Whether you are a first-time canner or a seasoned pro, one of the best bits of advice I can offer when canning is to have a plan. I coordinate my canning around my seasonal harvest. I try to plant according to how much we use, preserve or are planning to can {but sometimes my garden has other ideas and mass produces something, ahem, zucchini!!}. Knowing what I want to can and when, not only allows me to get a good feel for how my year looks in terms of stocking a pantry, but it also allows me to pencil in canning dates on my calendar. While canning is totally worth it, it is time consuming. So if I know I harvest a ton of strawberries every July, I can make a tentative plan to spend a weekend canning sometime in July.
With that in mind, I’ve laid out ALL my canning recipes in calendar format, moving through the months according to when a particular produce item is harvested {or on sale}. Of course there is some fluctuation depending on what climate you live in, and often times a large harvest of a particular fruit or veggie can last a few months. But this will give you a good base to go off of. You’ll notice that some months are PACKED, while other months are scarce {there’s nothing for October, November or December}. Canning often happens all at once and then you get a large break {while you reap the rewards of your hard work!}.
January:
Meyer Lemon Marmalade: And the awesome thing about Meyer lemons is that they flower intermittently throughout the year, ensuring an almost continuous supply of fruit year-around. That means canning in January is possible!
Meyer Lemon-Ginger Marmalade: Another take on the recipe above but with an added twist: GINGER! It really takes the flavor up a notch.
Orange Marmalade: I LOVE marmalade. Especially on buttered toast. Hence the reason you see so many marmalade canning recipes from me. I can’t get enough of the stuff!
Cranberry Orange Marmalade: You can often find great specials on oranges this time of year, so it’s a great time to can all things oranges!
February:
Pear Jam: While I do most of my pear canning in September when I can pick a big box a rock-bottom prices, I like to can my pear jams with winter pears after the new year.
Pear Vanilla Jam: If you love pear jam, you will be addicted to this recipe. The vanilla is subtle, but it really adds to the richness of this jam!
March:
Pickled Dill Carrots: Carrots grow in pretty much any season, so while I harvest a TON in the summer and fall, I also pluck some in the winter and early spring months. If you aren’t growing them, no worries. I never see a fluctuation in carrot prices at the grocery store because of how flexible they are to grow in every season. Whatever way you get your carrots, get them for this recipe!
Carrot Cake Jam: Great on toast, as an unusual topping over ice cream {seriously, it’s that good!} or mixed into your favorite batch of pancakes, this recipe is a winner!
Pickled Eggs: Since most of us are swimming in eggs every year around Easter, this is a great recipe to use them in. They are so so good! And easy, too!
April:
Lilac Blossom Jelly: Using lilacs to make jelly? Yes, please. Tried it, loved it! Plus, lilacs are in full bloom in April!
Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam: When I harvest rhubarb, I like to make plenty of batches of this rhubarb cinnamon jam and then stash it away for hostess gifts in the winter. That is if we have any left!
Vanilla Rhubarb Jam: This is a nice variation of that rhubarb jam above and let me tell you Bob, it’s flippin’ delicious.
May:
Dried Beans: May is a canning lull in our house, so it gives me a break and a chance to can some beans! We go through black beans and chick peas like nobody’s business around here, so it is totally worth the effort to buy them {dried} in bulk and can them.
June:
Blueberry Lemon Jam: I normally can blueberry recipes late June/early July. This recipe is a family favorite because of the lemon kick!
Blueberry Jam with Mint: This jam is the kind of thing you’d find in a specialty food store for $15 a jar. Yumm a licous does not even begin to describe it.
Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam: No pectin? No sugar? No problem. It turns out the the natural fiber found in blueberries and chia seeds act like pectin. So pectin needed.
Strawberry Chipotle Jam: You might just have to trust me on this one, even if you’re not a chipotle fan. It gives the jam such a different taste that I start shoveling it with a spoon.
Strawberry Kiwi Jam: If you want to take your strawberry jam to the next level, kiwis are the answer. The combo is perfect.
Strawberry Basil Jam: Basil and strawberry is a match made in jam heaven. I really can’t get enough of it. If you’re in the same boat, go make this jam pronto. It. Is. Awesome.
Fast and Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam: Sometimes, the quicker the better when it comes to making jam. It doesn’t get faster or easier than this
How to Make Low Sugar Strawberry Jam: Here’s a yummy little recipe that cuts down the sugar in your jam, but doesn’t mess with the taste. Pretty great news given how much I love it!
Low Sugar Triple Berry Jam: If you love berry jam, we just times its awesomeness by 3! Plus, it’s a low sugar jam as well if you’re trying to avoid a lot of sugary sweetness.
Cherry Jam: Homemade cherry jam is awesome over ice cream! And that is all the info you need to encourage you to make this tasty jam.
Amaretto Cherries: If you have a lot of cherries and your jam cupboard is full, I suggest you switch things up an make some Amaretto cherries. I tried this recipe for the first time last year and fell in love!
Cherries: If adding in that Amaretto is not your style, regular old canned cherries are still the bomb dot com!
July:
Peaches: Canning peaches was my first ever canning experience, and really, it’s hard to top! Canning peaches is still one of my favorite things to do each summer!
Peach Jam: If you have never smeared some fresh peach jam on pancakes or all over toast, you haven’t lived.
Fast and Easy Freezer Peach Jam: Sometimes I don’t have time to whip out the canner and go through the whole hot water bath canning process so I cheat and make freezer jam instead. This peach freezer jam takes all of about 10 minutes to make. Wahoo!
Logan Berry Jam: Ever heard of a loganberry? It’s a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry. It’s a tiny bit tart and a whole bit delicious. This loganberry jam recipe is absurdly good.
Raspberry Jam: I know there are all sorts of freezer and low sugar recipes out there for raspberry jam, but this one {and all it’s sugar} is still my favorite. Add in a scone and I’m in heaven. Scones + raspberry jam will always = love.
Fast and Easy Raspberry Freezer Jam: If you, too, love raspberry jam but don’t want the time commitment involved, try this quick freezer version.
Apricot Jam: Apricot jam is one of my favorite to make because you don’t have to deal with any of the seeds like berry jams, and you only need 3 simple ingredients!
Green Beans: Once you can green beans, there is no going back to that canned junkity junk. Fresh beans all year long are where it’s at!
Pickled Beets: I love pickled beets, especially in my salad! So every year when I harvest my beets, some pickled beet canning is on the menu!
August:
Simple Tomato Sauce: I’ve been using this simple tomato sauce recipe for years now and it’s a wonderful way to use your garden fresh tomatoes and enjoy them throughout the winter months when we are all yearning for something homemade.
Green Tomato Curry Sauce: When you are impatient or have green tomatoes you don’t want to mess with ripening, can this. Holy cow, it is soooo good and really fantastic dumped over a crock pot of chicken breast!
Heirloom Tomato Salsa: Homemade canned salsa is one of the great joys in life. Chips and salsa is one of the best snacks ever. The end.
Sweet and Spicy Heirloom Tomato Jam: Did you know you can turn tomatoes into jam? Yes, yes you can. And, it is surprisingly delicious.
Tang Breakfast Drink Jelly: I know, I know. Tang, Such an odd jelly recipe ingredient. But trust me on this, it’s tasty!
Jalapeno Pepper Jelly: I like to serve this yummy jam with a block of softened cream cheese and fancy crackers. It’s great to have on hand for entertaining for an easy peasy, no brainer appetizer.
Zucchini Relish: Move over pickle relish, there’s a new relish in town and it’s awesome!
Easy Refrigerator Pickles: If you find yourself with a crop of cucumbers, this recipe will yield some delicious pickles fast!
Corn: If you are running out of freezer space or just want an alternative to freezer corn, canning corn is a great way to put up all of that corn you grew this year {or stocked up on}.
Pickled Corn Relish: My old neighbor Hulda and I decided to try our hands at pickled corn relish a few years ago. It turned out so awesome that we’ve been making it every year since!
Dilly Beans: If you have OCD and you’d like to give canning a try, than this is the recipe for you. Not only is it an easy peasy recipe because you are cold packing your vegetables, but for me, being able to line my beans up in the jar was a total rush. I loved every second of it!
Mint Jelly: Looking for a way to use all of that mint that has probably over-taken your herb beds? Real mint jelly is so easy to make, and is so pretty in the canning jars.
Low Sugar Cinnamon Plum Jam: Plum jam isn’t super popular, but it should be. After you try this recipe, I’m pretty sure you’ll agree!
Rosemary Jelly: I always have rosemary growing in the garden, but I really have no idea what to do with it besides dry it and use it as a spice. So when I made a recipe for rosemary jelly, I got excited knowing it would be a great staple to have on hand around during the holidays.
Blackberry Jam: Blackberry jam is one of those funky ones you usually only find in specialty stores. And with good reason. Blackberry jam takes a little extra effort to make.
September:
Applesauce: If you have never canned anything before, applesauce is a great place to start. The ingredient list is short, {apples, sugar, cinnamon} and it’s so dang easy to make, it’s hard to screw up!
Apple Pie Jam: Monkey Boy LOVES homemade apple pie so of course he LOVES this apple pie jam! I also thinks it’s tasty, but what I equally love is how my house smells like a giant apple pie factory when I make it.
Apple Butter: The process of making apple butter is exactly the same as applesauce with the exception of one step. After you turn your apples into applesauce, instead of canning it right away, you place the applesauce in a crock pot to cook down into a thick, rich buttery spread. That extra step makes all the difference!
Pears: I’ll take canning pears over peaches any day! All you need to do is wash your fruit, peel the skin off, core them and add a bit of sugar syrup and place them in the hot water canner. Easy peasy!
Pear Butter: My favorite way to enjoy pear butter is on toast or pancakes. Or just eat it with a spoon straight from the jar!
Just getting started in the canning world? Check out these helpful posts:
Preserving and Canning Equipment List
Should I Remove the Rings From My Canning Jars?
How to Make Sure Jam or Jelly Sets
Looking for more canning recipes? Check out Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
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Donna says
Hi Mavis, I’m a long time canner too. At the end of season I freeze my tomatoes when they are being harvest quicker than I can keep up. Then I can take them out in the fall and the skins just slip right off. So much easier to deal with. Also potatoes are something easy to can off season and so convenient to use during the year. Open a jar and mash or fry.
Love reading the adventures of Mavis and Lucy.
Carrie says
I have 3 gallons of roma tomatoes in my freezer. I need to make spaghetti sauce! I also love that the skins slip off.
Mavis, I buy cranberries for $1 a bag in November and December to make cranberry sauce to have for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So delicious and so cheap!
suzanne says
I’ve been doing this too. Helps so much with the glut of toms. I no longer bother removing skins or seeds. Honestly by the time the pot simmers for awhile they evaporate and adds flavor and roughage. I do sometime use a stick blender to smooth things out depending the tomatoes type. I’m going to try Mavis’s additions of carrots etc this next year.
suzanne says
I Should mention I trade my sauce for my nieces organic duck eggs. I’m going to try pickling them this time around as Mavis’s pickled egg post led me down a rabbit hole. Thank you Mrs Mavis. I had no idea that was a thing.
Mrs. C. says
Wow. Thank you so much for doing this.
Teresa D says
I have made the zucchini relish and it is fab! No one knows it’s zucchini until I tell them. If you like it spicy (I do) Chop a habanero pepper in there. SO GOOD!!
Mavis Butterfield says
It’s seriously my favorite thing to can.
Wendy says
Hi Mavis! Do you buy organic produce for canning, or not? I’m trying to decide if it’s worth paying the extra $$ for organic citrus, knowing that I’ll be using the peel in marmalade. I’d be interested in your opinion.
Mavis Butterfield says
No, not unless it is the same price as conventional.