chop the tomatoes. Measure 8 quarts of prepared tomatoes.
  3. Prepare the peppers and onions. Wearing gloves when handling hot peppers, remove the stems and seeds and finely chop the jalapeños and long green chiles. Chop the onions and crush the garlic.
  4. Cook the sauce. Combine the prepared green tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers, 5% acidity vinegar, salt, black pepper, sugar, oregano, and cumin in a large stockpot.
  5. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. Do not purée or thicken the sauce with flour, cornstarch, or other thickeners before canning.
  6. Fill the jars. Ladle the hot green tomato enchilada sauce into hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
  7. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if necessary. Wipe the jar rims clean and apply the lids and bands according to the manufacturer's directions.
  8. Process the jars in a boiling-water canner according to your altitude:
  9. 0 to 1,000 feet: 15 minutes
  10. 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 20 minutes
  11. Above 6,000 feet: 25 minutes
  12. Begin timing once the water has returned to a full boil. These processing times are for pint jars only.
  13. When processing is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Remove the jars according to standard boiling-water canning procedures and allow them to cool undisturbed.
  14. After 12 to 24 hours, check the seals. Remove the bands, label the jars, and store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

Notes

To Make Creamy Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce

When you're ready to make enchiladas, open a pint and blend the sauce until smooth, if desired. Heat it in a saucepan and stir in about ¼ cup cream cheese until melted and creamy.
The cream cheese is added after the jar has been opened. Do not add cream cheese or other dairy products before canning.