Sensational Salsa

Ingredients

30 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

2 red bell peppers, chopped

10 cups chopped onions

10 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup hot peppers finely chopped (1 jar strained pickled peppers will do the job, too)

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar

2 cups vinegar

8 tsp pickling salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 large cans tomato paste

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes 10 at a time and boil for 1 minute. Remove from pot and place in ice, cold water to stop cooking process. Remove skins and core. Chop in half to 1 inch pieces. In a large aluminum pot combine all ingredients. Simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring often. At the end of the cooking process you can stir in 1 - 2 cups of fresh cilantro if you are one of those lucky people who likes it. Spoon into sterilized jars and process in boiling water for 35 minutes if using pint jars and 45 minutes if using quart jars.

Tips:

- for very hot salsa, add the seeds from the hot pepper to your pot

- let salsa sit in a dark place for 2 - 6 weeks before opening for more robust flavour