First, prep the vegetables. Peel the onion and garlic, wash all of the vegetables, and remove the stems of the tomatoes and jalapeños. Juice the lemon, chop the cilantro leaves, and mince the onion. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, dry-fry the de-stemmed whole tomatoes and jalapeños till just browned/blackened/blistered. Remove from heat.

In a med-large saucepan, combine the fried tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic (can be whole cloves) with the water. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, until the vegetables are very tender. Set aside to cool.

(Note: If using a blender, the mixture will have to be completely cool before moving on to the next step. If using a food processor, make sure the top loader is open so that the heat can escape.)

Spoon the tomato mixture into a food processor or blender; purée. Pour into a mixing bowl.

Stir in the chopped cilantro, minced onion pieces, lemon juice, and salt. Taste (careful- it's spicy!!) to make sure there's enough salt; add more to taste if you prefer. Pour into pint jars, and refrigerate.

Serve as a hot sauce or salsa; store in the refrigerator.