Looking for ideas for preserving your own food? This list of some of the best home canning recipes will help! From the beginner to the experienced canner, there is something for everyone!
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Home canning has made a come back the last several years and I have to admit that I’m kind of happy about it!
I’ve always enjoyed canning and have fond memories of my mom and grandmother working together to put up hundreds of jars of fruits and vegetables each year.
As a child I loved when Mom would let me layer the peaches into the canning jars.
And being able to turn the crank on the Victoria strainer when we made applesauce and tomato juice was a much anticipated event- even if my willingness to do only lasted 15 minutes.
When I became a homemaker myself thirteen years ago, I kept up the tradition of canning produce in the summer and fall to enjoy all year long!
Why choose to home can food?
- It’s convenient. You always have at least some food on hand.
- It’s often healthier. So many store bought canned items have high fructose corn syrup, food dyes or other unnecessary ingredients. By preserving the food yourself you can avoid all of those things!
- It can be frugal. If you garden, it’s definitely a huge money saver to can the fruits and vegetables that you grow! But even if you don’t grow your own food, it can still be a way to save money. Many farmer’s markets and produce farms allow you to buy large quantities of things like tomatoes or fruit for very reasonable prices.
What foods can be canned?
Fruits (including pie filling), vegetables, tomatoes and tomato products, pickles, relishes, jams and jellies and even things like meat and homemade soups can all be canned!
Is canning food difficult?
No, not really. Like lots of things, at first it can feel a bit daunting just because you aren’t familiar with the process. But if you can follow instructions, then you will be fine!
Most of the recipes that I share in the list below are easy enough for beginner canners and have great, detailed instructions.
The majority of these recipes use the water bath canning method, which is the simplest to use if you are starting out.
However, there are a few recipes that use a pressure canner instead simply because for certain foods, that’s the only safe way to can them! When that’s the case, I note it in the recipe description to help make things easy for you.
Do I need special supplies?
Yes, you will. If you are new to canning, this list of favorite basic canning supplies will be helpful!
Recipes for Home Canning
Now that you have all those basic questions answered, have some fun checking out these tasty canning ideas!
Recipes for Canning Fruit
1. Applesauce via Thrifty Frugal Mom
Once you’ve tasted homemade applesauce, you’ll have a hard time going back to store bought! This simple step-by-step tutorial will help walk you through the process of canning your own to enjoy all year long.
2. Apple Pie Filling via Baby Savers
Being able to grab a jar of apple pie filling to whip up a pie any time you please sounds like a dream to me!
3. Peaches via Thrifty Frugal Mom
Home-canned peaches have been a favorite of mine since I was a child! And they’re so easy to can!
4. Pears via The Praire Homestead
This recipe is sugar-free, allowing the natural sweetness of the pears to shine through…and you don’t even need to peel them either if you don’t want to!
If you’d rather try the more traditional route that uses sugar, this canned pear recipe from Sustainable Cooks is a great one.
5. Apricots via Melissa K Norris
This is such an easy fruit to can and will allow you to enjoy them all year long.
6. Cherries via A Modern Homestead
Canned cherries are delicious as is, but they are also great on top of ice cream or cake. You can even thicken them to use in cherry desserts if you want.
7. Cherry Pie Filling via Amanda’s Cookin’
If you plan to use your cherries exclusively for pie, this is a great way to preserve them!
8. Blueberry Pie Filling via The House and Homestead
This blueberry pie filling isn’t just for pies! Enjoy it on cheesecake, yogurt, baked oatmeal and ice cream too.
9. Pumpkin via Lady Lee’s Home
Skip store bought canned pumpkin and can your own using this easy tutorial.
Recipes for Canning Vegetables
1. Diced Tomatoes via Thrifty Frugal Mom
These are one of my favorite things to can because they are so super easy! You don’t even need to peel them. A perfect recipe for beginner canners!
2. Tomato Sauce via Garden Betty
The easiest way to can your own tomato sauce! Just like the diced tomatoes, you don’t even need to bother with peeling them!
3. Pizza Sauce via Hidden Springs Homestead
Roma tomatoes make a nice thick sauce, and that is what this recipe uses.
However, if you don’t have Roma tomatoes, no need to worry, you can still make a good pizza sauce! Try this recipe that uses regular tomatoes instead.
4. Tomato Juice via Thrifty Frugal Mom
Whether you like to drink it or just have it on hand for recipes that call for it, making your own tomato juice is super easy with this step-by-step guide.
5. Salsa via Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Delicious homemade salsa that you can preserve to enjoy all year round? Yes, please!
6. Homemade Rotel via Cook Like a Champion
Find yourself using lots of Rotel? It’s super easy to make and can your own with the instructions.
7. Green Beans via A Frugal Homestead
I’m not a fan of store bought canned green beans, but home canned are a whole different story! So good! You will need a pressure canner though!
If you prefer, you also freeze your green beans instead!
8. Carrots via A Modern Homestead
These are so easy to can (you’ll need a pressure canner) and they’re super handy to have on hand for a quick side dish or to add to soups.
9. Corn via Schneider Peeps
Another store staple that you can DIY! You will need a pressure canner for this recipe though.
10. Red Beets via One Hundred Dollars a Month
This is an old-fashioned pickled beet recipe that doesn’t call for any spices- just sugar and salt.
If you prefer a recipe with more seasoning, give this one a try!
Image Source: Grow a Good Life
Recipes for Canning Pickles and Relish
1. Bread and Butter Pickles via Grow a Good Life
These old-fashioned pickles are perfect for topping hamburgers and sandwiches.
2. Kosher Pickles via Binky’s Culinary Carnival
Garlicky and delicious, these pickles are just like the ones that you buy at traditional Jewish delis.
3. Dill Pickles via Thrifty Frugal Mom
Classic dill pickles at their finest! So easy to make.
4. Spicy Dill Pickles via Side Walk Shoes
Hot chili peppers give these pickles just a bit of heat for a fun twist.
5. Sweet Pickle Relish via The Free Range Life
Classic relish made with simple ingredients and perfect all your relish needs!
6. Zucchini Relish via Binky’s Culinary Carnival
A great way to use up extra zucchini, this relish is delicious on hot dogs, hamburgers and more.
7. Green Tomato Relish via Cottage at the Crossroads
What a perfect way to use up all those end-of-season green tomatoes!
8. Spicy Pickled Carrots via Crave the Good
A unique twist for pickle lovers, these carrots are flavored with both garlic and dill.
9. Garlic Banana Pepper Rings via A Thrifty Mom
Super easy to can, you’ll love the extra flavor these banana peppers give to sandwiches and salads!
10. Pickled Sweet Peppers via A Farm Girl’s Kitchen
These flavorful peppers are another easy-to-can recipe that is delicious on sandwiches and salads.
11. Garlic Spice Pickled Green Beans via An Oregon Cottage
A fun appetizer and super easy to make!
Recipes for Canning Jams and Fruit Butters
1. Strawberry Jam via Savoring the Good
An easy classic that everyone loves!
2. Blueberry Jam via The Spruce Eats
Simple to make and just four ingredients!
3. Blackberry Jam via Practical Self Reliance
This is about as simple as it get for a jam recipe- no pectin, low sugar and lots of tasty blackberry flavor!
4. Raspberry Jam via The Rustic Elk
This old-fashioned jam is just sugar and berries- no pectin needed.
Prefer to sweeten your jam with honey? Try this jam recipe from The Kitchen Magpie.
5. Peach Jam via Learning and Yearning
This jam uses Pomona’s Pectin which allows it to be made with lots less sugar than most recipes!
6. Mulberry Jam via Sustain My Cooking Habit
Have loads of mulberries? This is a tasty way to enjoy them!
7. Peach Butter via A Family Feast
A delightful lightly spiced fruit spread that is simple to can.
8. Apple Butter via Thrifty Frugal Mom
This classic spiced apple butter is easy to make and so incredibly delicious.
Other Canning Recipes
1. Tomato Soup via Yankee Homestead
Open a jar of this homemade soup, add a few other ingredients and heat it all up for a simple, healthy convenient meal all year long!
2. Ham and Bean Soup via The Grateful Girl Cooks
Canning this classic allows you to have an easy meal any time you need it! You will need a pressure canner though.
3. Chicken via Prepared Housewives
I absolutely love having my own canned chicken on hand. The meat is always so moist and it makes making chicken salad or chicken alfredo pizza a cinch!
Please note that you will need a pressure canner to be able to can chicken breast and thighs.
4. Beef, Pork, Venison, etc. via Lady Lee’s Home
Just like chicken, it’s super convenient to have these other meats on your shelf, already cooked and ready to use at a moment’s notice.
And yes, you’ll need a pressure canner for this.
5. Bone Broth via Ann’s Entitled Life
Bone broth is super nutritious and a great way to get extra use out of meat bones!
You might also enjoy…
Missy
I’m not very experienced at canning but my family loves canned tomatoes. It’s something that has been handed down for many generations in my family. Somehow or another I did not get their talent. My tomatoes always seem to have a clear 2 or 3 inches of the bottom and all the tomatoes rise to the top. I want to make sure they taste good, look appetizing and are safe to eat. Is there a secret recipe that I need to know about.
Lydia Beiler
Apologies for the slow reply, Missy! I love that your family has handed down canning tomatoes for generations. So fun! As for the question about the tomatoes…I assume that the 2-3 inches are filled with liquid? That sometimes happens to me too when I can diced tomatoes. It’s totally safe, so no worries there, as the liquid is just the juice from the tomatoes. It seems that it tends to happen if a juicier variety of tomato is used. I’ve had it happen less often when I used tomatoes grown in a greenhouse (they are firmer) or Roma tomatoes (also firmer). In the future, if you are using very ripe, juicy tomatoes and want to try to avoid the liquid at the bottom, you can drain a bit of the juice off as you are packing the jars. I hope that helps!
Janet
How do I keep my banana peppers and hot peppers pretty, after they are canned. They seam to loose their color after they are boiled.
Lydia Beiler
I don’t that there is any way to do that, Janet. Once peppers get hot as they do in canning or cooking, they just lose their color a bit.
Patti Pugliese
I’ve always wanted to try canning. Even bought a few books. It I’m so afraid that the food will spoil and I won’t realize it and might poison somebody. How can you tell if the food is fresh when you open the jar?
Lydia Beiler
I think this is a fear that a lot of people that aren’t familiar with canning have. But if the jar is tightly sealed, the food is fine. If the seal is loose you’ll notice that as soon as you go to take the lid off the jar and that will be your sign that the food isn’t worth trying. That has rarely happened to me though. If you use good canning practices (use clean jars and lids, wipe the jar rims before putting the lid on etc.) you will generally not have any issues!
Angi Schneider
This is a great list. Thanks for including my canning corn post.
Lydia Beiler
You are very welcome!