Home Canning Library: Recipes & Guides

Inside: A complete collection of home food preservation guides and recipes. From simple jams to pressure canning full meals, you’ll find everything you need to get started. 

You don’t need a huge kitchen, expensive equipment, or generations of canning knowledge (I started from scratch too!). All you need is basic equipment, good safety information, and someone to show you the ropes. (Me!)

Together we’ll start with super simple water bath projects like jams and pickles. Once you’re comfortable, we can move on to pressure canning if you want to preserve low-acid foods like vegetables and stocks. Every recipe is tested for safety and perfect for beginners. 

These are some the most popular recipes at Heart’s Content Farmhouse. When you want to live simply, canning and preserving is a beautiful place to start.

Beginner Food Preservation Information

I know how overwhelming canning can feel at first. But let’s simplify it. We’re making a recipe, putting it in jars, and boiling the jars to seal. That’s it! I know you’ll want to read a lot before you started and that’s totally understandable. But don’t get stuck here. Eventually it’s time to pick a simple recipe and get started.

Start Here:

• Grab my free canning planner to keep everything organized and simple
• Tips for a smooth canning day (these will save you a lot of frustration)
• Want pretty jars? Download these free printable canning labels

Waterbath Canning Recipes

This is the perfect way to begin your preserving journey, and I promise it’s not complicated. All you need is a big pot, some jars, and simple ingredients to make your own jams, pickles, and fruit preserves

Beginner Friendly Ideas:

• Classic Strawberry Preserves
• Dill Pickle Relish
• Canned Cranberry Sauce

Pressure Canning Tutorials

This hissing, the steaming, the huge canner. Pressure canning can feel scary but it’s not. And if you want to can low-acid foods like chicken stock, potatoes, or your grandma’s famous marinara, you’ll want to learn. !I’ll walk you through everything you need to know. You can totally do this.

Simple Classics:

• Pressure Canned Potatoes
• Pressure Canned Chicken Stock
• Pressure Canned Green Beans

Dehydrating and Freezing

Not ready for canning yet? These are two SUPER easy ways to save your harvest: freezing and dehydrating. These are actually my favorite methods when I’m too hot to can or just want to keep things simple.

Perfect for beginners, and you probably already have everything you need to get started.

All of These Are Easy:

• Oven Dried Strawberries
• Dehydrated Basil
• How to Freeze Strawberries

Quick & Easy Refrigerator Preserves

Want the simplest way to start preserving? These easy refrigerator recipes are perfect for beginners. No special equipment need. Just mix your ingredients, fill your jars, and keep them in the fridge. Perfect for small batches when you don’t want to do a full canning project.

Try These Simple Favorites:

• Pickled Strawberries
• Small Batch Dill Pickles
• Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
• Sweet Cream Homemade Butter
• Lemon Pie Filling

More Resources

Here are the websites I trust most for tested recipes and safety information. These are the places I turn to when I need to double-check something or want to learn more:

• National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP)
• Ball® Fresh Preserving
• Penn State Extension’s Food Preservation Resources
• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
• Canning Across America
• Punk Domestics
• Preserved Home by Laura Woolfrey-Macklem

You now have everything you need to begin. Start with something simple like refrigerator pickles or a small batch of strawberry jam. Remember everyone started exactly where you are now!

Have questions along the way? I’m here to help! Drop a comment below or check out my beginner’s guide to water bath canning. You’ll be amazed at what you can create in your own kitchen.