Tomatillo Salsa

I was looking for a sauce to serve with the tamales.  I admit to being afraid of tomatillos, or at least I was.  Anything that even remotely sounds like a pepper has me wary.  Then I found out on the Wikipedia page that some parts of the country call them Husk Tomatoes.  Aw, heck, I've heard of those.  They're just like hard, green tomatoes.  Fear gone, I went web-surfing for recipes.

The recipe I'm starting with here is from Food.com and is meant for canning.  That just means it can hold up to prolonged cooking and processing.  You can't over-cook it.  I omitted the jalapeños for my own use, but the amount of heat is entirely up to you.  There are plenty of vibrant flavors in this recipe without the addition of a hot spice.

The only problem with the recipe as it was on the site was the yield.  I scaled it to 2 cups of chopped tomatillos, which by the recipe should have made 2 pints.  I got less than 1 pint.  That was more than I needed to garnish the tamales.  I may have just cooked them so long that more water evaporated than the recipe allowed.

2 C chopped tomatillos
1/2 C chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C chopped cilantro
1/4 C lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
*1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1.  Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

2.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  If not canning, store in refrigerator for up to a week.  For canning, process for 15 minutes for pints and half-pints.

Makes about 1-1/2 C

Difficulty rating  π