Top 10 Vegetables You Should Plant for Canning This Fall

Fall is the perfect time to prepare for winter by preserving your garden’s bounty. Canning vegetables lets you enjoy fresh flavors long after the growing season ends. Choosing the right vegetables to plant now can make your fall harvest ideal for canning. This guide highlights the top 10 vegetables that thrive in fall gardens and preserve well, helping you build a pantry stocked with wholesome, home-canned goodness.

Ripe tomatoes ready for fall canning

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a classic choice for canning. They grow well in late summer and early fall, especially if you select varieties with shorter growing seasons. Tomatoes can be canned whole, as sauces, or made into salsas. Their natural acidity helps preserve them safely. For best results, pick firm, ripe tomatoes and process them within 24 hours of harvest.

You can also freeze tomatoes.

2. Green Beans

Green beans are easy to grow and can be harvested multiple times throughout the fall. They retain their texture and flavor well when canned. Snap beans and French beans are popular varieties for canning. Before planting, ensure your soil is well-drained and rich in organic matter to encourage healthy growth.

You can freeze, pickle, or pressure can green beans.

3. Carrots

Carrots planted in late summer mature in the fall and store well for canning. Their sweet flavor intensifies after a light frost, making them perfect for preserving. Choose shorter varieties if you have limited space. When canning, slice or dice carrots to fit your recipes, and use a pressure canner to ensure safety.

Note: Poison Hemlock looks like wild carrot. If it is a white root or has an off-putting taste.. please spit out immediately. This can cause nerve damage and death. There are white carrots you can plant, make sure you know where you planted and what you planted.

~Personal Experience!

4. Peppers

Both sweet and hot peppers are excellent for canning. They add flavor and color to many canned recipes like salsas, relishes, and sauces. Peppers planted in midsummer can be ready by fall. Harvest them when fully colored for the best taste and nutritional value.

Colorful bell peppers growing in garden ready for canning

5. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are ideal for pickling, a popular form of canning. Plant varieties suited for pickling to get the best texture. Fall cucumbers may require protection from early frost, so consider row covers. Pick cucumbers when they are firm and small to medium size for crisp pickles.

6. Beets

Beets grow well in cooler fall weather and develop a sweeter flavor after frost. They can be canned whole, sliced, or pickled. When planting, space seeds properly to allow room for root development. Beets also store well in the fridge before canning, giving you some flexibility in timing.

7. Corn

Sweet corn can be canned for a taste of summer in winter. Plant corn early enough to mature before the first frost. Harvest ears when kernels are full and milky. Blanch corn before canning to preserve flavor and texture. Canned corn is great for soups, stews, and casseroles.

You can also make corn salsa! This stuff is awesome for chips!

8. Zucchini / Winter Squash

Zucchini is versatile and grows quickly, making it a good fall crop. Though it’s often frozen, zucchini can also be canned in relishes or pickles. Choose smaller fruits for better texture. Keep in mind that zucchini flesh is soft, so it’s best combined with other vegetables in canned recipes.

Pressure canned zucchini sauce is my favorite "go to"!

Pork and Butternut Squash is another favorite that requires pressure canning but is delicious!

9. Onions

Onions planted in late summer can be harvested in the fall and stored for months. They add essential flavor to many canned dishes. Use firm, dry onions for canning. While onions are rarely canned alone, they are a key ingredient in salsas, sauces, and pickled vegetable mixes.

Although I have not yet had luck with onions, it is something I continue to try every year.. I will try again this year in grow bags and go from there! I did well with GREEN onions, they tuned into monsters!

10. Spinach

Spinach grows quickly in cool weather and can be harvested multiple times in fall. It’s best canned as part of mixed vegetable recipes or pureed soups. Blanch spinach before canning to preserve color and nutrients. Plant spinach seeds in well-prepared soil for the best yields.

Cold Crops Spinach Cilantro

11. Cabbage (this one is good for storing through winter or fermenting)

Planting these vegetables now sets you up for a successful canning season. Each offers unique flavors and textures that hold up well to preservation methods. Remember to follow safe canning guidelines, especially for low-acid vegetables that require pressure canning.

~DIY With Chelsea

1.8.2025