Free Printable Preserving Record Notebook

Download this updated nine-page preserving record notebook to plan your seasonal freezing, drying, fermenting and canning goals, record what you made, and keep track of your favorites. You are going to love this!

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One of the things that has helped me SO much through my years of preserving produce from our garden is a small preserving notebook/journal. It’s where I write down the name, date, and amounts of what I canned, dried, froze, and fermented for each year as well as a place to keep recipes.

It’s a simple 3-ring binder with notebook paper and dividers. The sections are separated into vegetables, fruits, pickling, and ‘other’ for recipes like ice cream toppings and syrups.

At first I simply wrote things down to try and keep track of what I had made that year. But the beauty of this notebook really started to make itself known at about year three into my preserving journey.

That’s when I could look back and see how many jars I made of certain recipes and when we ran out the next year. Then I knew how many jars we’d need to see us through an entire year and could prioritize my preserving

When I forgot if I made a recipe, I could look back and see what I made – plus if we liked it or not. I’d also start making notes for things like increasing the red pepper flakes or leaving out the cilantro.

This simple three-ring binder became indispensable, sort of a preserving Bible for our family. And why I knew I needed a version to share with you!

To grab your own preserving record notebook, simply fill out the form below:

Once the file is downloaded to your computer, it’s simply a matter of printing the pages you’ll need.

Preserving Record Notebook

This version of the preserving record notebook includes a total of nine pages, including sections where you can include recipes and a blank page you can print to write or tape other recipes and notes.

Here’s all that’s included in the 9-page PDF:

1. Cover page. Place this in the front of a clear-view binder or as the first page in a decorative binder. Grab some basic dividers with labels for organizing the remaining pages. You can decide the order of the pages you like best (they aren’t numbered).
2. A seasonal preserving plan. Use this at the beginning of the season to make your preserving goals – what are your must-have preserves and what do you hope to get to? How much of each do you need? Take stock of your canning, freezing, and drying supplies and make a note of what you have and what you need to buy.
3. A second planning page.
4. Preserving record for vegetables page. This is where you list what you actually made on the day you made it for all the vegetable products like green beans, salsa and pickles. Count the jars/packages and list any notes at the time – or even later on. If you find you don’t eat a lot of one thing during the winter, go back to your binder and make a note so you don’t make too much the next year – and visa versa.
5. Preserving record for fruits page. Same as for vegetables, but for fruits like jams, juices, frozen berries, and the like.
6. Other preserves record page. This is for any preserve that doesn’t fit into veggie or fruit. Examples include freezer pesto, fermenting and non-fruit syrups I may have canned. You could also make this a specific page – I have a page just for pickled products, for example. Use this however works for you.
7. Favorite preserves list. This is for your all-time favorites and so may be the page you want at the beginning of your notebook! There is a spot to list the name of your favorite preserve, and a notes section for writing where to find the recipe/tutorial, why you like it, or how many you want to have put up each year.
8. Preserving Recipes divider page. Newly added as a way to organize your preserving recipes behind this decorative page.
9. Blank page. This can hold written or smaller recipes taped on. Or it can be a page for notes or any other way you’d like to use it. Print as many as you need!

TIP: If you’d like to have a smaller notebook (the pages in the file you’ll download are sized to be 8.5×11), you can choose on your printer to print at 66% which I’ve found is a good size for A5 binders like this or 3-ring 5.5×8.5 binders like this.

Let me know what you think and how you use this resource – I’d love your feedback!

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