Picture a winter’s evening, snow gently drifting outside your window, you pop open a jar filled with bright, sun-kissed tomatoes that evoke the essence of summer. Or maybe you grab a jar of sweet and fruity strawberry jam, bringing a hint of spring to the coldest days. This isn’t just a dream; it’s the wonderful reality of seasonal canning.
You may have come across, on Pinterest or Instagram, beautiful pantry shelves lined with rows of vibrant glass jars and thought that achieving something like that was beyond your capabilities. However, we want to assure you – it absolutely isn’t! Seasonal canning isn’t just a hobby for the homesteading elite; it’s a wonderfully rewarding way to connect with your food, savour the bounty of every season, minimise food waste and indulge in tasty, homegrown, foraged or other locally sourced flavours throughout the year.
By preserving fruits and vegetables when they’re at their peak – ripeness, flavour and often lowest price – you lock in that fresh goodness. This guide will take you month by month through the canning calendar, helping you plan your preserving projects and ensuring you never miss an opportunity to capture the best of what nature has to offer. Are you ready to dive into the satisfying world of seasonal canning? Let’s get started!
Your year-round canning calendar: What to preserve each month
The beauty of seasonal canning lies in its rhythm. You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Instead, you can just focus on the bounty of each specific month, making your canning efforts manageable and immensely enjoyable.
January: Citrus brightness and rooty delights
As the holiday rush subsides, January offers a refreshing start to your canning year. While fresh produce may seem scarce, you’ll find citrus fruits in their prime.
- Key produce: Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, tangerines, carrots, beetroot, winter squash (from storage).
- Canning ideas for you: This is the perfect time to make glorious marmalades – Seville orange, grapefruit or mixed citrus varieties. You can also preserve lemon curd or prepare candied citrus peels. For vegetables, consider pickled carrots or pickled beetroot which add a vibrant crunch to winter meals. If you’ve stored winter squash, you can make and can squash purées for soups or pies.
February: A hearty holdover
February continues the theme of root vegetables and citrus, often with some great post-holiday sales on produce.
- Key produce: Still strong on citrus, stored root vegetables like potatoes and parsnips, and perhaps early greenhouse greens if you’re lucky.
- Canning ideas for you: Keep those citrus marmalades going! You may also try canning spiced apple chutney if you stocked up on storage apples in the autumn. For a savoury twist, consider making and canning roasted red pepper sauce using sweet peppers available from warmer climates, bringing a taste of sunshine into your kitchen.
March: Rhubarb rises and early greens emerge
Spring begins to whisper in March, bringing new life to the garden and, consequently, your canning pot.
- Key produce: Rhubarb, early asparagus, spinach, spring onions.
- Canning ideas for you: Rhubarb jam or rhubarb compote are classic spring preserves – delicious on toast or as a topping for yogurt and desserts. You can also combine it with strawberries (if you can find early ones) for a delectable strawberry-rhubarb jam. Asparagus can be pickled for a unique, tangy treat.
April: Berry promises and more rhubarb
April sees the true awakening of spring, with the first promises of juicy berries and the continued abundance of early spring delights.
- Key produce: Rhubarb, asparagus, radishes, early strawberries.
- Canning ideas for you: Continue with rhubarb jams and sauces. If you find early strawberries, make small batches of strawberry jam. Pickled asparagus and pickled radishes are excellent ways to preserve these crisp vegetables, offering a tangy counterpoint to richer dishes.
May: Strawberry peak and cherry bliss
May truly kicks off the berry season, making it a favourite for many canners.
- Key produce: Strawberries (peak!), cherries, sugar snap peas, spring onions.
- Canning ideas for you: This is the time for strawberry jam, strawberry preserves or even strawberry pie filling. Don’t forget cherry preserves or cherry pie filling when cherries hit their stride. You can also make savoury preserves like onion relish with fresh spring onions.
June: Berries galore and first pickles
June brings an explosion of berries and the arrival of early vegetables perfect for pickling.
- Key produce: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, green beans, cucumbers, early peaches.
- Canning ideas for you: Stock up on raspberry jam, blueberry jam and apricot preserves. This is often when you’ll make your first batches of dill pickles and bread and butter pickles as cucumbers start coming in. Green bean pickles (dilly beans) are also a popular choice.
July: The summer harvest heats up
July is a central month for canners, with an incredible variety of fruits and vegetables reaching their peak.
- Key produce: Blackcurrants, blueberries, peaches, plums, sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers, courgettes.
- Canning ideas for you: Make canned blackcurrants, jam and cordial. Keep canning those blueberries, peaches (sliced, in syrup or peach jam) and plums (jams, sauces). It’s prime time for more dill pickles, refrigerator pickles and sweet pickle relish. You can also can green beans (pressure canning required) and make courgette relish.
August: The tomato tsunami and stone fruit symphony
August is often called “tomato season” for good reason, but it’s also a fantastic month for other key produce.
- Key produce: Tomatoes (peak!), corn, peppers, peaches, plums, pears, apples (early varieties), figs.
- Canning ideas for you: Get ready for tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, salsa, ketchup and chilli sauce. Preserve peaches and pears in light syrup, make fig jam or can corn kernels (pressure canning). Pepper jelly and roasted red peppers are also excellent choices.
September: Autumn’s abundance begins
As summer gently transitions to autumn, September offers a glorious array of fruits and late-season vegetables.
- Key produce: Apples, pears, grapes, late tomatoes, peppers, winter squash.
- Canning ideas for you: This is prime time for apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie filling and spiced pear preserves. Don’t forget grape jelly or grape juice. You can also continue with salsa and pepper products from late-season peppers or prepare pumpkin purée and winter squash purée.
October: Orchard harvest and cranberry delights
October is all about hearty autumn flavours, with orchards overflowing and festive berries arriving.
- Key produce: Apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkins, potatoes, beetroot, carrots.
- Canning ideas for you: More apple and pear preserves are in order. Start making cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly for the upcoming holidays. You can also focus on savoury items like pickled beetroot or pickled carrots to replenish your pantry. Pumpkin butter is a luxurious treat.
November: Root cellar stock-up and holiday preparations
As the days grow shorter, November is all about hearty root vegetables and preparing for festive gatherings.
- Key produce: Cranberries, root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, parsnips), winter squash.
- Canning ideas for you: Finish up any lingering cranberry sauces or jellies. While not traditionally canned, you can create delicious spiced pear preserves or apple chutney to serve with holiday meals. This is also a good month to make pickled onions or pickled green beans using stored produce for holiday platters.
December: Citrus cheer and planning ahead
December offers a moment to enjoy the fruits of your labour and plan for the canning year ahead.
- Key produce: Late-season citrus, stored root vegetables.
- Canning ideas for you: Make festive orange cranberry sauce or batches of lemon curd for holiday gifts. Reflect on what you enjoyed canning and eating, and start dreaming up your strategies for next year’s bounty. You may even make some spicy pickled carrots as a refreshing complement to rich holiday meals.
Your seasonal canning planner
Here’s a quick reference table to help you visualise your canning year:
| Month | Key produce for canning | Canning ideas & recipes |
|---|
| January | Oranges, Grapefruits, Lemons, Carrots, Beetroot, Winter Squash | Marmalades (Orange, Seville, Grapefruit), Candied Citrus Peels, Lemon Curd, Pickled Carrots, Pickled Beetroot, Squash Purée |
| February | Citrus, Root Vegetables, Stored Apples | Citrus Marmalades, Spiced Applesauce, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce |
| March | Rhubarb, Asparagus, Spinach, Spring Onions | Rhubarb Jam/Compote, Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam, Pickled Asparagus |
| April | Rhubarb, Asparagus, Radishes, Early Strawberries | Rhubarb Jam/Sauce, Small-Batch Strawberry Jam, Pickled Asparagus/Radishes |
| May | Strawberries, Cherries, Sugar Snap Peas, Spring Onions | Strawberry Jam/Preserves/Pie Filling, Cherry Preserves/Pie Filling, Onion Relish |
| June | Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Apricots, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Early Peaches | Raspberry Jam, Blueberry Jam, Apricot Preserves, Dill Pickles, Bread & Butter Pickles, Dilly Beans |
| July | Blackcurrants, blueberries, Peaches, Plums, Sweet Corn, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Courgettes | Canned whole blackcurrants, Peach Preserves/Slices, Plum Jam/Sauce, Blueberry Pie Filling, Dill Pickles, Sweet Pickle Relish, Courgette Relish, Canned Green Beans/Corn |
| August | Tomatoes, Corn, Peppers, Peaches, Plums, Pears, Early Apples, Figs | Tomato Sauce/Diced/Crushed Tomatoes, Salsa, Ketchup, Chilli Sauce, Peach Halves, Fig Jam, Pepper Jelly, Roasted Red Peppers |
| September | Apples, Pears, Grapes, Late Tomatoes, Peppers, Winter Squash | Applesauce, Apple Butter, Apple Pie Filling, Spiced Pear Preserves, Grape Jelly/Juice, Salsa, Pumpkin/Squash Purée |
| October | Apples, Pears, Cranberries, Pumpkins, Root Vegetables | Apple Butter, Spiced Pear Preserves, Cranberry Sauce/Jelly, Pumpkin Butter, Pickled Beetroot/Carrots |
| November | Cranberries, Root Vegetables, Winter Squash | Cranberry Sauce/Jelly, Spiced Pear/Apple Chutney, Pickled Onions |
| December | Late Citrus, Stored Root Vegetables | Orange Cranberry Sauce, Lemon Curd, Spicy Pickled Carrots |
Essential tips for your canning journey
Embarking on your canning journey is exciting, but a few key practices will ensure your success and safety.
- Safety first, always! You must use tested, reliable recipes from reputable sources like the USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation, Ball/Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving or university extension offices. These recipes are scientifically developed to ensure safe acidity levels and proper processing times. Never improvise a canning recipe – unless you are a seasoned pro.
- Understand your canning methods:
- Water bath canning: For high-acid foods (fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, tomatoes with added acid). This method is simpler and requires less specialised equipment.
- Pressure canning: Absolutely essential for low-acid foods (vegetables, meats, soups, mixed recipes like chilli). This method reaches temperatures high enough to kill harmful bacteria that water bath canning cannot. Do not skip pressure canning for low-acid foods – it’s a food safety non-negotiable.
- Gather your equipment: You don’t need to buy everything at once, but some canning essentials include: jars (Mason jars are standard), new lids (bands are reusable), jar lifter, canning funnel, headspace tool, bubble remover and a canner (either a large stockpot for water bathing or a pressure canner).
- Source quality produce: The flavour of your preserved goods starts with the quality of your ingredients. Look for fresh, ripe, blemish-free produce. Your garden or allotment, local farmers’ markets, pick-your-own farms or even the reduced chiller cabinet at the supermarket are great sources.
- Start small: Don’t feel pressured to preserve bushels of produce right away. Begin with small, manageable batches to build your confidence and refine your technique. A few jars of strawberry jam or dill pickles are a perfectly valid and rewarding start!
- Proper jar preparation: Always sterilise jars for recipes requiring less than 10 minutes of processing time. For longer processing, simply ensuring clean, hot jars is usually sufficient as the canning process itself sterilises them.
- Accurate headspace: Leave the exact amount of headspace specified in your recipe. Too little can cause siphoning (liquid loss) and too much can lead to an unsealed lid.
- Label and store: Once cooled and sealed, label your jars with the contents and date. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place away from direct sunlight or extreme temperatures. For best quality, consume within one year.
- Embrace the process: Canning is an art and a science. It’s also incredibly therapeutic. Enjoy the smells, the colours and the satisfaction of creating something delicious and long-lasting with your own hands.
Your canning adventure awaits!
There’s an undeniable magic in opening a jar you preserved months ago, a tangible connection to the season gone by. By following this monthly guide, you can transform your kitchen into a seasonal preserving powerhouse, ensuring your pantry is stocked with homemade goodness throughout the year.
So, pick a month, choose a fruit or vegetable that calls to you, and start your canning adventure. You’ll soon discover the immense satisfaction of seasonal eating, brought to life one delicious, colorful jar at a time. What will you preserve first? Share your canning plans and triumphs (or disasters!) with us.
