77. Canning Recipes Worth Making

I don’t know about you but I have definitely made my fair share of canned goods that turned out less than stellar and some that were just simply not edible. One of my first years gardening, I found myself with an abundance of certain crops that I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat or share. So I decided to preserve it for later use (or so I thought). There are several ways to preserve food, more on that here.

I decided canning would be a good option for me. I made pickles and several different tomato recipes. All of which turned out terrible. The pickles tasted like the kerosene pickles from Aunt Bee and the tomatoes had way too much of a lemon taste that made them too sour for use. After that year, instead of giving up, I told myself I would find recipes that my family would actually eat and use.

I will say that sometimes it has more to do with what variety of crop you use. For example, I always grow Jade beans because they are string less and don’t get tough when I can them. I also grow mainly paste tomatoes with several heirlooms thrown in for flavor. I actually prefer to pickle the English style cucumbers because I like the way they taste and preserve better. You have to find what works for your family but that is what works for me.

While I won’t write out the recipes here, I will link the books where they can be found with some of my own notes for each.

Salsa

One thing I love about salsa is that it can be made fresh and snacked on right away or kept in the fridge to let the flavors get to know one another and it makes it better. Only certain recipes can be canned for salsa and even more so only some can be water bath canned. This Roasted Lime Tomato Salsa is the best one I’ve found. I remove the skins after roasting the tomatoes and omit the cilantro because I don’t like how it tastes once it’s canned. I also double the recipe anytime I make it so that I can have a full canner load plus a little extra for snacking as I work. This recipe can be found here: Fool Proof Preserving

Pizza Sauce

I love making my own pizza at home. I will make my own sourdough crust and open up a can of this pizza sauce. Add on whatever toppings you like and bake. This comes together super easy if you have the KitchenAid Vegetable Attachment. I purchased the course that contains the recipe several year’s ago and it has more than paid for itself in time and effort. Definitely worth the money and it walks you through way more than just tomato products. Find the course here.

P.S. I also use the pickled beet recipe from this course

Spaghetti Sauce

While this recipe is technically called pizza sauce as well, I use this more as a spaghetti sauce. Again with this one, I take off most of the skins. The key here is using fresh herbs. It really makes all the difference. I also use an immersion blender in my pot while I let the sauce simmer instead of transferring it to a blender. It makes for less dishes in my opinion and you get enough of those anytime you preserve anything. The recipe can be found at the back of this book. (BTW, this book is chock full of great recipes! I also love the everyday Mexican beans and the eggnog recipe at the holidays)

Pickles

I have finally found a pickle recipe that works for me. It’s so simple and easy and kid approved. I love using the recipe on the back of these Mrs. Wages packets. They make a lot of different options for whatever you are preserving but I like the way the dill pickle one tastes. Find it here.

Honorable Mention: There is also a great pickle recipe in the Fool Proof Preserving book as well.

Jams and Jellies

I am pretty simple when it comes to making a jam or jelly recipe. I like taking simple ingredients like strawberries or blueberries and honey or cane sugar and mixing it together to add on top of my sourdough bread. The recipe for it can be found here. I really like making blueberry butter though for the top of pancakes. It’s smooth and creamy and thick. Makes a great addition to the top of buttermilk pancakes. The Ball Back to Basics book is great for those simple recipes where you are just starting out and wanting to find simple recipes to try. It can be found here.

Applesauce

Last recipe for today is applesauce. I never realized how simple and easy it is to make your own applesauce until I did it myself. My family loves it, especially my daughter and nephew. I like to have a few chunks in mine but you could make it smooth as well. This is a great addition to a winter meal for something fresh. The recipe can be found here.

One thing I will add, any canning recipe worth making is going to take some effort. You are taking basic ingredients and making them into something worth preserving. Last tip, start with a clean kitchen! I promise you by the time your done it won’t be clean but it’s frustrating to try and work in an already dirty kitchen. I hope these recipe ideas give you a place to start and you can continue on from there with more recipes.

Until Next Time, Happy Gardening!