Are you tired of buying store-bought canned goods, filled with preservatives and additives? Have you considered preserving your own food at home but feel intimidated by the process? Canning is easier than you think, and we’re here to help. I’ve got 25 easy canning recipes for beginners, from pickling cucumbers to creating your own berry jam.
With a pressure canner or water bath canner, some jars, and basic ingredients, you can make delicious and nutritious food that will last for months. Say goodbye to store-bought canned goods and hello to homemade goodness. Let’s get started!
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Supplies Needed to Start Canning
I have a full post all about the best beginner supplies to start home canning, but here’s a cliff’s notes version. See my Amazon Shop’s full page of Beginner Canning Supplies.
- Pint and Quart mason jars
- Lids and Rings to match the mouth size of your jars (regular or wide mouth)
- Large pot or canner for water bath canning
- Pressure Canner for pressure canning
- Salt
- Pectin or Lemon juice
- Jar lifter (hot jars are not fun to lift out without one.)
- Cooling rack (the one you use for baking is fine)
- Sharpie or labels
- Skewer or other long tool for getting out air bubbles
Pickle and Condiment Beginner Recipes
When thinking of canning at home, many people immediately think of pickles, and while many people certainly put up pickles each year, they aren’t always the most beginner friendly recipes. What I have here for you are recipes that are simple to follow, but may take more than one day of pretty inactive prep.
And remember, cucumbers aren’t the only vegetable or fruit that can be pickled! Here are some favorite beginner canning recipes for pickles:
Pickle Recipes
Lime Sweet Pickle Recipe (The Kitchen Garten)- These do NOT taste like lime, the citrus fruit. Powdered lime is used in the pickling process, giving your pickles a lovely crunch, not a mushy texture. This is hands down my favorite pickle recipe, and it is the same one my grandmother and mom use to this day. This is a multi-day process, but it’s worth it and really not difficult to follow.
Homemade Garlic Dill Pickles (Dishnthekitchen)- These Garlic Dill Pickles are just like the ones grandma used to make. They’re salty sour and full of pucker power! Homemade pickles are far superior to any store bought pickles and making them yourself is so satisfying. Learn how to make a batch of homemade pickles with this easy guide.
Russian Dill Pickles (Happykitchen.rocks)- This easy Russian dill pickles family recipe is made with herbs, garlic, and peppercorns and gives you crunchy, refreshing, flavorful, and healthy marinated cucumbers that everyone will love!
Russian Grandma’s Pickled Tomatoes (happykitchen.rocks)- Enjoy your fresh, juicy tomato harvest even through the winter by using this one age old secret. Get your pickling on! Try these Russian pickled tomatoes: healthy, delicious and super easy to make. A flavorful and refreshing appetizer or snack made in only 30 minutes that will keep for months on the shelf.
Pickled Asparagus (A Farm Girl Dabbles)- Pickled Asparagus is a special springtime treat that’s great for snacking. Include these delicious spears on your appetizer trays and cheese boards. They’re also pretty awesome in a Bloody Mary!
Zucchini Pickles (Homemade and Yummy)- Looking for a quick pickle recipe that requires little effort? This pickled zucchini recipe is super easy and a great way to use up the zucchini harvest this spring and summer!
Pickled Carrots with Dill and Garlic (Dishnkitchen)- Small batch preserving these Pickled Carrots is easier than you think. Grow your own or buy carrots in season, then pickle them with dill and garlic for a dillicious treat!
Old Fashioned Pickled Beets (Wholesome Farmhouse Recipes)- We like to serve all kinds of things that we have made like this at picnics, Holiday dinners, or anytime we are entertaining family and friends. A delicious way to preserve your garden produce.
Salsa and Tomato Canning Recipes
One of my favorite things to make each summer is freshly canned tomatoes (I also freeze some too for ease.) These are easy recipes for beginners for canning tomatoes themselves, but also salsa, tomato sauce, and even ketchup to use all year long until the next fresh tomato harvest comes in!
Easy Canned Tomatoes (Beyond the Chicken Coop)- Canning your homegrown tomatoes isn’t difficult and with this simple recipe, you can enjoy your tomatoes all winter long!
Fiery Roasted Salsa (Heartbeet Kitchen)- Garden tomatoes, peppers, and onions roast in the oven for ultimate flavor and spice in this salsa canning recipe. It’s very easy to make because you don’t have to peel the tomatoes!
The Best Tomato Pasta Sauce for Canning (Homemade Heather)- This is the best tomato pasta sauce for canning! Follow this delicious recipe and learn how to can your own fresh, homemade spaghetti sauce.
Salsa Recipe for Canning (Yummy Mummy Kitchen)- A non-fire roasted salsa recipe. This classic salsa recipe for canning is perfect for beginners. It’s made with lots of fresh tomatoes and canned in a water bath on the stove.
Chili Stewed Tomatoes (A Farm Girl Dabbles)- This Chili Stewed Tomatoes recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, celery, onion, and green pepper, plus vinegar and a bit of pickling spices. It’s brightly flavored and irresistible! Enjoy as a side dish or add to chili or pasta sauce for a burst of fresh summer flavor. You can even store this in the freezer for a year!
Vegetable Canning Recipes
If you’re looking to keep things simple and learn how to practice safe canning while putting up vegetables without any special recipes, then I have you covered. This section is a great place to start for beginner canning recipes for vegetables that are coming straight out of your own garden or the local farmer’s market. Here are some easy to follow recipes:
Easy Canned Green Beans (Nums the Word)- This step by step with photos guide on How to Can Green Beans – the wet pack method – is perfect for anyone new to canning. Simple, clear steps to canning garden fresh green beans to last all winter long!
How to Can Potatoes (Nums the Word)- Have you ever wondered how to can potatoes? Don’t worry we have you covered! With this simple step by step guide, you’ll become a canning master today!
Easy Canned Carrots (The Kitchen Garten)- Find the best way to can fresh carrots for use all year long. These are great used as a quick side dish or added to soups or a roast with potatoes. This recipe will take you through the entire canning process.
Fruit Canning Recipes
One of the most popular things to learn to can is fruit. It’s a great way to preserve a fruit harvest or take advantage of fresh fruit when it’s in season. I almost always order a box of peaches and put them up since I don’t grow peaches here. Here are some delicious recipes for canning fruit at home for beginners.
How to Can Peaches (Busy Crafting Memories)- Capture the taste of summer with these easy canned peaches including a low sugar canning recipe! Stock up your pantry with juicy peaches for use all winter long.
Easy Canned Nectarines (Attainable Sustainable)- Canning nectarines is an easy way to preserve this summertime fruit — and you can skip peeling!
Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce (The Food Blog)- Homemade applesauce is easy to make and so much healthier than the sugar packed applesauce from the grocery store. This recipe contains only apples and a little bit of lemon juice. Perfect for eating or using in baked goods!
Jam and Jelly Recipes for Canning Beginners
When most people think of canning, they immediately remember homemade jams and jellies from family members or neighbors. My Granny always had fig preserves on hand that she canned from the figs that grew in her yard. There’s just something about homemade jams, jellies, and preserves! These recipes are perfect for beginner canners and will keep you full up on jam all winter long.
Apricot Jam with Liquid Pectin (The Food Blog)- Apricot jam is easy to make and it’s so versatile to have on hand for lots of recipes besides just toast!
Fresh Strawberry Jam (Boulder Locavore)- There is nothing better to start the morning than ruby red Strawberry Jam that tastes like summer. Making it at home is not difficult and we have two methods you’ll love.
No Pectin Peach Preserves (Of Batter and Dough)- This simple, classic peach preserves recipe includes just 3 ingredients: peaches, sugar, and lemon juice. A nice, slow simmer concentrates the peach flavor and eliminates the need for additional pectin. It’s one of the easiest ways to preserve the summer!
Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (Busy Creating Memories)- Experience the joy of a Rhubarb pie but from a jar for enjoyment all year long with this Low Sugar Raspberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe. This raspberry jam is also perfect on top of ice cream!
Orange Jelly or Canned Sunshine (Attainable Sustainable)- Make this orange jelly recipe from freshly squeezed orange juice, or take a shortcut and use OJ concentrate.
Spicy Jalapeno Jelly (Farm Fit Living)- Do you have an overabundance of jalapenos in your kitchen. It can happen so easily. Growing jalapenos is a pretty simple task. Here’s an awesome recipe for Jalapeno Jelly that is a favorite of mine.
Ginger Zucchini Preserves (The Kitchen Garten)- Stick with me here, zucchini in preserves? Yes! This is a perfect use for overly large zucchini (or any size) and it’s delicious on pork or spread over cream cheese and served with crackers.
Common Beginner Canning FAQ’s
- What are the best canning jars to use? Though I’ve seen some other brands for sale on Amazon, I tend to stick with Ball Mason jars or Kerr jars for both canning methods.
- What is a good resource for various questions about canning and home preserving? The Center for Home Preservation is a great site for all questions regarding canning. The knowledge base here is a great point of reference for any questions including canning high-acid foods, processing time, and more!
- What foods cannot be canned? Low acid foods typically cannot be canned at home. Food such as pumpkin, isn’t recommended to be canned, though they can easily be frozen as a way of preserving for use later. Low acid foods aren’t completely unable to be canned (think of life with no canned corn or beets!) but you simply need to find a recipe that has been tested, like those above.
Recommended Books for Beginning Canners
If you’d like to have some good reference books on hand for canning, then check out these recommendations that I use myself! If you have other suggestions, be sure to leave a comment below and share with the rest of us.
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: A classic resource for home food preservation. This book has tons of recipes ranging from sauces and salsas to fruit pie fillings and more.
- The Beginner’s Guide to Canning by Diane Devereaux– A great place to start if you’re intimidated by canning and need no-nonsense recipes and instruction.
- The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves– This one is out of print, but my favorite book on canning. She doesn’t use store-bought pectin in her recipes, instead opting for natural pectin found in lemon juice and the fruits themselves. Though it’s out of print, there are used copies available, so I’d snag one of those!