Looking for the best canning and preserving books? You're in the right place. Use this list of 21 best canning and preserving books for beginners through pros to get started.
When I first became interested in canning and preserving in our off grid kitchen, I looked online. I'd scroll through websites and Amazon listings for canning books. I spent hours reading through the National Center for Home Food Preservation's free canning resources.
And I even bought some Kindle canning books. Now, that was fine for inspiration. And for getting my head around the basics of how to preserve our food.
But when it came to actually needing step-by-step instructions as I worked, I really missed having an old-fashioned print book.
Psst... you might also like this list of 20 best books on simple living....
What Kind of Food Preservation Book do You Need?
Maybe you're a backyard homesteader looking for ideas on how to preserve your vegetable garden harvest. Or maybe you're building up your long-term food supply by bulk-buying produce or meat when it's on sale.
Whatever the case, the best canning and preserving books include recipes, tutorials, and safety tips that help you get started pickling, preserving, and more.
Whether you’ve just started canning or you’ve been preserving your food for years, there is something for everyone in between. Here are the best canning and food preservation books for 2021.
21 Best Canning and Preserving Books for 2021
One of the most common questions I get is about how to start canning and preserving at home.
These 21 best canning and preserving books in 2021 offer a wide variety of styles, recipes, practical tips and inspiration for the home canner.
With everything from safe use of mason jars and getting started pickling, to how to smoke and dehydrate game meat and even what foods shouldn't be dehydrated, you'll find what you need in this list.
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
This is without a doubt my number one "go-to" book for home preserving. Considered the "Bible" of Canning and Preserving by many, the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is published under the title Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving in Canada. Read my full review of the book here.
The Homestead Canning Cookbook: • Simple, Safe Instructions from a Certified Master Food Preserver • Over 150 Delicious, Homemade Recipes • Practical Help to Create a Sustainable Lifestyle
If you're on a mission to become more prepared with a well-stocked pantry, Georgia Varozza's beautiful Homestead Canning Cookbook will inspire you even more. Practical tips, 150+ recipes, and gorgeous images fill these pages.
Preserving Everything: Can, Culture, Pickle, Freeze, Ferment, Dehydrate, Salt, Smoke, and Store Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Milk, and More (Countryman Know How)
If you're serious about long-term food storage, this book has it all. Learn about smoking, salting, dehydrating and even how to store milk for the long term.
The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning: Everything You Need to Know to Can Meats, Vegetables, Meals in a Jar, and More
With almost 5000 ratings on Amazon, Diane Deveraux's Complete Guide to Pressure Canning is a good gift choice for new canners. I especially like the sections on pressure canning wild game meat and beans and legumes.
Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
This 2020 edition of the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving is a must-have for serious canners. Another great gift choice for the canners on your list.
Amish Canning & Preserving: How to Make Soups, Sauces, Pickles, Relishes, and More
Available in Kindle and paperback format from Amazon, the Amish Canning & Preserving book includes over 60 classic recipes. I like Amish recipes for their simplicity and straightforward directions.
The Complete Book of Home Canning
Yes, even the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a book on home canning! Choose this for someone who wants to "stick to the safe canning rules."
Canning and Preserving: Over 400 of the Best Pressure Canning Recipes
New in April, 2021, Nerea Sorrentino's Canning and Preserving book focuses on pressure canning. A large volume with over 400 recipes, it's also currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
Beginner's Guide to Preserving: Safely Can, Ferment, Dehydrate, Salt, Smoke, and Freeze Food
Want to try your hand at a few different preservation methods? This book lays it all out, including how-tos, charts, recipes, and safety tips for each of the above-mentioned preservation methods.
CANNING AND PRESERVING FOR BEGINNERS: A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Can Fruits, Meats, Vegetables, And Jams. Eat Healthier With 200 Delicious Easy Recipes And 20 Mouth-Watering Italian Recipes
Here's a canning and preserving book with a unique spin! If you love Italian food and flavors as much as I do, grab this book with 200+ Italian canning/preserving beginner recipes.
Foolproof Preserving: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments & More
Small kitchen? Or maybe you're stocking a pantry for a small family. If so, this is a good small batches canning and preserving book choice.
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation
Are you looking for a way to preserve food without freezing or canning? Learn these old-time methods of food preservation that use salt, oil, sugar, alcohol, and other methods for long-term food preservation.
Dehydrator Cookbook: The Complete Guide for Beginners How To Dehydrate and Preserving your Favorite Foods at Home With Simple and Tasty Recipes. (Fruit, Vegetables, Meat & More) +150 Recipes
I love our dehydrator. This dehydrator cookbook includes recipes and helpful tips for keeping your food from losing the flavor during dehydration.
The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest: How to Can, Freeze, Dehydrate, and Ferment Your Garden's Goodness
Grab the print version of this detailed reference guide for the home canner on your gift list. A thorough resource for home canners from Ann Acetta-Scott of A Farm Girl in the Making.
Complete Dehydrator Cookbook: How to Dehydrate Fruit, Vegetables, Meat & More
With over 1300 favorable Amazon reviews, this is another very thorough resource for people interested in dehydrating food. Grab the spiral-bound version so it sits flat on your counter!
The New Homemade Kitchen: 250 Recipes and Ideas for Reinventing the Art of Preserving, Canning, Fermenting, Dehydrating, and More (Recipes for ... Staples, Gift for Home Cooks and Chefs)
Here's a new addition to my list! The New Homemade Kitchen, published in June, 2020, focuses on "reinventing the lost arts" of preserving, fermenting, canning and dehydrating. It includes 250+ recipes. Can't wait to dive into this one.
The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables: Canning, Pickling, Fermenting, Dehydrating and Freezing Your Favorite Fresh Produce
I've been following Angie Schneider over at Schneider Peeps for several years now, and have had the pleasure of "meeting" Angie through several homestead blogging collaborative initiatives. Her Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables is a valuable hardcover addition to any homestead kitchen library.
The Prepper's Canning Guide: Affordably Stockpile a Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Delicious, Shelf-Stable Foods (Preppers)
If you're interested in getting started prepping, you likely already know all about adding rice, beans, and oats to your long-term storage plans. But a rice-and-beans menu can get pretty boring, pretty quick. Here's a guide to help you create tasty, shelf-stable recipes for your prepper pantry.
Canning & Preserving for Beginners: A Beginner’s Guide to Canning and Preserving Step-By-Step
A short and sweet introduction for beginners. Includes details for water-canning and pressure-canning for seasonal preservation.
Not Your Mama's Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them
A modern take on water-bath and pressure-canned recipes. Grab the hardcover version while it is still available.
Pantry Preserves for Beginners
And here's my very own ebook on Pantry Preserves for Beginners. Some of my favorite unique recipes to try once you've learned the basics of pickling, preserving, and safe water-bath canning.
In addition to canning, preserving and dehydrating, I'm looking forward to learning how to preserve our game meat more effectively. Watch the blog for new posts on this topic. And if you want to get notified when new posts get published, subscribe to our free newsletter.
Enjoy!
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Sarita Harbour
Hi Micah - thanks for your comment! And The Amish Canning Cookbook is definitely on my wish list. 🙂
Micah
Ball Home Preserving is the Bible of all-things canning! This was my first canning book and I use it every year. The Amish Canning Cookbook by Georgia Varozza is another family favorite for those simple canning recipes that pack a big flavor.
Michele Morin
Hope that this informative post encourages lots of people to begin canning!