75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (2024)

by Tiffany Davis 14 Comments

Free canning recipes? The only thing better than an amazing canning recipe is a FREE canning recipe. I’ve gathered 75 free canning recipes so you can build your food storage pantry up with delicious goodies.Canning is an incredible way to preserve food. For homesteaders, growing our own food is essential. Canning gives us the ability to save our foods when we have an abundant harvest for off-season. Learning how to accomplish the task of canning can be intimidating, but here are some delicious and reliable recipes to try at home!

75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (1)

I’ve included free canning recipes for meats, vegetables, fruits, jams, jellies, sauces and condiments. There is surely a recipe or two, if not more, that you’re going to want to use again and again. There are plenty of these free canning recipes that will be great for beginner canner as well as veterans.

Be sure to check out my article on Canning Mistakes you want to avoid. But don’t let fear keep you from canning; it is an amazing vintage skill to keep in our modern world.

75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginners and Experienced Canners

Free Canning Recipes – Meats

75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (2)Canning meat can make any beginning canner nervous; it can make veteran canners jumpy. But canning meat, with the right precautions can be a great way to build your pantry for a fraction of the cost. Remember NEVER water bath can meats, you need a good pressure canner. Other things to consider: trim off any excess fat, gristle or bruised areas on the meat. When canning meats you can either preserve it in a broth, or you can pack it up raw which will provide its own juice. See The National Center for Home Preservation’s tip on canning meats.

  1. Stew Meat
  1. Bone-in Chicken
  1. Rabbit
  1. Fish
  1. Venison
  1. Ground Beef
  1. Beef Jerky
  1. Shredded Chicken
  1. Pork Tenderloin
  1. Bacon
  1. Sausage
  1. Tuna
  1. Ham
  1. Turkey
  1. Steak

Free Canning Recipes – Vegetables75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (3)

We all know that vegetables are packed with vitamins and nutrients and should play a role in family meals daily. Similar to canning meat, there are safety precautions to canning vegetables. Some can be canned with the water bath method, depending on the acidity but most will require pressure canning. You might even want to consider pickling your vegetables as another fabulous option.

  1. Carrots
  1. Green Beans
  1. Diced Tomatoes
  1. Peas
  1. Asparagus
  1. Brussels Sprouts
  1. Pickled Banana Peppers
  1. Dill Pickles
  1. Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
  1. Butternut Squash
  1. Mushrooms
  1. Kale
  1. Cabbage
  1. Onions
  1. Corn

Free Canning Recipes – Fruits75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (4)

Most beginning canners start with fruits. Because of the acid in most recipes you can use a water bath canner, which often feels less intimidating that your pressure canner.

  1. Peaches
  1. Blueberries
  1. Strawberries
  1. Apples
  1. Pears
  1. Cherries
  1. Grapefruit
  1. Pineapple
  1. Lemons
  1. Pomegranate
  1. Raspberries
  1. Oranges
  1. Plums
  1. Eggplant
  1. Pumpkin

Free Canning Recipes – Jams and Jellies75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (5)

One of the most popular canning techniques is creating jams and jellies. Everybody loves using these tasty spreads on sandwiches, crackers, veggies and more! Here are some unique and delicious recipes to try!

  1. Strawberry Lemonade Jam
  1. Blackberry Jam
  1. Pear Jam
  1. Orange Marmalade
  1. Kiwi Jam
  1. Blueberry and Lavender Jam
  1. Golden Apricot Jam
  1. Grape Jelly
  1. Watermelon Jelly
  1. Cranberry Pepper Jam
  1. Carrot Cake Jam
  1. Peach Vanilla Jam
  1. Honey Cantaloupe Jam
  1. Dandelion Jelly
  1. Corn Cob Jelly

Free Canning Recipes – Sauces and Condiments75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (6)

So far, we have learned how to create different recipes for solid foods. But did you know that you can also preserve sauces and condiments? Almost any of your favorites can be re-created and preserved for your own pantry with canning. From ketchup, to spaghetti sauce, these recipes are sure to be a staple in your canning recipe collection! Make sure to read the directions and safety tips regarding canning sauces and condiments.

  1. BBQ Sauce
  1. Alfredo Sauce
  1. Marinara Sauce
  1. Pesto
  1. Ketchup
  1. Roasted Garlic Mustard
  1. Salsa
  1. Ranch Dressing
  1. Chocolate Syrup
  1. Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce
  1. Sloppy-Joe Sauce
  1. Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
  1. Applesauce
  1. Peach Salsa
  1. Relish

I hope these free canning recipes help you find a few items that you’d like to make for your food storage pantry. Canning is a great way to preserve food and produce new and satisfying recipes in the comfort of your own home. With the right equipment and safety precautions you can trust that the food you produce will be safe and delicious!

Canning Equipment I Recommend 75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (7)75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (8)

See Start Canning Today for Detailed Information

Water Bath Canner or consider Ball’s Electric Water Bath Canner

Pressure Canner (if you are going to purchase a pressure canner you can actually use it to water bath can as well and save money and space)

Mason Jars – I like both Ball and Kerr

Lids – refill packs are great, never ever can with used lids! BUT some lids are made to be re-used, like Tattler.

Storage – racks, for your pantry

Canning Utensils Kit

Related posts:

How To Preserve Bananas For Your PantryNewbies Can Can…no not the danceCommon Canning Mistakes that Need to be FixedLiving Off Grid on 10 Acres

75 Free Canning Recipes for Beginning and Veteran Canners (2024)

FAQs

How do you start canning for beginners? ›

The basic method involves putting your jam or pickles in a sterilized canning jar. Put the jars into the pot, and cover them with at least one to two inches of water. Bring them to a boil, up to 212°F (100°C) and keep the jars at the boil for a specified amount of time, depending on your recipe.

What is the best book for beginner pressure canning? ›

If you're looking for a canning cookbook with a wide variety of recipes and safety instructions, we recommend the "Complete Guide to Home Canning" compiled by the USDA. First-time canners may find the current "Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving" easy to follow for water-bath and pressure canning.

What fruits and vegetables need to be pressure canned? ›

Pressure canning is used to can foods with low acid levels including red meats, seafood, poultry, and low acid vegetables such as okra, carrots, green beans, asparagus, and spinach. Due to these foods having a natural acidic level that is too low to prevent growth of the heat-resistant spore-forming bacteria (C.

What is the easy method of canning? ›

Boiling water canning, aka water bath canning, is the most common method of home canning. You fill sterilized jars, screw clean lids on top, then submerge them in a pot of boiling water. The heat forces air out of the jars to prevent spoiling. It also seals the lids.

What method is not recommended for canning? ›

"Dry Canning" Not Recommended.

Canning vegetables or any food pieces without the covering liquid that was used in process research can result in under-processing and in the case of vegetables, a risk of botulism.

What PSI do I need for canning? ›

For canning vegetables and other low-acid foods in a weighted gauge pressure canner, the food is processed at 15 pounds pressure at altitudes above 1,000 feet. In a dial gauge canner, the pressure is not increased between 1,001 and 2,000 feet—use 11 pounds pressure.

Do you completely cover jars when pressure canning? ›

It is perfectly fine to have your jars completely exposed to air when pressure canning. However, if you find you have too much water in the pressure canner and you see that the water is creeping up toward the neck of the jars, go ahead and remove some of that water before processing your jars.

How high should water be for pressure canning? ›

To start, just add two inches of water to your pressure canner. Once you've added your jars, check to make sure the water isn't going above the necks of your jars. If there is too much water, you can always take some out before moving forward with canning.

What are the easiest vegetables to can? ›

The Best Vegetables to Can for Beginners
  • Learn about some of the best types of vegetables to can. Food preservation is easy. ...
  • Cucumbers. Cucumbers are a great stepping stone into the world of canning vegetables. ...
  • Green Beans. ...
  • Asparagus. ...
  • Tomatoes. ...
  • Beets.
Sep 8, 2023

Do you have to boil potatoes before canning? ›

Sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. Keep them warm until they are ready to be packed (Image 2). Bring the pot of cut potatoes to a boil and let it boil for about two minutes. Blanching will release some of the starch in the potatoes, reducing clouding and water loss in the canned produce (Image 3).

Do you cook vegetables before canning? ›

When vegetables are raw packed, they are cleaned but not heated. Then, they are simply added to the jar, and the jar is filled with boiling water. Fill the jar with freshly prepared, unheated vegetables, making certain to pack the jar tightly because the vegetables will shrink during the canning process.

What is the old canning method? ›

Open kettle “canning” is when you put HOT food into HOT jars, cover the filled jar with a HOT lid …. and then trust that that seal from the cooling food protects your food.

What are the 7 steps to home canning? ›

Canning Process
  • About canning. ...
  • First step: Prepare equipment, Preheat the canner. ...
  • Prepare the jars and lids so they are safe. ...
  • Prepare the food to be preserved. ...
  • Pack the food according to directions. ...
  • Close the jars correctly. ...
  • Use correct canning method. ...
  • Boiling water bath procedure.
Jan 5, 2024

Which step of canning is most important and why? ›

Processing: It is heating or cooling of canned foods to inactivate the bacteria. Processing time and temperature should be adequate to eliminate all bacteria and to minimize quality damage. Fruits and vegetables processed at temperature of 100˚C as presence of acid retards the bacteria and their spores.

What is the first step in food canning? ›

First step: Prepare equipment, Preheat the canner

Assemble and wash equipment and containers before gathering fruit or vegetables. Fill the boiling water bath or pressure canner with the appropriate amount of hot water and begin heating it on the range.

Do you have to boil jars before canning? ›

Jars do not need to be sterilized before canning if they will be filled with food and processed in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes or more or if they will be processed in a pressure canner. Filled jars that will be processed in a boiling water bath canner for less than 10 minutes need to be sterilized first.

Do you have to boil lids before canning? ›

While the old guidelines recommended dropping the lids in hot, simmering water before pulling them out and immediately sealing jars, Jarden now says it's not necessary to heat the lids in order to achieve a good seal. Instead, you can simply wash the lids and use them at room temperature.

How long do you leave jars in a water bath? ›

Bring to a rolling boil, cover the canner and boil for 10 minutes if using 4-, 8- or 12-ounce jars or for 15 minutes if using 16-ounce jars. (Check individual preserve recipes for more specific processing times.) Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the jars from the pot.

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