Preserve the Summer: Simple Canning Tips for Ripe Fruits and Veggies

Preserve the Summer: Simple Canning Tips for Ripe Fruits and Veggies

There’s nothing quite like the taste of a perfectly ripe summer tomato or a juicy peach straight from the orchard. But as anyone who’s grown a garden or visited a local market knows — summer’s bounty doesn’t last forever. That’s where canning comes in!

At Pleasant Valley Bulk Foods, we believe in capturing the goodness of the season to enjoy all year long. Whether you’re brand new to canning or just brushing up your skills, here are a few tips to help you get the most from your summer harvest:

🍓 Start with the Best Produce

Canning preserves flavor, not fixes it. Choose fruits and vegetables that are ripe, unblemished, and freshly picked. Peak summer options include:

  • Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries

  • Peaches, nectarines, plums

  • Sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes

  • Cucumbers for pickling!

Visit us in-store for seasonal produce and local picks ready for your jars.

🫙 Stock Your Pantry with the Basics

Successful canning starts with a few key tools:

  • Clean mason jars with lids and rings

  • A water bath canner or pressure canner (depending on what you’re preserving)

  • Pickling salt, citric acid, vinegar, and pectin — all available here at Pleasant Valley!

We carry both conventional and no-sugar added pectin for special dietary needs.

🔥 Follow Tested Recipes

Stick with tested canning recipes from trusted sources like Ball®, the USDA, or university extensions. The right acidity and processing time are critical for food safety.

If you need canning salt or spices for jams, pickles, and salsas — we've got them in stock in both small and bulk sizes.

🧊 Cool, Label, and Store

After jars have sealed and cooled for 12–24 hours, check the lids, label them with the date, and store in a cool, dark place. There’s nothing better than opening a jar of garden-fresh flavor in the middle of winter!

🛒 Shop Local, Can Local

Whether you’re preserving a whole garden or just a few farmers market finds, Pleasant Valley Bulk Foods is here with everything you need. From produce and pickling spice to jars and tools, we’re stocked up and happy to help.

Stop by and talk canning with us — we love hearing about what you’re putting up this summer!

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