Are you interested in canning your own food but aren’t sure where to start? It can be intimidating to learn this art form, but don’t get discouraged! There are plenty of books out there to guide you along the way.
Here are 7 of the best books on canning that will stop food waste dead in its tracks and convert supposed food scraps into delicious, nutritious, and long-lasting pantry staples.
Spoiler alert, my favorite is The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables by Angi Schneider. But each one of these 7 reads offers an abundance of canning wisdom and deserves a spot on any homesteader’s bookshelf.
7 Wonderful Books For Canning Your Produce Perfectly Every Time
1. Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine is the ideal instructional guide for both experienced home-canning enthusiasts and professional chefs alike, due to its plethora of unique recipes.
This easy-to-follow recipe book contains all the creative recipes for beginners thanks to its dedicated chapters on the science of preserving food at home, technique, and special equipment.
What makes the ball canning cookbook different from other guidebooks is it that has more than 400 unique recipes for savory sauces, salsas, chutneys, pickles, and also on jellies, fruit spread, and jams.
Additionally, the Ball canning book also includes clear and safe food preservation instructions so you don’t have to worry about contamination. This book will be a good addition to your home library if you’re new to canning as well as if you’re a veteran home canner.
2. The Prepper’s Canning & Preserving Bible: [7 in 1] Easy Recipes to Survive After the Society Collapse
Have you ever wondered how people can survive for months if not years on end with only canned food? If so, this book will provide a comprehensive look into sustaining yourself solely with nutrient-dense foods for an entire year in inhospitable conditions.
I know, you may not be planning for the apocalypse right now or stocking a bunker, but this book helps you find peace of mind that if disaster does come, you have the tools to feed your family and prevent waste.
With this canning and preserving book, you will have access to not just the traditional recipes for water bath canning and pressure canning but also an array of creative ideas on how to make a variety of food items like jams, soups, and pickles.
If you’re preparing for a long journey or camping excursion in the desert, this book is an exceptional guide to delve into. It’s one of the ultimate canning books if you plan on sleeping under the stars in mountain and dryland areas.
This book includes everything you need to learn for preserving food, so you never need to worry about not having enough food preserved for survival. You’ll be a master food preserver in no time!
3. The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables: Canning, Pickling, Fermenting, Dehydrating, and Freezing Your Favorite Fresh Produce
If you’re looking for a book to guide you through the process of preserving your favorite vegetables, then this is undoubtedly one that should be at the very top of your list.
This comprehensive resource will show you how to harness today’s home preservation techniques and apply them successfully in your own kitchen.
This comprehensive canning guide contains more than 100 of the best canning recipes with colorful images to keep you hooked on the recipe and with easy-to-follow steps preservation method with insightful data charts.
The book will help you learn about canning & pickling, dehydrating, and fermenting. Additionally, it will also help you master freezing the most common garden produce properly for long-lasting access.
Furthermore, the author’s family-approved recipes for dried Asian broccoli crisps, fermented corn salsa, canned dilly asparagus, and more are sampled in the canning book. This makes it one of the best canning books for preserving food for and with the whole household.
4. Keeping the Harvest: Preserving Your Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs
If you’ve been searching for an efficient way to store your garden-fresh produce, Keeping the Harvest is a must-read that has stood the test of time.
Since 1976, this book has been a go-to source for thousands of gardeners and cooks due to its dependability and straightforwardness. Now completely modernized with current strategies, tools, and USDA regulations distinct to domestic preserving in this decade – it is more effective than ever!
You’ll find all the answers and tips on how to maximize shelf life as well as ways that can help ensure maximum flavor. It is well suited for a new generation of homesteaders who want to get started canning in new innovative ways that save time and utilize modern technology.
This guidebook features unique and quick methods that help you preserve food, such as microwave drying of herbs, in addition to traditional methods like canning, freezing, pressure canning, drying, pickling, and creating jams and jellies.
With this book in your hands, There’s no need to miss out on eating garden fresh foods because it entails a wide variety of food-preserving methods for the home cook.
Easy-to-follow instructions
Ideal cookbook for beginners
Unique methods to preserve food
Since this book has been around for a while, there are several editions, and some are better than others.
5. The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning: Everything You Need to Know to Can Meats, Vegetables, Meals in a Jar, and More
Are you a complete canning beginner who is worried about the first not-so-perfect batches you may produce as you’re learning the craft? This book takes the pressure off and aims for production, not perfection.
A “First Batches” chapter specifically designed to help those new to pressure canning, featuring two recipes for you to try out. This way you don’t have to take your first canning steps too seriously and instead focus on mastering the process.
The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning book has everything you need for pressure canning, canning meats, vegetables, and meals or food in jars, and can serve as the only book you have on the subject.
This book isn’t your average canning guide. It offers not only a historical account of the art, but also step-by-step instructions and nutritional information to get you started right away.
Plus, it provides an in-depth look at which foods are best suited for canning so that you’ll have all the resources necessary to make delicious preserves with ease.
There are over 80 easy-to-follow recipes in this book that you can make with a water bath canner including those for tomatoes, vegetables, beans, meats, stocks, broths, soups, stews, and every kind of meal in one jar.
This book will serve as your finest resource if you’re looking for quickly prepared meals with safe procedures and minimal processing time.
6. Canning and Preserving Cookbook for Preppers: 1500 Days of Wholesome Homemade Recipes
This is one of the best books on canning and preserving, it serves as a whole encyclopedia for the preservation of food.
Unlike other canning resources, this cookbook was developed for those facing food scarcity due to natural disasters or times of conflict. This gives it a personal and empathetic touch for those going through hard times and offers practical tips for preppers.
This complete book will help you master the art of surviving with preserved food with 1500 days of various recipes to preserve vegetables, legumes, meat, fruit, soups, and even seafood so you can enjoy every variety of fresh food all year long.
Moreover, the beginner-friendly book will teach you canning rules on how to preserve food using various techniques and will show you which techniques work best for which foods.
7. Water-Bath Canning and Preserving Cookbook for Beginners: Learn Secret Recipes and Be Prepared for the Next 5 Years
Many canning books stick to basic canning principles that are aimed at beginners.
But this water bath and pressure canning book will open your eyes to the potential of foods that can be preserved, inspiring you with new ideas and possibilities. This guide outlines the most advanced methods to ensure that food remains fresh for extended periods of time.
This comprehensive guide will teach you how to make the most of different types of canning lids, jars, and other tools so that you can confidently preserve your favorite foods for an extended period. Now, no matter what season it is outside, you’ll always have access to your favorites!
In addition to veggies, meat, and Jams all the different production techniques, the canning guide also includes creative recipes to fill your appetite.
Additionally, you will discover the most advanced techniques for canning and preserving food, as well as safety measures to take before starting a preservation process.
This can help to prevent any potential bacterial contamination, something you definitely don’t want when you’re trying to improve the quality of your wellness and diet.
So, What is The Best Food Preservation Book?
I Recommend “The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables”
I recommend The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables as it will help you preserve your fresh produce successfully with 100 different water bath or pressure canning recipes that you can try.
The author Angi Schneider has been a gardening and food preservation expert for the past 25 years. She is the head of her own website, SchneiderPeeps, an author for Countryside magazine, and has presented at the Beyond Off the Grid summit.
So when someone with this much experience releases a book, you know it’s going to be worth your while.
Ami’s book is truly a goldmine of information, and its structure makes it especially valuable for readers.
Every type of produce has been allotted an individual chapter in the book, with comprehensive instructions on how to grow them as well as tips on preserving their freshness. She meticulously follows all safety guidelines issued by the USDA and container/jar manufacturers so you know that your food is safe for consumption.
With so much content and such a compact size, this book is the perfect companion to have open on my kitchen counter while I’m making goods at home. This cookbook will remain reliable for years of cooking ahead for beginner and advanced canners alike.
Comparision Chart
| Title | Author | Pages | Specialty | Level | Price |
| Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving | Judi Kingry | 448 | 400 innovative recipes for salsas, savory sauces, pickles, chutneys, relishes as well as, jams, jellies, and fruit spread | Beginner / Intermediate | $$ |
| The Prepper’s Canning & Preserving Bible: [7 in 1] Easy Recipes to Survive After the Society Collapse | Tyler Gordon | 334 | Best food preserving and canning methods | Beginner | $$ |
| The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables: | Angi Schneider | 320 | Developing a treasure trove of preserved vegetables | Intermediate | $$$ |
| Keeping the Harvest: Preserving Your Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs | Nancy Chioffi | 208 | Homesteader-preserving techniques including drying, canning, pickling, curing, and more | Beginner | $ |
| The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning: Everything You Need to Know to Can Meats, Vegetables, Meals in a Jar, and More | Diane Devereaux | 230 | Pressure canning basics, and over 80 recipes | Beginner | $ |
| Canning and Preserving Cookbook for Preppers: 1500 Days of Wholesome Homemade Recipes | Josh Ruiz | 87 | Pressure canning vegetables, meat, and meals for long-term sustenance | Beginner / Intermediate | $ |
| Water-Bath Canning and Preserving Cookbook for Beginners: Learn Secret Recipes and Be Prepared for the Next 5 Years | Robert Bickel | 112 | Preserving food safely for the long haul | Beginner | $$ |
FAQs
Is Canning Your Own Food Worth it?
Yes, canning your own food is definitely worth it. It provides a great way to preserve fresh ingredients, save money on grocery bills, and have access to healthy and nutritious meals all year round.
It also ensures that you know exactly what ingredients are going into your meals, and can help to reduce food waste. Plus, it’s a fun and creative way to spend time in the kitchen!
What Types of Foods Can You Preserve?
The following types of foods can be preserved through canning:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Legumes
- Meat
- Soups
- Jams and jellies
- Pickles and relishes
- Salsas and sauces
- Fruit juices and drinks
- Condiments, spices, herbs, and extracts
How Long Does Canning Your Own Food Last?
The shelf life of canned food depends on the type of food, how it was processed, and how it is stored. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, canned foods can last between 1 to 5 years when stored in a cool and dry place. It is important to label cans with the date they were opened or canned so you can keep track of freshness.
What is Pressure Canning?
Pressure canning is a method of canning food in which the foods are heated at temperatures of over 100°C under pressure to destroy any bacteria that may be present. A book that focuses on pressure canning recipes and techniques can be helpful as it will provide detailed instructions on how to safely pressure canned food.
What is Water-Bath Canning?
Water-bath canning is a method of preserving foods in which the jars are filled with food, sealed, placed in boiling water for a given period of time, and then taken out of the water and allowed to cool. A book that focuses on water-bath canning recipes and techniques will provide detailed instructions on how to safely preserve food in this manner.
The Bottom Line: Best Canning Books for Preserving Your Favorite Foods
Home canning is essential for preserving vegetables, fruits, and meals for making healthy and nutritious lunches and dinners. But canning requires specific ingredients and some steps for it to be a success and not become an inedible blunder in a jar.
While there are plenty of books on canning, my favorite books on canning listed above will help you out in preserving your vegetable bounty successfully by going through the basics of canning and discussing important canning recipes.
Remember, the best way to start out is by finding a book that fits your needs and interests.
So don’t wait any longer, pick up one of these books and start canning today! Enjoy your delicious homemade creations for years to come!
