A Spring Preserving Guide: Your Kitchen From March to June

You made it. Spring is here. Whether you’re picking those first fresh herbs from your garden or squealing with excitement at rhubarb at the farmers’ market, the canning and preserving season has begun. Let’s make the most of these early harvests.

spring counter with jars and wooden spoons.

Redbud Jelly

Beautiful, fragrant flowers become a beautiful fragrant jelly.
Mid Spring

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A jar of homemade strawberry syrup with a metal spoon inside, fresh strawberries and sealed jars in the background on a white surface.

Strawberry Syrup for Canning

Sweet, bright, and beautiful. This syrup is perfect on pancakes or waffles.
Late Spring

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Naturally Sweet Oven Dried Strawberries

This recipe produces a chewy, candy-like dried strawberry that kids (and adults!) will love.
Late Spring

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A close-up of a single jar of strawberry preserves, with vibrant red preserves visible through the glass and fresh strawberries surrounding it, suggesting the final canned product.

Classic Strawberry Preserves

Simple ingredients made into a delicious fruit spead. Makes 6 half-pints.
Late Spring

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rhubarb being cut in towel.

Rhubarb Pie Filling

You can use this on oatmeal bars or for a classic pie or cobbler.
Mid-Spring

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glass of diluted lemonade with lemon slice and strawberry

Canned Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

A sweet and tart blend of fresh strawberries and lemon juice, canned to be shelf stable for fresh strawberry lemonade any time of year.
Late Spring

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Pickled Radishes

Crispy with lots of flavor, these are one of the earliest veggies.
Early Spring

Lilac Jelly

These flowers are beautiful, fragrant, and edible! Here’s how to make them into a beautiful jelly.
Early Spring

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What’s In Season When

Early

This is when the first daffodils bloom (March in my Zone 7 garden, but you might be different). There’s not much, to be honest.

  • Wild greens (pick when leaves are young and tender)
  • Maple sap, if you tap trees

Mid-Spring

This is when tulips are ready to cut (typically April in Zone 7 gardens)

  • Radishes
  • Spring onions
  • Fresh herbs
  • Asparagus

Late Spring

The trees are green, the nights are warmer, and things are getting exciting.

  • Strawberries
  • Rhubarb
  • Peas
  • Cabbage
  • Spinach

Most of what’s growing right now is best eaten fresh. There are definitely some things that are great for canning and preserving, but mostly this is an in-between season, a time to get ready.

  • Take stock of your empty jars
  • Check that your lids aren’t dented
  • Make sure your big canning pot hasn’t rusted
  • Use up last year’s canned goods to make room for new

Quick Project: Herb Salt

  • 1 cup fresh herbs (any combination)
  • 1/4 cup coarse salt
  1. Dry herbs with paper towel.
  2. Pulse herbs and salt in food processor until herbs are tiny.
  3. Spread on a plate to dry overnight. Store in jar.

Use for: seasoning roast chicken, vegetables, or eggs

Quick Project: Freezer Rhubarb Sauce

  • 4 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  1. Chop rhubarb, mix with sugar in a pot, add water.
  2. Cook until soft (about 10 minutes).
  3. Cool completely. Pack in freezer containers, leaving room for expansion. Done!

Use for: pancakes, yogurt topping, quick bread filling

Remember that generations before us didn’t preserve everything they grew. They knew some things are best enjoyed fresh and at their peak. So I hope you enjoy your salads and early herbs now. Summer’s big preserving days are right around the corner.

pretty green kitchen in may
picture of smiling female

By Katie Shaw

Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

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