Would I need to add a preservative to keep it a non refriderated shelf life product?
Answer Mecca, 1. You have been told correctly how to home can your salsa. That process almost certainly will change the flavor, because it amounts to cooking it. I do not know of a preservative that would reduce the cooking. Some people use sodium benzoate to inhibit mold growth, but that does not prevent other types of spoilage. Most salsa is acidic and so does not present a health hazard, but it can spoil with yeast or mold. I think you could try hot fill, in which the salsa is heated to just below boiling – 195 deg F – filled hot into the bottle, closed, held for about 30 seconds, then cooled carefully by spraying with warm then cooler water. You have to be careful not to heat shock the glass. The hot salsa sterilizes the bottle and cap. The cooking is less than the long process you describe, so the flavor will be better, but it will still be changed from the fresh refrigerated version. You have to decide if it is acceptable. 2. The PLMA represents the manufacturers, not the retaile
