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Easy Canning Recipes For Beginners

Easy Canning Recipes For Beginners

I have one question for you. Do you know how to can? And if you do, why didn’t you tell me about it?!

A few weeks ago I attended an event held by ball canning called the “preserve summer canning class”. I was excited because we would be taught how to can (even though I had no clue whatsoever what “can” meant) and be taught how to make a delicious in season corn salsa.

Let’s be real here folks, they had me at Salsa.

The event was held in beautiful TriBeCa at Maman Bakery. When I arrived there was some of the most delish sangria waiting for us. We were surrounded by delicious smelling ingredients, a lot of ball jars and amazing company.

I started talking to the ball canning representatives about how I personally use my ball cans.

  • USB drives
  • Spare change
  • Drink glasses
  • Credit and business card holder

Apparently I wasn’t using my cans to the best of my ability. This very simple cooking class would change the way I looked at these beautiful mason jars…forever.

Ball canning

I’ve never seen this ball canning phenomenon before so imagine my surprise (and delight) that I could make amazing foods like salsa, jams, marmalade and SO much more–can it properly, keep it stored in a cool place and it’s good for a year! (depending on the food that you canned)

To make our salsa, we all had individual cooking stations and really cute ball branded aprons.

EASY CANNING RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

We added all of the ingredients and cooked them together for a bit. Next we sterilized our jars, combined the ingredients carefully, filled up our cans (not too much!) and boom! We were professionals! (or something really close) 🙂

EASY CANNING RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

Canning showed me and awesome easy way to preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables all year long whether they are in season or not. It’s literally opened up a brand new world for me!

EASY CANNING RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS EASY CANNING RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

Canning Recipes

Want to start canning, but have no idea where to start? Check out these easy minimal ingredient recipes perfect for canning at any level! Jams and Salsa included!

EASY CANNING RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

The amazing folks at Ball Canning gave me a full starter set so I can start canning myself! I’m so excited and I have no idea where I want to start but I’m sure peaches will have a lot to do with it because they are my favorite and they are in season!

Easy Canning Recipes For Beginners

Want to start canning, but have no idea where to start? Check out these easy minimal ingredient recipes perfect for canning at any level! Jams and Salsa included!

CORN & CHERRY TOMATO SALSA

Makes about 6 (16 oz.) pint jars

5 lbs. cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cups corn kernels (about 2 large ears fresh, but frozen thawed is fine)
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup fresh lime juice (about 3 large limes)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder, optional
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 Ball® (16 oz.) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
2. Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a large stainless-steel or enameled saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Ladle the hot salsa into a hot jar, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled.
4. Process the jars 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.

NOTE: The use of fresh lime juice in this recipe is for the purpose of fresh flavor and has been verified as
safe by scientific testing.

Recipe excerpted from Ball® Canning Back to Basics, published by Oxmoor House (2016).


MIXED BERRY JAM

Makes about 4 (1⁄2-pint) jars

Mix and match your favorite berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries
to create this delightful jam.

2-2⁄3 cups crushed fresh berries (about 1-1⁄3 pounds)
3 tablespoons Ball® Classic Pectin
3-1⁄3 cups sugar

1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
2. Combine the berries in an 8-quart stainless-steel or enameled Dutch oven. Gradually add the pectin. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high, stirring constantly.
3. Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim the foam, if necessary.
4. Ladle the hot jam into a hot jar, leaving 1⁄4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled.
5. Process the jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.

Change It Up

Instead of a mix of berries, you can choose to use just one. This recipe works well with just raspberries
or blackberries.

Reduced Sugar Mixed Berry Jam

Add 2⁄3 cup unsweetened fruit juice or water to the berries and lemon juice, substituting 3 tablespoons Ball® Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin for the Classic Pectin. Reduce the sugar to 1 cup. This jam will have a looser set than the full-sugar version, but just as much fresh fruit flavor.


Sweet Pickled Radish

Makes about 1 (16 oz.) pint jar

1⁄2 cup (125 mL) white or apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) sugar
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) water
1 tsp. (5 mL) table salt
1 tsp. (5 mL) mustard seeds
1⁄2 tsp. (2 mL) ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1⁄2 tsp. (2 mL) dried crushed red pepper (optional)
1 bunch radishes (about 1⁄2 lb./250 g), stem and root ends removed and cut into 1⁄8-inch (3-mm) slices
1 (16 oz.) pint jar

1. Bring vinegar, next 6 ingredients, and if desired, crushed red pepper to a boil in a small
saucepan.
2. Place radishes in a hot 1-pt. jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid over radishes. Wipe jar rim. Center lid
on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Let cool on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Chill 6
hours before serving. Store in refrigerator up to 4 months.


Check out some awesome easy canning recipes for beginners from these really amazing bloggers:

Easy Canning Recipes For Beginners! Just in time for the fall season! #canitforward @BallCanning Click to Tweet

“Canning is an easy and rewarding way to preserve and share peak summer flavors, but we recognize for many the process may feel intimidating,” said Jessica Piper, Fresh Preserving canning expert at Newell Brands. “The Ball Preserving Summer Canning Series and Can-It Forward Day were created to bring new and veteran canners together to share knowledge, learn how easy the canning process can be, and to share a taste of their homemade creations with friends and family throughout the year.”

EASY CANNING RECIPES FOR BEGINNERS

For more fun easy canning recipes for beginners check out the Ball canning Facebook Page!

Have you ever canned your favorite foods? What are your favorite recipes?

ETHAN THOMAS

Tuesday 7th of November 2017

I would like to make pickles in the lug lid jars... but i know with the traditional pickle canning you have to have the pickles in the jar with the lid on and boil it for 15 minutes. will i be able to do this with the lug style lid?

In case your wondering why I'm not using the regular canning jars... am making mini jars of pickles for a baby shower... and the lug lids on the hexagon jars are cuter.

Tamara

Wednesday 6th of September 2017

Such an awesome recipe. YUM. I don't know much about canning but my mom does it and it rocks!

Terri

Saturday 2nd of September 2017

Currently my cans are collecting dust in a corner waiting to be used for a pinterest project that may never happen. I definitely thinkI'll give canning a try.

Kita

Friday 1st of September 2017

My mom use to can back in the day and we were always prepared for it all. I need to go back old school with some stuff

Janine Huldie

Friday 1st of September 2017

I love canning and I actually was working on a new Mason Jar canning post yesterday, which should go up on my blog soon. So, you no twisting my arm on this as I love finding new and creative ideas to use Mason Jars and more for canning projects, too :)