Best Copycat Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies Recipe - (2024)

It is time to make Rotel tomatoes and chilies! Summer is in full swing now and the tomatoes and chilies are coming in daily and we are bringing in basket after basket of them. Now is the time to capture that freshness and prepare Rotel tomatoes and chilies to enjoy all winter long. This recipe is to make and can six pints of the Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies. You can double or triple (or whatever) the recipe easily to make more than six pints, that is just what this recipe makes.

• Great way to use your garden bounty
• Use up those delicious farm stand haul
• Utilize the farmers market haul that you picked up
• Make and can enough of your own Rotel to last through the winter

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What Are The Ingredients In Rotel?Rotel uses tomatoes with juice, water, chilies, calcium chloride, citric acid, salt, natural flavors, and spice.

Why Is Rotel called Rotel?Mr. and Mrs. Carl Roettele opened up a canning plant down in Elsa, Texas in the USA where they can over twenty-five thousand cans of vegetables every year. The most popular product they make is their Rotel tomatoes and chilies. Carl was worried people would not be able to pronounce or spell Roettele so he made the name Rotel.

What Is A Rotel Food?Rotel is a food canned by the Rotel canning company from Texas.

What Is Rotel Be Used For?Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies can be used for all kinds of dips, sauces, soups, etc. It is great in so many Tex-Mex or Mexican dishes.

What Can I Use If I Don’t Have Rotel?You can use diced tomatoes in their juice and a can of green chilies diced. You will have to adjust the seasonings to taste.

How Spicy Is Rotel?Rotel tomatoes and chilies come in different degrees of spiciness. The best thing about making your own is that it is up to you to choose the heat level for your recipe.

What Is The Difference Between Salsa And Rotel?Both Rotel Tomatoes and chilies and salsa have tomatoes and chilies or peppers but salsa is going to have more ingredients in it than the Rotel tomatoes and chilies will. Salsa will have onions and garlic and other ingredients where Rotel is a simpler recipe.

Where Is Rotel Made?It is made in the great state of Texas but it could be made in your kitchen!

Is There A Mild Rotel?Yes, you can use spicy or mild chilies for your recipe

Do I Have To Can This Recipe?No, it can be cut down and made in smaller batches and can be frozen for later use.

Water Bath Canning:

Water bath canning is the least complicated form of canning. Here is what you will need.

• Waterbath Canner
• Pint Jars (wide mouth or regular)
• Jar Tongs (to grab hot jars out of the pot)
• Canning Jar Lid Magnet
• Canning Jar Lids (wide mouth or regular)
• Timer
• Ladle
• Paper Towels or Clean Cloth
• Debubbler
• Small pan to heat the lids
• Towels To Sit Hot Jars On The Counter To Cool
• Clean Washcloth (to sit your hot jar on a plate, this keeps the jar from cracking from the temperature differences)
• Plate To Put The Jar On While You Fill It. (It can be messy)
• Canning Funnel
• Large Colander

What You Will Need For Recipe

• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Stockpot
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Apron To Protect Your Clothes
• Rubber Gloves (to cut up hot peppers if you choose to use them)

Rotel Tomatoes And Chilies Recipe

• 12 cups of fresh tomatoes (blanched, peeled, cored, and diced)
• 1 cup diced chilies ( you choose the heat level. You can use ancho chilies, Anaheim, sugar rush peach, etc. You can remove the seeds to make it even milder).
• 1 TBSP Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1 TSP black pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice per pint jar (1/2 tsp per quart jar)

Directions:

• Take your blanched, peeled, cored, and diced tomatoes and put them in a stockpot
• Add your diced chilies mild or hot
• Add your seasonings. Taste for flavor and adjust to your liking.
• Heat about 10 min.

Prepare To Can Your Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies

• Put on your apron and get ready! We are about to have some fun!
• Wash your pint-size jars and put them in a pot of water on your stove. Turn on the water to heat the jars.
• In a small pan on the back of the stove put some water and place your canning lids. You do not need to put the rings in. Put on med / low to just heat but don’t boil them.
• Fill your canning pot up with water so it will be 1 inch of water above your filled jars. Turn on the heat and get it going
• Using the canning jar tongs remove a hot jar from the pot.
• Place the jar on your folded washcloth on a plate
• Take your clean canning jar funnel and place it inside the mouth of the jar and ladle your hot sauce into your hot jar.
• Wipe the rim of your jar with a clean paper towel or washcloth
• Place a flat lid on top and put a ring on top. Just tighten it just a bit but not too tight because you want the air to escape while canning.
• Take the tongs and grab the jar and place it in the boiling water making sure that the jar protector (a metal piece that came with your canner) is on the bottom. This will be solid metal or a rack and keeps the jars from sitting directly on the bottom of the pan and will help to keep them from cracking).
• Continue the same with the next jar and place it in your canning pot.
• When all of your jars are in the pot set your timer for 40 minutes for your pint-size jars.
• Get your towels ( I use 2-3 folded in half) and set them on your counter to protect it from the heat.
• When your timer goes off grab the tongs and being careful of the steam, remove your jars to the towel to cool. Leave them on the towel for 24 hours before labeling them and storing them.

Congratulations! You just made Rotel tomatoes and chilies the Rosevine Cottage Girls way!

Print Recipe Here

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