Zingy Zucchini Salsa- A great solution for loads of zucchini!

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Well, it’s that time of year again when gardeners are inundated with overgrown zucchinis! Need some ideas for what to do with yours? Well this blog post is for you! This new recipe is for Zingy Zucchini Salsa, but I also have these delicious Super Chocolatey Zucchini Muffins and Zucchini Basil Soup. There is also my take off of the Naked Cafe’s Buddha Bowl (with zucchini). I have you set up! If you have zucchinis, you are ready to experiment!

I saw a meme on social media the other day warning about leaving your car doors unlocked, in case someone snuck in a monster zucchini! It’s a real problem. 😉

A volunteer at our charity vegetable garden gave me a Zucchini Salsa recipe she has been making for years. It is a great way to use up 12 cups of grated zucchini, and is filled with loads of vegetables and delicious spices. In my opinion, making salsa is a far better option than freezing bags of it for later use. (I don’t know about you, but I seem to rarely use those freezer bags up.)

Why bother?

Being from Saskatchewan, I am a child of the land of growing and preserving. My childhood was filled with summers of gardening, processing and saving food for the long cold winters. Back then, I wasn’t keen on all of the work involved. I wished we could just buy supplies at the store like other families! You know… skip the sweaty work and just go to the lake already!! Now, I am very appreciative of the rural lifestyle skills learned during my adolescence. Man, the amount of time I spend in the dirt and eating plants, the health of my gut microbiome as a kid must have been superb! Being in nature and eating loads of fibre (which is only found in vegetables), is paramount to a healthy body.

The preservation of fruits and vegetables is skill set that has definitely decreased over the generations. Thankfully, we are starting to see it making a resurgence!

With a few adjustments to the original recipe, this Zingy Zucchini Salsa is both tasty and healthy. I know it will surprise you that I had to add more garlic and take out a whole pile of added sugar. Thankfully, this salsa does not scream “zucchini”! My veggie loving daughter, who detests zucchini, really enjoyed it. Ha!

Why will you love this Zingy Zucchini Salsa?

• It is high in fibre and low in sugar and salt
• It is fat free
• Costs pennies a jar to make
• It is fun to preserve food!
• Zucchini contains significant amounts of vitamins C and K as well as minerals, like potassium and manganese (1)
• Zucchini is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, which help rid the body of free radicals and excess inflammation (2)
• Eating zucchini regularly reduces oxidation and inflammation within the body. This boosts your immunity and protects against diseases associated with inflammation. (3)
• This food, which is actually a fruit, is a rich source of B-vitamins, especially folate, riboflavin, and B6. It can help to boost energy production in the body. This reduces fatigue and improves moods. (4)
  (1,2,3,4 source: Food Revolution Network)

I hope you try it out so you can pull out jars during the winter, when there is no longer access to fresh local vegetables. And just think… you could also give these away as hostess gifts! I think this fall could be a challenging time for many, what with the predicted food shortages and supply chain disruptions. Right now is a great time to put food away for a ‘rainy day’. You could even make it a fun activity with a friend or family member!

How do I make this Zingy Zucchini Salsa?

• Grate and chop vegetables and mix them together in a large bowl adding the salt. The salt will pull out the juices and some fermentation will occur.

• Once the fresh veggies sit for 3-24 hours, add them to the cooked tomato and spice blend.

• Boil for ten minutes in a large pot, then simmer for 50 minutes more.

• Spoon salsa into clean sealer jars and close lid tightly.

• Place into boiling water in a canning pot and boil for 15 minutes.
  
• Cool on racks. You are done!

Having a food processor makes this recipe my quicker, but isn’t necessary. Here’s to preserving the bounty of this year’s crops!

Zingy Zucchini Salsa

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Serves: makes 10-500ml canning jars Prep Time: 30 minutes, then sits for 3 hours up to 24 hours Cooking Time: cooks for 1 hour, then 15 minutes boiling in the canner cooks for 1 hour, then 15 minutes boiling in the canner

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 12 cups zucchini, grated or pressed through a food processor
• 9 cups tomatoes (fresh, chopped), or 3-796 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 4 cups red, yellow or white onion, chopped
• 4 peppers, any variety of color, finely diced
• 2 cups white vinegar, or sub some, or all apple cider vinegar (it will have a more zingy taste with more ACV)
• 1/3 cup sugar, any granular sugar is fine (I used monkfruit sweetener)
• 1/4 cup regular salt, sea salt, or pickling salt
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, diced finely
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard or 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (reduce if you prefer a mild salsa)

Instructions

1. Wash zucchini, remove stem and end.   Grate manually, or press through a food processor until you have 12 cups firmly packed into a measuring cup.
2. Chop finely; 4 cups of onions, 2 cups of peppers and jalapeno pepper.
3. Place the chopped ingredients into a medium sized bowl.  Add salt and stir well.  Let sit covered on the counter for anywhere from 3 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the zucchini mixture has fermented for a convenient time, place a very large pot on the stove.
5. Add tomatoes, vinegar, and the remainder of the ingredients including the zucchini mixture to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to minimum.  Simmer for one hour.
6. Meanwhile, prepare your sealer jars by washing them thoroughly with hot, soapy water.  Fill your canning pot 2/3's full of water and bring to a rolling boil.  Add the jars and lids and boil them for 10 minutes.  Remove them with tongs and place on a tea towel to cool.
7. Keep the water boiling.  Once the jars are cool to the touch, spoon the zucchini salsa into the jars, leaving approximately one inch at the top.  Make sure to wipe any salsa off of the rim of the jar. Close the lids tightly once filled, making sure to leave 1/2 " of space at the top of the jar.
8. Using canning tongs, pick one jar up at a time and gently place into the water.  Stand them right side up on the metal canning rack, not allowing the jar to sit directly on the bottom of the pot.
   * Be very careful not to place a jar, that is not at least room temperature, into boiling water as the jar will crack.
9. Boil for 15 minutes.  Gently remove the jars using canning tongs and set on a safe surface to cool.  
10. As the jars are cooling, you should hear the lids "pop".  This shows that they are sealed.  The lid of the jar should be pressed down after sealing.  If the lids of any jars are not pressed down, those should be placed in the fridge and consumed first.  They may have not sealed properly, which could allow bacteria to form in the jar. 
11. Once the jars have cooled, you can place them in your pantry!
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