Published: August 22, 2006 11:02 am      

Homegrown goodness

CLINTON — Two Camanche residents have come up with a no-cook, no-can salsa that can be enjoyed almost year round.

With the exception of the celery and garlic, all vegetables come straight from the garden and the salsa can be stored in the refrigerator up to a year.

Neighbors Jerri Weber and Myrt Palmer came up with the original recipe four years ago but it was by accident that Weber discovered the longevity of the salsa.

She discovered a six-month-old jar in the back of her refrigerator and found it was still good. “One jar lasted almost a year,” she said,

“We make a gallon at a time,” Palmer explained. “We store it in glass jars and 99 percent of the ingredients come out of the garden. The only thing we buy at the store is the celery and garlic.”

According to Palmer the two friends share a garden. They live across the street from each other.

The garden is at Palmer’s house because she has an extra lot with a garage. “All we can grow is a garden because we can’t build anything else on it,” Palmer related.

The salsa garden contains 18 tomato plants and usually six of each kind of pepper plants.

Palmer said that when her husband was living he would start a lot of plants from seed, but now they buy their plants in McCausland.

“For the tomato plants we use the ‘Charity’ — they are the best tomato plants. A week ago we picked 80 tomatoes.”

Palmer said they made the salsa and she canned 41/2 quarts of tomato juice. They give a lot of the produce away to family and friends.

But don’t start on the salsa yet. Weber says there is a secret and it’s not one of the indigents — it’s the food chopper.

In the past they used a Tupperware “Quick Chef” to do the job until it broke. But they found the same tool at Paul’s Discount in Clinton for approximately $10.

“That’s the secret right there,” Weber said. “We cut everything up individually, first the onions, celery, peppers. We do the tomatoes last.”

Then the salt and vinegar is mixed in. “If it tastes good to us — it’s ready,” Weber laughed. “Every batch is tasted.”



REFRIGERATOR SALSA

Ingredients

8 to 10 large tomatoes, do not peel

2 large green peppers

2 to 10 jalapenos (according to taste)

4 large banana peppers

3 to 4 stalks of celery

2 large onions

4 teaspoons canning salt (do not use table salt)

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 to 2 cloves garlic (optional)

Directions:

Mix in food chopper, add salt and vinegar. Put in jars and refrigerate. Use the Tupperware Quick Chef to do all the chopping.