Home Canning Recipes for Beginners
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Below you’ll find a list of all home canning recipes and canning instruction on Simply Canning. Grouped by topic and alphabetical. Safe, easy step by step recipe tutorials, food preservation articles.
- Learn how to use a Water Bath canner here (free printable guide!)
- Learn How to use a Pressure Canner here (free printable guide)
- Learn how to use a Steam Canner here (free printable guide)
Canning Vegetables
Tomatoes and Tomato Products
- Avoid Common Tomato Canning Issues
- Canning Tomatoes: Pressure Canning or Water Bath.
- Making Tomato Juice for Canning
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Spaghetti Sauce(meatless)
- Stewed Tomatoes
- Tomato Juice in a Pressure Canner
- Tomato Juice in a Water Bath
- Tomato Vegetable Juice Recipe
- Tomatoes Whole or Halved
- Unseasoned Tomato Sauce
- Zucchini in Tomato Sauce
Canning Fruit and Fruit Products
- Apples
- Applesauce
- Apple Butter
- Apple Chutney Recipe
- Apple Pie Filling
- Apricots
- Asian Pears
- Canning Berries
- Canning Cherries
- Canning Fruits
- Canning Guava Fruit
- Canning Peaches
- Canning Pears
- Cherry Wedding Theme Ideas
- Canning with Splenda
- Cherry Pie Filling
- Plum Sauce Recipe for Canning
- Strawberries
- Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
- Zucchini in Pineapple Juice
- How to Can Homemade Cranberry Juice
Canning Meat
More Canning Information and Tutorials
Basic Canning Information
What is siphoning in home canning? Why does liquid loss happen?
Number one Canning Question ever asked… so I will list it first. Find the answer here.
Learn more about it here…
Which Canning Methods Should I Choose?
Do I choose a water bath canner or a pressure canner? And why? That is a common question ~ and a good one. Learn how to choose the right method for your project.
Learn about choosing the right method
Canning Food for Beginners: How to Can Safely and Confidently
Before you fill your first jar, or use your home canning recipes from your great grandmother, it is important to understand what you are doing. Decisions are much easier when you know why.
Read more canning science here
Canning Terms and Definitions
Index of canning terms and meanings for home canners. From basic terms like “jar” and “lid” to more advanced concepts like “headspace” and “venting time,” we’ve got you covered.
Find an index of common canning terminology
Canning at High Altitude. Adjustments must be made.
Home Canning at high altitude above 1,000 feet requires careful adjustments to your recipe. Changes need to be made for high-altitude water bath canning, steam canning, and pressure canning.
Learn about adjusting for your altitude
How to Use a Pressure Canner
Pressure canning is for canning vegetables and meats. Don't let it intimidate you! You can do this.
Learn how to use a pressure canner
Water Bath Canning ; Beginner Friendly Tips and Instruction
Water bath canning is the perfect place for a beginning canner to start. By the end of this article you’ll have the confidence to pull our your canner and start with some simple projects.
Learn how to use a water bath canner
Steam Canner Instructions
Steam canners are similar to water-bath canners. They are both used to process high acid home-canned food. However, there are some definite differences not only in how they work. These are general instructions on how to use a steam canner; be sure to check your canner's manual for more details.
Learn how to use a steam canner
Special Canning Methods
Can you Can in an Instant Pot
I totally understand that pressure canners can be intimidating. And I also understand why people would want to use an instant pot for canning. Pressure Canning with an Instant Pot. Can you?? Or can’t you?? Why?
Learn why you shouldn’t can with an InstantPot
Presto Electric Pressure Canner Review
So many many questions about using an electric pressure canner. Is it safe? What about the one from Presto? Learn about the safety aspects and what I see coming from extension services and the NCFHFP. You might be pleased to hear what I found.
Learn about the electric pressure canner
Canning on a Glass Top Stove: Will your stove work?
I realized that I really needed to address the issue of canning on a glass top stove because I’m asked about it a LOT! So is it safe? Yes…and no. It’s complicated.
See if you can trust your glass top stove for canning
Small Batch Canning: Scale down recipes & maintain safety.
Discover small batch canning. Perfect for solo canners, cooking for two, or thoughtful gifts. Scale down recipes & maintain safety.
Learn how to reduce recipes for small batch canning
Safety Concerns
Botulism in Canning? Why I’m not afraid.
This page may be scary to some people. I truly don’t want to scare you! This is actually a canning risk that is easily avoided by following safe home canning tested procedures and the proper canning methods.
Learn how to avoid botulism
What is Flat Sour in Home Canning? Causes and Prevention.
Ever heard of flat sour? It's that unappealing off-flavor – think a disagreeably sour or bitter taste of your canned goods.
Learn how to avoid flat sour
Canning Safety Overkill?
I want to emphasize that there is a lot of wisdom in SOME of the old ways…I’m not saying your grandmother or aunt or whoever was crazy. Absolutely not! Many old-fashioned skills are fading away, and that is so very sad. Some of the old ways can be improved upon. Not discarded, but made better.
Are we making a big fuss for nothing?
Canning Mistakes: What Should You Do?
In this article, we’ll address common canning errors and guide you on how to salvage your precious jars, emphasizing safety and quality. By the end, you’ll confidently rectify canning mishaps, with an emphasis on safety and saving your hard work.
Learn how to fix canning mistakes
Misunderstandings in Canning: A Microbiologist’s Advice
This is a guest post about misunderstandings in canning by reader Freda Bradely. She brings up some good points, including some of the potential dangers associated with canning using the old methods. I thought I’d share it with you…and Freda agreed.
Read more here
Is water bath canning green beans safe?
In this article, we’ll discuss why water bath canning plain green beans is not recommended. But… don’t click away just yet. We’ll also discuss how your green beans CAN be preserved when you don’t have a pressure canner. So all is good!
Here’s what we think of water bath canning green beans
How to Can Tomatoes: Adding Lemon Juice and Other Adaptations.
How to Can Tomatoes the way want to. Information on adding lemon juice or other acidification, safe adaptations, seasonings, canning methods and more.
Learn how (& why) to acidify tomatoes
Re-canning food from #10 Cans
I often get questions from people who are asking about re-canning store-purchased foods. Especially when it is purchased in those large, #10-size cans. But is it a good idea? Is it safe? Is it really economical?
Can you save money by re-canning food? Learn more.
General Home Canning Information
Home Canning and boiling your food before serving. Is it needed?
This article is not about how to process your foods during the home canning process. It is rather about the choice of boiling the food before you serve it. Some say yes, you need to boil your meats and veggies prior to serving them…some say you don’t.
Answer “To boil, or not to boil”
How to Sterilize Canning Jars
Did you know that sterilizing jars for home canning is not always needed? You DO need to start with clean jars, so yes…do wash them, either in a dishwasher or by hand with hot, soapy water and a clear water rinse. If you need to sterilize your jars, heres how.
Learn how & when to sterilize canning jars
Avoid Spoiled Food
Do you know how to recognize spoiled food? Sometimes it is obvious…sometimes not.
Learn how to avoid different types of spoilage
How To Blanch Food For Freezing And Dehydrating
How blanching food makes it easier to freeze and dehydrate it. Includes step-by-step instructions for steam blanching and boiling water blanch. Information on microwave blanching and printable blanching time charts.
Learn how to blanch food
Preparing Canned Food for Storage
What do you need to know about preparing canned food for storage? Here are some tips.
Learn how to store home canned food
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three ways of canning?
Pressure Canning, Water Bath Canning, and Steam Canning are the 3 ways of canning. You can read more about how to choose the correct canning method here.
What is the easiest thing to can for a beginner.
For beginners, jams are often recommended however, I disagree. Getting a nice set on jam can be tricky sometimes. It is perfectly safe and good to star with jam if you want! If you do choose a recipe with added pectin to make it super beginner friendly.
But honestly something like homemade applesauce is even easier. Or plain canned apples.
If you are just beginning and want to jump into pressure canning, green beans are super easy.
What are the best foods for canning.
The best thing to can is food you have available that also has tested instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. You can really start with many foods. Just remember the food that comes out of your jar reflect the ingredients that went in. Canning does not fix bad food. Choose fresh ripe produce to the the best flavors for your dinner table.
Does the USDA approve canners?
The USDA does not approve specific canners, but it does provide guidelines and recommendations for safe canning practices, as well as lists of approved canning equipment. You should choose a canner that meets these guidelines and is suited to the type of canning you’ll be doing, whether water bath or pressure canning.
Here is more on Pressure Canners
Here is more on Water Bath Canners
AND here is more on Steam Canners. (If you’ve never steam canned you should check it out. It is a safe tested substitute for waterbath canning.)
