36+ Recipes For Preserving Vegetables (Freezing, Drying, Canning & Fermenting)

These recipes for preserving vegetables will turn your pantry and freezer into your own store with an amazing assortment of delicious veggies. From tangy pickles to savory relishes, master the art of preserving vegetables and savor the garden’s goodness throughout the year.

Preserving vegetables is a great way to enjoy the (literal) fruits of your labor long after the growing season is over. From canning and freezing to pickling and fermenting, there are many simple methods to store your vegetables that will keep them fresh and tasty for months.

In this article, you’ll find some of the best, easiest, recipes for preserving vegetables so your pantry will always be full and ready for your next meal.

And luckily, it doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating! These recipes and techniques are easy, cost-effective, and will make your meals so much better.

Through the years I’ve published lots of preserving recipes that I’m including here because they are tried-and-true and usually what I make every year. 

And I’m also sharing a few recipes from other sites because there are some things I don’t ever make (like pumpkin anything – don’t get me started on that).

My hope is that this can be a great preserving resource in the areas of freezing, drying, refrigeration, water-bath canning, and fermenting so you can feel confident in using up your fresh vegetables from the garden, farmers’ market, or grocery store to enjoy throughout the year.

Freezing Vegetables

1. How to Freeze Green Beans without Blanching

After canning green beans (too mushy for us) and blanching and freezing (weird squeaky texture) I went against the standard and tried freezing the beans without blanching them first.

The results were the best preserved beans we’d tried and now it’s the only way I preserve the green beans we grow each year.

2. How to Freeze Snap Peas & Snow Peas without Blanching

Once I realized that we like some vegetables better without blanching, I tested in on other vegetables including snap peas which we like better not blanched, too.

You will love how quick and easy it is to put up snap and snow peas in the freezer to use in stir fries and recipes all year.

3. Easily Freeze Chopped Sweet & Hot Peppers

Peppers are usually frozen without blanching, so this is the best way to freeze them.

To make them easiest to use for recipes, chopping and flash freezing on a baking sheet first is the way to go – simply measure out the amount you need and use them frozen right in your recipe.

4. How to Roast & Freeze Beets

You definitely want to cook beets before freezing and a simple oven roast is the easiest, hands-off way.

You won’t believe how good these are even months after freezing – simply thaw and add to a salad or warm as a side dish or mix with other veggies.

5. How to Freeze Corn Three Ways

In my testing of the best way to freeze corn I learned that you can freeze it unblanched, but it’s the easiest to use as side dishes if you cook it a few minutes first – and I also learned the easiest way of all is to freeze the whole cobs uncooked!

So now I freeze corn three different ways to use them in salads, cooked recipes, and then to microwave frozen cobs (the best way to cook them).

6. Easy, Amazing Roasted Tomato Sauce

This is THE best way to use up a lot of slightly-off, over-ripe tomatoes and other garden veggies you’d like. You will want to eat this straight from the spoon, it’s so good.

It’s not a tested canning recipe, so it’s only safe for freezing, but that means you can add as much garlic, onion, peppers, and other veggies you’d like. Healthy AND delicious – this is a recipe you will make again and again.

7. Plain Roasted Tomato Sauce to Freeze

This is what you can do with the last of the season’s tomatoes that aren’t safe for canning and you’ve made all the seasoned sauce you need.

Roast up all the tomatoes you have left, process it, and freeze – in a little more than an hour you’ll have a stash you can use in any recipe that calls for canned tomato sauce!

8. Lemon Garlic Roasted Vegetables

Use up end of season garden produce with this delicious recipe that you freeze in quart-sized containers which can make a super flavorful soup that’s included in the recipe.

You can also just heat and serve with baked chicken – so good.

9. Homemade Frugal Pesto to Freeze with The BEST Pine Nut Substitution

This is so easy and delicious that I haven’t been without this in our freezer in years. Especially because I don’t have to shell out $$ for pine nuts – AND we like the flavor better with this seed substitution!

Basil grows so easily most years in the garden or containers, so it’s not hard to keep us in pesto that we use in delicious pasta dishes and to spread on artisan bread.

10. How to Freeze Broccoli Blanched & Unblanched

Here’s another vegetable that I tested the standard blanching technique against not blanching – guess which I preferred?

Yep, I now freeze broccoli unblanched, though you can check out the differences and choose which way you will freeze it.

11. Easy Homemade Tomato Paste To Freeze

This is the easiest, least labor-intensive way to make tomato paste from fresh tomatoes I’ve found.

It does make small batches, but I freeze portions in small 4-ounce jars which are perfect for most recipes.

12. How to Make Pumpkin Puree to Freeze

The full title of this tutorial and recipe is “how to make a pumpkin puree from a whole pumpkin and what to make with it.” This includes all the steps to cooking your pumpkin and processing it to get the consistency of canned pumpkin to use in recipes.

It’s not safe to can pumpkin, either water-bath or pressure canned, because of the density, so you will freeze this to use any time you would need a can of pumpkin puree.

Drying Vegetables

13. How to Dry Tomatoes and Store Safely in Olive Oil

This is the perfect way to keep dry tomatoes for 6-12 months ready for any recipe – just slice and use in salads, pasta, baked chicken, and more.

I include a lot of details about the safety of storing dried tomatoes in olive oil on a shelf and include a video with all the steps.

14. Dry Tomato Powder from Skins

Save the skins of tomatoes from any recipe and turn them into a concentrated tomato powder in the microwave! Read the comments to be sure to use parchment paper and a method for using the oven.

I love having tomato powder on hand for amping up the tomato flavor in recipes – just sprinkle it on – or to add water to for small portions of tomato paste.

15. Dried Beet Chips

A recipe for simple, thin beet chips that you can dehydrate or bake.

Store plain to rehydrate for recipes or salt and bake for a healthy snack – your choice.

16. Dehydrated Zucchini & Zucchini Flour

When zucchini is producing a lot – try drying it.

Not only can you reconstitute and use it for cooking and baking, but you can also use it to make zucchini flour! Mix half and half with regular flour for a veggie boost to baked goods.

Refrigeration Preserving Recipes

 17. Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles (& Why It’s Better Than Canned)

The easiest, crispest pickles ever – we like them spicy with red pepper flakes, but you can easily leave them out or adjust the amount.

There are lots of reasons to make and store fridge pickles – and they keep for a year!

18. Quick & Crisp Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños

Like cucumbers, these jalapeños are much crisper than canned and they, too, will store for a year in a fridge.

We use them on pizza, in salads, on burgers, and more.

19. Easy Pickled Beets – To Refrigerate or Can

I always make and store these in the fridge, but I do include directions to can them if you’d like.

A simple recipe that has that perfect pickled beet flavor for salads and to eat straight from the jar.

Water-Bath Canning Recipes

20. Addictive Tomato Chutney

One of THE best recipes you’ll find on this site – this “adult ketchup” is something you’ll want to use on everything from eggs, to burgers, to vegetables – even spread on bread before making grilled cheese.

Choose from a regular and lower sugar version that’s just as good as the original.

21. Nice & Thick Salsa for Canning – Recipe & Tutorial

I searched and searched for a canned salsa that wasn’t too runny or vinegary but was still was safe for canning and this delicious salsa was the winner!

This includes my favorite tip for making salsa easier (hint: no peeling required!).

ALSO: Try this Roasted Chipotle Salsa for a different flavor.

22. Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde (or Green Tomatoes)

This is a thick and flavorful salsa verde you can use with either tomatillos or end of season green tomatoes. Roasting the ingredients first gives more flavor.

23. Home Canned Tomato Bruschetta Topping

Using roma/paste tomatoes that hold together and stay firm after processing is the key to this super flavorful topping for garlic toast, cream cheese, and even just adding to salads when store bought tomatoes are pale and flavorless.

24. Copycat Rotel – Canned Tomatoes and Chilies

I developed this recipe using just the ingredients listed on cans of Rotel and a tested recipe that could be adapted safely.

It’s very similar to Rotel and wonderful to be able to use your own tomatoes and chili to use throughout the year in your favorite recipes.

25. Perfect Homemade Canned Pizza Sauce

You can make this seasoned sauce from fresh or frozen tomatoes – my favorite is using frozen tomatoes that you thaw and pour off the clear juice which makes the time needed to cook down the sauce a lot less.

Having pizza sauce in your pantry makes pizza nights SO easy – especially when you use this quick dough.

26. Water-Bath Safe Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce

When I wanted to roast tomatoes before making a seasoned tomato sauce, I couldn’t find a tested recipe, so I checked with our extension service and got the okay to roast the tomatoes for the classic Ball tomato sauce recipe.

This sauce makes such a great pantry stable option for pasta sauce and more.

25. Canned Roasted Red Peppers in Wine

When you have jars of these roasted red peppers on your shelf you can add them to salads, pasta, and soups at any time.

They’re also good as a topping to crackers spread with cream cheese – yum.

28. Canned Sweet & Spicy Onion Marmalade

This is lightly sweetened with honey and is such a good glaze on chicken, ham, or pork. It’s also terrific as a quick appetizer on cream cheese.

29. Honey Sweetened Jalapeño Jelly 

We love jalapeño jelly for appetizers, on burgers, in sandwich, and as a glaze on meat – but I didn’t love the amount of sugar most recipes called for.

So I created a honey sweetened version with all the flavor – in fact a little more of that jalapeño flavor since it’s not covered by a ton of sugar. (Note: In the photo above, I used a lot of red jalapeños from the end of the season – if you use mostly green ones, it will have the traditional green hue.)

30. Balsamic Cherry Tomato Caramelized Onion Conserve

Adapted to be safely canned from a BHG canning cookbook, this is a flavorful way to use up sweet cherry tomatoes and sweet onions.

The recipe is sweetened mostly with honey makes a nice condiment for crackers, cheese and burgers.

31. Old Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles

Many people enjoy the classic sweet-tang of bread and butter pickles for burgers and sandwiches.

This recipe (from the author’s grandma) will give you that flavor with just some simple steps and water-bath canning for 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

32. Canned Pickled Asparagus Recipe & Tutorial

I love canning asparagus because you simply trim the asparagus, place in jars, pour brine in and process. It takes a little over an hour and saves a TON on those expensive jars.

Use them on charcuterie boards, vegetable platters, cut up in salads, or wrapped in these quick appetizers that everyone loves.

33. Canned Pickled Green Beans Recipe & Tutorial

Just like asparagus, it’s so easy to trim the beans, add to jars with brine and process to use all year long in salads and the same appetizer as the asparagus.

34. Zucchini Relish

A great way to use up plentiful zucchini is to make a flavorful relish.

Use it on hot dogs and burgers or add to a slow cooker with chicken breasts for a delicious pulled chicken for bowls, tacos, and more.

35. Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Canned Corn Relish

Classic corn relish with onions and peppers works as a side dish or a condiment for meats and salads alike.

Can with the water-bath instructions or just store in the fridge for a few months – it probably won’t last long!

Fermented Vegetables

36. Best Mild Homemade Sauerkraut

Believe it or not, this only takes minutes of hands-on time to make and then just sits on the counter for a couple of weeks before being stored in the fridge for months.

It’s a great way to get our daily fermented foods – add a spoonful on salads or sandwiches.

38. Bonus: More Fermented Vegetables

• Easiest Fermented Pickled Vegetables
• Super Easy Fermented Pickled Jalapeños
• 5-Minute Foolproof Fermented Corn Relish

Need some ideas for preserving summer and fall fruits? Here are 31 of the best recipes for freezing, canning, and drying fruit.

This recipe has been updated – it was originally published September 2015.