The 22 Best Canned Recipes for Everything from Soup to Veggies

three jars of Apple Pie Filling with a red apple on top of each jar
Photo: Jason Donnelly

Discover the art of canning with one of these homemade canning recipes, including the best fresh pickles, homemade tomato salsa, and sweet jellies and jams. Gather your canning jars and give it a try. You'll be a canning expert in no time.

01 of 22

Canned Applesauce

canned applesauce jars
Jason Donnelly

This three-ingredient applesauce is the best way to savor fall apples all year. One of the top water bath canning recipes to try, it's great for beginners because it's so simple and delicious. Cinnamon sticks are optional, but they'll help create cozy flavors whenever you choose to open a jar and enjoy.

02 of 22

Canned Green Beans

Canned Green Beans in jars on table
Matthew Clark

Pressure canning recipes (like these fresh green beans) are great for foods without much acid, like veggies. Can the green beans plain if you want and add flavors later when you're ready to serve, or try adding a little canning or pickling salt to the mix. It will bring out the beans' flavor so you won't need to dress them up as much when you reheat and eat.

03 of 22

Garlicky Pickled Mixed Veggies

Garlicky Pickled Mixed Veggies
Jason Donnelly

If you have a lot of vegetables you want to save, this is one of the best canned recipes for your abundance. At the end of the season, pick everything left in your garden, then preserve them with vinegar, garlic, and a hint of crushed red pepper. After canning, try serving on a sandwich or enjoy a few pickled veggies as a side dish.

04 of 22

Mexican Beef Garden Soup

Mexican Beef Garden Soup
Karla Conrad

Did you think canning recipes were just veggies and jams? Think again. Canning meals like this Mexican-inspired beef soup are a delicious way to meal prep and stock your pantry. Cook an ultra-yummy soup with beef chuck roast, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and more, then grab a jar off the shelf whenever you need a warm, cozy dinner.

05 of 22

Pickled Three-Bean Salad

Pickled Three-Bean Salad
Andy Lyons

Black-eyed peas, green beans, and edamame make a tasty trio. The recipe calls for dried black-eyed peas, but there's no reason you can't take a shortcut and use canned beans if you want to speed everything up a little. After making this water bath canning recipe, serve at a picnic or alongside your favorite barbecue.

06 of 22

Canned Apple Pie Filling with Maple and Cinnamon

three jars of Apple Pie Filling with a red apple on top of each jar
Jason Donnelly

If you're a baker, make the jump into canning recipes with this homemade pie filling. You can choose your favorite apples and use any special seasonings you want. Then, when it's pie time, just make the crust and open a can of this canned filling.

07 of 22

Smoky Carrot Sticks

Smoky Carrot Sticks
Carson Downing

Not your usual canned vegetables, these carrots come with a little extra smokiness thanks to smoked paprika. This canning recipe uses vinegar, so when you're ready to grab them from the pantry, your carrot sticks will have a bit of pickled flavor. They're an easy, fresh side dish to grab when you want to add a few more veggies to dinner.

08 of 22

Pickled Plums

Pickled Plums
Scott Little

Fresh plums don't stick around very long, but you can enjoy them all year when you preserve them. Thanks to red onions and a vinegar-based pickling liquid, this canned recipe has a little bit of bite, but warm spices like allspice and cloves pair well with the plums' natural sweetness.

09 of 22

Caramel Apple Butter

Caramel Apple Butter
Karla Conrad

Canning is usually thought of as a summertime activity (gotta save those garden goodies!), but don't limit yourself to preserving jams and fresh produce. Break out your book of canning recipes in the fall and treat yourself to this gooey, delicious caramel apple butter. Set aside a few tart cooking apples, then combine them with apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon for a yummy spread that you can savor throughout the year.

10 of 22

Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles

Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles
Kritsada Panichgul

It's safe to say that zucchini owns summertime, so why not let this vibrant veggie make a few more appearances throughout the year? If you're someone who mourns the end of each zucchini season, set aside a few pounds for pickling and canning so you can enjoy them all year long. This canning recipe produces 5 pints of pickles, so you might want to consider a double batch if you're always left with pounds upon pounds of extra zucchini.

11 of 22

Jalapeño Jelly

jalapeno jelly with spreadable cheese on crackers
Andy Lyons

Add a little spice to your life with this water bath canning recipe. A taste of sweet and spicy, this jalapeño jelly will have you rethinking your usual fruit jams and jellies. Packed with jalapeño and poblano peppers, the fiery jelly is best when spread on crackers with cream cheese or smeared across toasted bread with ricotta.

12 of 22

Homemade Sauerkraut

Homemade Sauerkraut
Jason Donnelly

New to fermenting? No problem. A slow cooker and some close tending are all you need to make this condiment favorite (no water bath or pressure canning today). You'll know it's ready when every spoonful of sauerkraut has a slightly crunchy texture and pleasantly tangy flavor. Stir it into soups and stews or layer it onto burgers and dogs. Craving something sweeter? Make an apple-caraway version with a few easy tweaks.

13 of 22

Pickled Lemon-Thyme Brussels Sprouts

Pickled Lemon-Thyme Brussels Sprouts
Andy Lyons

Brussels sprouts may not top your list for pickling, but this oh-so-tasty recipe will change all of that. A simple pickling mix including vinegar, fresh thyme, and lemon peel preserves your sprouts so you can snack on them all year. And thanks to the high acidity of the pickling liquid, you can use your boiling-water canner for these veggies—no special equipment is required for this top canning recipe.

14 of 22

Tomato-Basil Jam

Tomato-Basil Jam
Jason Donnelly

Savory jam? Yes, please, especially when it helps use up a surplus of summer tomatoes. The zippy combination of lemon juice and fresh basil provides this subtle tomato jam with a pop of herbed citrus flavor. Make this canning recipe toward the end of the summer when fresh tomatoes are at their prime.

15 of 22

Raspberry-Chipotle Applesauce

Raspberry-Chipotle Applesauce
Andy Lyons

You certainly won't find any bland applesauce here. Chipotle peppers give this recipe an uncharacteristic (but utterly delicious) zippiness, while fresh raspberries balance it out with a little extra sweetness. If you want to keep a few jars in your pantry, be sure to can a batch while apples are in season—but you can also freeze this applesauce for up to 8 months.

16 of 22

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberry Freezer Jam
Andy Lyons

Summer is strawberry season, no doubt. With four simple ingredients and three easy steps, you can have a pretty-in-pink strawberry jam ready to tuck into the freezer. Or, if you don't want to wait that long to enjoy this canned recipe, you can enjoy some strawberry jam right away and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

17 of 22

Make-It-Mine Wine Jelly

cheese board with crackers and wine jelly
Blaine Moats

There's no better way to experiment with a new canning recipe than by adding wine to it, if you ask us. And with this make-it-mine canned recipe, you can use your go-to Zinfandel, Merlot, or anything you want. Choose your favorite wine (yes, even Prosecco!), then add just four other ingredients to turn it into a spreadable jelly. Your cheese boards just got way better.

18 of 22

Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Andy Lyons

Grab a jar of this BBQ-tastic sauce and slather it on wings, ribs, pizza, and more. Savory spices and mix-ins, such as garlic, paprika, and fresh jalapeños, give it a mouthwatering kick. It's one of the best canned recipes for summer because the combo of tomatoes, onions, and spicy peppers will fit right in at a backyard barbecue.

19 of 22

Blue-Ribbon Corn Relish

Blue Ribbon Corn Relish
Andy Lyons

You'll need up to 20 ears of sweet corn to make this safe canning recipe, and it's the best way to save those summer flavors for later. Complete with fresh onion, peppers, and lots of corn off the cob, this tangy blue-ribbon relish is an undeniable winner. Feeling adventurous? Try cumin-poblano, apple-chutney, or olive-corn relish variations with a few easy twists.

20 of 22

Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Andy Lyons

Your pasta deserves the best, and this homemade garlic-tomato concoction fills the bill. Featuring garden-fresh herbs, bell peppers, and brown sugar, it's an Italian recipe that's magnifico! The trick to this best canned recipe is roasting the garlic until it's soft and has a hint of sweet, caramelized flavor.

21 of 22

Chunky Tomato Salsa

Chunky Homemade Salsa
Karla Conrad

Scoop up a crunchy tortilla chip full of tangy fresh peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Add a splash of lime juice for zest and a bit of garlic for bold flavor. This lively salsa will go fast, so you may want to make a double batch of this easy canning recipe, especially if you love snacking on chips and salsa.

22 of 22

Peach Jam

Peach Jam
Kritsada Panichgul

Craft your favorite fruit into a smooth, candylike jam. Soft, juicy peaches get transformed into basil, cardamom, chipotle, and bourbon variations. Choose your preferred flavor and make a big batch, or go ahead and sample each of these yummy canning recipes.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles