Homemade Salsa

I canned my first batch of salsa today.  I normally leave the salsa-making to my husband because he does an amazing job.  He also does homemade tortilla chips and the combination is better than anything I've had out or from the store.  I would love to can some of his salsa to add to our gift baskets for Christmas, but there are two problems with that.  The first problem is that his salsa is HOT.  We all love it here at our house, but I need it toned down for the general public.  Also, there is the issue of pH balance.  When using a water bath to process jars for canning, the food inside must be a certain pH in order to preserve it safely.  Tomatoes are one of those borderline foods that need a little vinegar to get them to the correct pH level.  I have no idea how to adjust our salsa to meet the requirements for canning.  If I had a pressure canner, then I suppose this wouldn't be an issue at all.  

I found a packet of Salsa Mix spices with the canning supplies today, made by Ball.  

My goal was to make a restaurant style salsa that would appeal to the average person.  The recipe was super easy; I just had to combine tomatoes (I used canned), the spice packet, and 3 Tablespoons of vinegar.  My immersion blender made it easy to puree the entire mixture.  I wanted the final product to be relatively smooth, not chunky.  I brought it to a boil, then simmered for 5 minutes.  A quick taste, and I realized it was barely spicy.  I added a little Tapatio to bring it up a notch, then ladled it into my Ball jars and processed.  

The result?  Not exactly what I wanted.  It tastes very much like Chili's salsa.  I mean, that is a restaurant salsa, but definitely not my favorite.  It's still good though and I think it will make a nice gift, assuming the person enjoys the salsa at Chili's.