These vintage canning recipes bring back happy memories of our grandmothers. One taste of these preserves or pickles and you'll be sitting right back in Grandma's kitchen.
58 Timeless Canning Recipes Only Grandma Knew to Make
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Watermelon Rind Pickles
“Waste not, want not” has always been smart advice—especially when it produces picked watermelon rind that’s so refreshing. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Apricot Jam
A beautiful golden apricot jam, scented with amaretto liqueur, is like a dose of sunshine in a jar. Come winter, you'll be grateful to have some stashed away.New to canning? Read our Test Kitchen’s guide to get started.
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Pickled Green Beans
Make your summer produce go the extra mile with this easy pickled green beans recipe. We'll walk you through every step of making this tasty snack.
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Spiced Pickled Beets
With sweet, tangy and spiced flavors, these pickled beets are so good that they'll win over just about everyone in your house. Jars of colorful beets make great gifts, too! —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana
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Favorite Bread & Butter Pickles
I made these pickles while growing up and love them because you can eat them with just about anything. Now, both of my children love these pickles too. I think you'll enjoy them as much as we do! —Linda Weger, Robinson, Illinois
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Bill's Apple Butter
Since retiring, I have more time to tend to our 75 apple trees and to experiment in the kitchen. I came up with this old-fashioned apple butter after some trial and error. The red-hot candies make it unique.—Bill Elliott, Urbana, Missouri
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Mild Salsa Recipe for Canning
This mild salsa recipe for canning helps keep summer goodness stocked in the pantry year-round.
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Plum Conserve
My mouthwatering conserve is a versatile gift. It makes a lovely garnish for rolls during holiday feasts, is delicious paired with cheese as an appetizer, and makes a great dessert topping for ice cream or pound cake. —Ginny Beadle, Spokane, Washington
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Homemade Spicy Hot Sauce
I created this spicy recipe one day using what I had available from my garden: hot peppers, carrots, onions and garlic. The carrots make this recipe stand out. —Carolyn Wheel, Fairfax, Vermont
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Pickled Peaches
A soft, sweet peach tastes like Southern summer, but with this recipe for pickled peaches, you can savor the moment for months to come and introduce some spicy, sour flavors too.
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Apple Jelly
Homemade preserves can be intimidating, but this apple jelly recipe is great for beginners. It calls for juice rather than fruit, which means it's quick to prep and simple to make any time of year.
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Canning Spaghetti Sauce
Canning spaghetti sauce is a delicious way to preserve garden-fresh tomatoes. Here's how to can spaghetti sauce in a water bath—no pressure canner required.
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Annie's Original Salsa
I spent 5 years working on this recipe. Everyone loves it, and it's one of the few recipes that is actually mine, not inherited from someone else! It's been so popular that a friend canned 4 ounce jars and gave them as wedding favors. My oldest daughter asked me to do the same thing, and so we gifted wedding guests with 300 small jars of salsa at her autumn-themed wedding. —Angela Barnes, Big Rapids, Michigan
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Giardiniera
Sweet and tangy, this Italian condiment is packed with peppers, cauliflower, carrots and other crisp-tender veggies. It’s perfect to offer alongside pickles or olives on a relish tray. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, WisconsinHere’s our guide to pickling cauliflower.
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Rhubarb-Cherry Chutney
I love surprising recipes like this chutney with rhubarb, apple and cherries. Try it with cream cheese and crackers or as a condiment for grilled chicken. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
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Spiced Cran-Apple and Grape Conserve
Faced with an abundance of grapes from my garden, I wound up using them in various ways. This conserve was an afterthought, but I received so many great compliments from family and friends that I made sure to write down the recipe. I served it with crackers and Brie cheese, but it would be great with pork, chicken, ham and cheesecake, too. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California
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Cinnamon Blueberry Jam
Watching my grandmother can hundreds of jars of tomatoes, peaches and pears inspired me to try making jams and jellies myself. I can remember going down into her cellar as a girl—all those jars on the shelves gave me such a warm, homey feeling! My family enjoys this jam on warm corn muffins, or blueberry. The cinnamon's a bit of a surprise. —Barbara Burns, Phillipsburg, New Jersey
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Autumn Pepper Relish
This colorful relish is a favorite with friends and family because it tastes amazing on just about everything. I like to serve it over cream cheese or a block of sharp cheddar cheese along with crackers or French baguette slices. I also include a jar in gift baskets. —Barbara Pletzke, Herndon, Virginia
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Cherry Jam
Turn your crop of tart cherries into a homemade cherry jam recipe. Four ingredients and canning tools are all you need to preserve your harvest.
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Pickled Brussels Sprouts
This year, when I asked my brother what he wanted for his 31st birthday, he answered, "pickled Brussels sprouts." I had never even tasted a pickled Brussels sprout before. It's hard for me to say "no" to my younger brother, so he got his wish and thought the Brussels sprouts were delicious! —Heather King, Frostburg, Maryland
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Strawberry-Basil Vinegar
The mild, fruity flavor of this strawberry vinaigrette complements any tossed salad. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Raspberry Peach Jam
When my jam won a first-place pink ribbon at our local county fair, I was overjoyed but it's not the highest compliment that recipe has received. Two girlfriends that I share it with tell me if they don't hide the jam from their husbands and children, they'll devour an entire jarful at just a sitting! —Patricia Larsen, Leslieville, Alberta
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Spicy Chunky Salsa
Vinegar adds a refreshing tang to this sweet tomato salsa. It's wonderful as is, but for more heat, leave in some hot pepper seeds. —Donna Goutermont, Sequim, Washington
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Easy Dill Pickles
This treasured dill pickle recipe is like an old friend. These crispy spears have a slightly salty, tart flavor with a good balance of dill, garlic and peppers. —Betty Sitzman, Wray, Colorado
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Flavorful Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
Strawberry rhubarb jam will become your go-to summer treat following the spring rhubarb season. Fortunately, jarred rhubarb jam with strawberries can keep for up to two years, so you can enjoy it all year long.
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Pineapple-Rhubarb Jam
Rhubarb, pineapple and strawberry make an awesome jam that brings back memories of living on a farm and growing my own rhubarb. —Debbi Barate, Seward, Pennsylvania
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Roasted Beet Jam
This spicy jam recipe is from my Russian grandmother, who had no written recipes and who gave a few jars of the jam as gifts. I re-created the recipe from memory and think of her each time I prepare it. If you want to increase the yield, it's easy to double the recipe. I like to serve the jam on buttered toast or with cream cheese on toasted pita. The jars, which are dark red from the beets, make a welcome gift.—Susan Asanovic, Wilton, Connecticut
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Slow-Cooked Peach Salsa
Fresh peaches and tomatoes make my salsa a winner over store-bought versions. As a treat, I give my coworkers several jars throughout the year. —Peggi Stahnke, Cleveland, Ohio
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Ginger Pear Freezer Jam
At dinner with friends one evening, one of our hosts served some pears she had preserved with ginger and lemon. The flavor was so heavenly I decided to use the fresh pears she gave us to try my hand at a ginger and lemon freezer jam.—Jeni Pittard, Commerce, Georgia
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Freezer Cucumber Pickles
When I first started to make these crunchy and satisfying freezer pickles, I wasn't sure if the method would actually work. To my surprise, they came out perfect! Now I make enough to take them to picnics or give as gifts to friends and neighbors. —Connie Goense, Pembroke Pine, Florida
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Pickled Sweet Peppers
I love to can my homegrown produce. I call this recipe Summer in a Jar. The peppers have a nice combination of tart and spicy flavors. —Edna Clemens, West Branch, Michigan
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Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe
When I was raising my big family, I’d make this garlic dill pickle recipe toward the end of the growing season for winter’s keeping. Crushed red pepper flakes gives the pickles a bit of bite.— Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Pickled Garlic
Pickled garlic is a delicious condiment for the garlic lover on your list. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how pickling mellows out the garlic, making it a tasty sandwich topper. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Very Berry Spread
Two kinds of berries make this jam deliciously different. I always keep some on hand.—Irene Hagel, Choiceland, Saskatchewan
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Rhubarb Jelly
I help help my husband with the pouring and skimming for this jelly—my own personal favorite. It's nice as both a breakfast spread and a topping for pork or other meat. —Jean Coleman, Ottawa, Ontario
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Refrigerator Jalapeno Dill Pickles
I’m passionate about making pickles. My husband is passionate about eating them. He's too impatient to let them cure on the shelf, so I found this quick recipe to make him happy. Add hotter peppers if you like. —Annie Jensen, Roseau, Minnesota
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Rhubarb Raisin Marmalade
At a retreat in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, I sampled a marmalade combining rhubarb and raisins. I loved it so much that I went home and tried to duplicate it. I added the strawberries to make the marmalade even sweeter. —Carmen Tuck, Airdrie, Alberta
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Tangy Pickled Mushrooms
Home-canned pickled mushrooms are a handy addition to your pantry. They’re ideal for cocktails, appetizers, salads and relish trays.—Jill Hihn, Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms, West Grove, Pennsylvania
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Pear Preserves
Slow-cooking a big batch of velvety pear preserves is an easy way to extend your fresh pear harvest. This beginner-friendly boiling water canning recipe makes an all-purpose pear preserve you can spice up to your liking.
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Blackberry Apple Jelly
August is the busiest month of the year on our small farm—that’s when we’re harvesting sweet corn, pumpkins and pickling cucumbers for our stand. But I always make time to put up this jelly. The apples come from our old-fashioned orchard, while the blackberries grow wild along our creek…and the jelly’s usually gone by January! —Liz Endacott, Matsqui, British Columbia.
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Apple-Walnut Maple Conserve
Versatile and delicious, this conserve reminds me of a warm cozy kitchen; you'll love every bite. I warm the conserve and pour it over vanilla ice cream as a dessert, and it's great as a topping over French toast, biscuits or even pork roast. Be sure to make more than one batch so you can give it as gifts during the holidays.—Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
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Strawberry Peach Jam
You'll definitely capture the flavors of summer with this chunky, luscious toast-topper. Best of all, this jam freezes well for up to a year, and it makes a great housewarming or hostess gift idea. —Gwen Frankhouser, El Cajon, California.
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Pickled Grapes
No sour grapes here! Easy to make and even easier to eat, pickled grapes are a versatile way to preserve fruit and add a savory surprise to your dishes.
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Pickled Zucchini
From zoodles to bread, zucchini is a versatile vegetable. You can even transform it into pickled zucchini, too!
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Chunky Peach Spread
Here's a fruit spread that captures the best tastes of late summer. I like that it's low in sugar and not overly sweet, which lets the fresh peach flavor shine right through. — Rebecca Baird, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Blueberry Jam
Homemade blueberry jam adds an instant flavor boost to your favorite foods. Dollop a spoonful onto oatmeal or fluffy pancakes and waffles for a sweet, tart, purple-colored upgrade.
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Tomatillo Relish
I have a very hearty tomatillo plant in my garden. To use up the abundant produce, I decided to make a relish. You can use it as a dip or as a condiment on eggs, hot dogs, meat loaf or burgers. It has an addictive taste. —Deb LaBosco, Foley, Minnesota
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Green Tomato Jam
As the tomato season draws near and you have a bumper crop of green tomatoes on your vine, reach for this one-of-a-kind jam! Everyone is pleased with its great taste.—Norma Henderson, Hampton, New Brunswick
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Sweet & Smoky Salsa
I love the roasted flavor that grilling gives food, so I decided to make a salsa from grilled vegetables. I think this recipe would also taste great using plum tomatoes. Also, if you can't use wood chip charcoal, you might try adding a little liquid smoke to the salsa while it cooks. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon
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Cider Jelly
For a tasty jam during the fall, try this cider. The candy adds a wonderful cinnamon flavor.—Donna Bensend, Dallas, Wisconsin
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Plum Jam
Whether picked from a tree or scooped up at the farmers market, fresh plums make a beautiful, jewel-toned plum jam that can top a warm scone, a summer dish of ice cream or a simple slice of toast.
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Honey Blueberry Cobbler Jam
I work at a farmers market, and honey blueberry jam is my top seller. You've gotta taste it with fresh goat cheese and toasted candied pecans. —Krystal Wertman, Humble, Texas
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Lemon-Rosemary Marmalade
I love the flavor combination of lemon and rosemary. This unique marmalade goes beautifully with roast chicken, herbed pork roast, lamb chops or a savory biscuit. —Birdie Shannon, Arlington, Virginia
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Strawberry Jam
This step-by-step strawberry jam recipe takes away any of the mystery and confusion behind jam-making, leaving you with the most glorious ruby-red, sticky-sweet canned jam.
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Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapenos)
If you love spicy food like we do, then these tasty candied jalapenos—also known as cowboy candy—are for you! You can save the syrup to baste roasted chicken or grilled salmon, or mix it into salad dressings. Jars of this dynamite condiment make a great gift. —Rita Ladany, Edison, New Jersey
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Raspberry Mint Jam
I have so much mint growing in my yard that I add it to almost everything. What a revelation it was when it went in my raspberry jam—the mint really wakes up the raspberry flavor.—Laurie Bock, Lynden, Washington
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Kickin’ Red Pepper Jelly
Peppers grow like wild fire in our hot Missouri summers. That's when I make spicy jelly to give as gifts at Christmas. The leftover pulp can be frozen in small batches and stirred into chili, pasta sauce, salad dressing and salsa. —Lee Bremson, Kansas City, Missouri
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