Our Favorite Canning Cookbook Titles
Updated: Aug. 11, 2020
If you're new to preserving or just want to try some fresh recipes, your perfect canning cookbook is out there.
Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round
Whether you’re preparing for winter or preserving summer favorites, this cookbook provides all the recipes you need to can and jar food all year long, from salsas to marmalades, pickles and more.
Why it made our list: This cookbook is perfect for beginners, with helpful hints and solutions for common canning problems.
The All-New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving
From trusted canning brand Ball comes this extensive cookbook, with over 350 recipes for canning creations of all kinds. It includes not only instructions for preserves, but also foods to make with them, like Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies. This Canning 101 guide is an excellent resource, too.
Why it Made our List: The recipes in this book have been tested for quality and safety by Ball’s Fresh Preserving Quality Assurance Lab, so they’re backed by a team you can trust.
The Homestead Canning Cookbook
Ready to embrace the pioneer lifestyle? The recipes in this cookbook are designed to help your family start healthy new habits with wholesome food.
Why it made our list: The Homestead Canning Cookbook has recipes for fruit, vegetables, sauces, soups and meats, so you’ll be able to preserve anything.
Not Your Mama’s Canning Book
Bye bye, basic jams and jellies. This canning cookbook provides fresh flavor combinations and never-before-seen recipes made to impress. It’s not the most traditional canning book out there, but it’s certainly among the most fun.
Why it made our list: With recipes like candied jalapenos, vanilla fig jam and cranberry ketchup, the recipes in this book are perfect for sharing.
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
To learn tips and tricks from the pros, this preserving cookbook will be your go-to. It has all the information you need to become the best canner on the block, from safe preserving practices to must-have utensils and how to use them.
Why it made our list: The inclusion of 400 recipes makes this among the most comprehensive canning cookbooks on the market.
The Farmhouse Culture Guide to Fermenting
From sauerkraut to kimchi, this cookbook is an essential guide to all things fermented. Whether you’re out to try new things or just want to know how to make the perfect pickle, you’ll want to keep this cookbook close by.
Why it made our list: This cookbook was co-written by Kathryn Lukas, a master fermenter, so you can trust the recipes within.
The Sqirl Jam Book
If there were ever a canning cookbook worthy of coffee table book status, it would be this one. Beneath its gorgeous minimalist cover are recipes for jellies, jams and preserves worth making again and again.
Why it made our list: Based on dishes from LA’s popular Sqirl restaurant, the recipes in this cookbook are tried-and-true.
The Canning Kitchen: 101 Simple Small Batch Recipes
Small batch preserves are among the best and most accessible for home cooks, and this cookbook provides all the essential, must-try recipes, from classics like Strawberry Rhubarb Jam to unusual creations like Bing Cherry Barbecue Sauce.
Why it made our list: The recipes in this cookbook are perfectly proportioned to provide enough jars for your household, plus a few to share with family and friends.
Batch: Over 200 Recipes, Tips, and Techniques for a Well-Preserved Kitchen
From water bath canning, fermenting, pressure canning and cellaring to every other preserving technique in between, this fun cookbook provides a guide for it all. It includes recipes for every skill level, so every home cook can enjoy it.
Why it made our list: Authors Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison are trusted names in the world of canning, and this book is full of their secrets for the perfect preserves.
Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin
Gone are the days of ultra-sugary, not-so-healthy preserves. This cookbook introduces a new health-conscious canning method using Pomona’s Pectin, which doesn’t need sugar to jell, but still retains the same great taste you love in jellies and jams.
Why it made our list: There are few ways of making preserving healthier, so we appreciate that these recipes offer an alternative.
