Planning your canning garden? These 10 easy veggies are perfect for beginners and produce big harvests for your pantry! Learn when to plant and get tips for canning success.

Top Veggies to Grow for Canning

Thinking about growing a canning garden this year? You’re in the right spot. Whether you’re dreaming of jars full of homemade salsa, crunchy pickles, or sweet little beets that stain your fingers pink, choosing the right veggies is key to making it all worth the effort.

The truth is, not every garden vegetable is a superstar when it comes to canning. Some are fussy, some are flops, and some are better left in the freezer. But there are a few all-stars that are easy to grow, don’t take a ton of babying, and fill your pantry with jars you’ll actually want to use.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through ten top veggies that are perfect for home canning—plus when to plant them so you’re not scrambling in August trying to figure out why your tomatoes are still green.

Let’s get planting!

1. Tomatoes (for salsa, sauce, and all things red and delicious)

Why they’re great for canning:
Tomatoes are the backbone of the canning world. Salsa, spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes, pizza sauce—you name it, they’re in it. They’re juicy, productive, and frankly, your pantry’s best friend.

When to plant them:
Tomatoes are warm-weather lovers, so you’ll want to wait until after your last frost to plant them outdoors. If you’re starting from seed, begin indoors about 6–8 weeks before that frost date. Or take the easy route (no judgment!) and grab healthy-looking starts from your local nursery.

Pro tip:
Not all tomatoes are created equal. If you want thick, rich sauces that don’t drip off your pasta like soup, go for Roma, San Marzano, or other paste varieties. Save the juicy slicers for sandwiches.

• Growing Tomatoes – A Beginner’s Guide to Getting from Seed to Harvest

2. Green Beans (aka the canning MVP)

Why they’re great for canning:
Green beans are one of the easiest veggies to grow and preserve. You can can them whole, snapped, or turn them into dilly beans if you’re feeling fancy. They’re a classic for a reason—just toss ’em in a jar, pressure can, and done.

When to plant them:
Beans like warm soil, so wait until it hits at least 60°F—usually a couple of weeks after your last frost. Sow the seeds directly into the ground. No need to start indoors—these guys like to stay put.

Pro tip:
Bush beans are compact and great for small gardens or raised beds, while pole beans climb and keep on producing (as long as you give them a trellis and some encouragement). If your goal is big harvests for canning, pole beans will keep you busiest—in the best way.

• Growing Green Beans – A Beginner’s Guide to Getting from Seed to Harvest

3. Cucumbers (because pickles are basically a vegetable, right?)

Why they’re great for canning:
If you’ve ever cracked open a jar of your own crunchy dill pickles, you know the magic. Cucumbers are fast growers and super satisfying to turn into pickles—sweet, spicy, bread and butter—you can go wild.

When to plant them:
Wait until your soil has warmed up and the danger of frost has passed—about 1–2 weeks after your last frost date. These guys hate the cold, so don’t rush it. Direct sow them right into the garden or raised bed.

Pro tip:
Pickling cucumbers are not the same as the ones you slice onto a salad. Look for varieties labeled “pickling” (like Boston Pickling or National Pickling). They stay firm and snappy, which is what you want in a pickle—not a soggy disappointment.

4. Beets (for when you want your hands—and jars—bright pink)

Why they’re great for canning:
Beets are earthy, sweet, and absolutely delicious pickled. They’re also shockingly easy to grow, and once canned, they’re ready to jazz up salads, snack plates, or that random Tuesday dinner when you’re too tired to cook anything fancy.

When to plant them:
Beets like the cooler weather, so you can plant them early—about 2–4 weeks before your last frost. Bonus: you can do a second planting in late summer for a fall harvest, perfect for canning when the kitchen isn’t sweltering.

Pro tip:
Give your beets room to grow! Thin the seedlings once they sprout so each root has space to plump up. Bonus points: you can eat the beet greens too—they’re great sautéed or tossed in a salad (not for canning, though!).

5. Carrots (because your pressure canner needs a little orange in its life)

Why they’re great for canning:
Carrots are sweet, hearty, and surprisingly versatile. They can beautifully into chunks, coins, or sticks, and they hold their flavor and texture really well. Whether you’re pressure canning plain carrots or slipping them into veggie medleys or soups, they’re a pantry staple.

When to plant them:
You can sow carrot seeds directly into the garden about 2–3 weeks before your last frost. These guys love cool soil to get started and will reward you with sweet, crisp roots. Just be patient—they take their time sprouting.

Pro tip:
If your garden soil is heavy or rocky, go for shorter carrot varieties like Chantenay or Parisian types. Otherwise, your carrots might end up looking like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

6. Onions (because every good canned recipe starts with one)

Why they’re great for canning:
Onions add flavor to just about everything—from salsa and relish to soup starters and pickled mixes. While you don’t usually can them on their own, they’re an essential player in so many canning recipes, you’ll definitely want them in your garden.

When to plant them:
Plant onion sets or starts in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. They don’t mind a little chill, so you can get them going before most of your other veggies.

Pro tip:
Choose the right type for your region! If you live up north, look for long-day varieties. In the south, go for short-day types. Somewhere in the middle? Grab a day-neutral and you’re golden. Bonus: onions are low-maintenance and love being ignored (kind of like that one sock behind the dryer).

7. Peppers (for salsa, relish, pickling, and showing off your spice tolerance)

Why they’re great for canning:
Peppers bring the flavor party. Whether you’re making a chunky salsa, a sweet pepper relish, or pickled jalapeños, there’s a pepper for that. They’re productive, colorful, and kind of addictive once you start growing them.

When to plant them:
Peppers need a warm, cozy start. Begin seeds indoors about 8–10 weeks before your last frost, or grab some healthy starts from the nursery. Transplant them outside when it’s consistently warm—no one likes a shivering pepper.

Pro tip:
Give them a little support—literally. Even though peppers aren’t huge, their branches get floppy under the weight of all those fruits. A tomato cage or a few stakes will keep them from face-planting in the dirt.

8. Zucchini (aka the vegetable that will take over your entire kitchen if you blink)

Why they’re great for canning:
Zucchini is a fast-growing, high-yield veggie that’s perfect for relishes, chutneys, and pressure-canned blends. While you don’t usually can it solo (it turns to mush), it’s a great ingredient in recipes that use vinegar or pressure canning to keep everything safe and shelf-stable.

When to plant them:
Zucchini loves warmth, so plant seeds directly in the garden 1–2 weeks after your last frost date. You’ll barely have time to sneeze before they start producing.

Pro tip:
Harvest early and often—those cute baby zucchinis turn into baseball bats overnight. Smaller ones have better texture and taste (and won’t clog up your kitchen counters quite as dramatically).

• The Best Zucchini Baking Recipes for Healthy Treats & Desserts
  

9. Corn (for canning, relishes, and pretending it’s still July in January)

Why it’s great for canning:
Corn holds up beautifully in a pressure canner and adds a pop of sweetness to everything from chowders to salsa to southwestern-style relishes. It’s one of those veggies that just feels happy to have in your pantry.

When to plant it:
Sow corn directly into the garden once the soil is nice and warm—at least 60°F. That usually means a week or two after your last frost. No early starts or transplanting drama needed.

Pro tip:
Plant corn in blocks, not long skinny rows. Why? Corn is pollinated by wind, and planting in a block helps the pollen fall where it needs to—aka on other corn plants instead of your neighbor’s driveway.

10. Cabbage (for sauerkraut, slaw, and strong opinions on fermentation)

Why it’s great for canning:
Cabbage is the star of fermented favorites like sauerkraut, and it also works beautifully in pressure-canned slaws and mixed veggie relishes. It grows big, stores well, and gives you that satisfying crunch in every jar.

When to plant it:
You’ve got options! Start seeds indoors and transplant in early spring, or direct sow in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest (which is perfect for cool-weather canning sessions). Cabbage loves the chill and gets even sweeter after a light frost.

Pro tip:
Watch out for cabbage worms—they love your cabbage as much as you do. Row covers are your friend, or try hand-picking if you’re feeling brave and not too squeamish.

Ready, Set, Grow!

There you have it—10 garden rockstars that pull double duty in your canner. Whether you’re a first-timer growing a few favorites or planning to turn your backyard into a full-blown food factory (no judgment either way), choosing the right veggies makes canning season so much smoother—and way more rewarding.

Remember, you don’t have to grow everything at once. Start with a couple that suit your family’s tastes and your climate, and build from there. Your pantry will thank you—probably in the form of a shelf that magically collapses under the weight of 40 jars of salsa (ask me how I know… just kidding, kind of).

Need help figuring out how much to grow for a year’s worth of jars? Read >> How Many Plants Do I Need for Canning? A Beginner-Friendly Yield Guide and download your free printables!

And if you haven’t already, make sure to check your USDA planting zone and peek at your local extension office’s planting calendar. They’re packed with helpful info to keep your garden (and your canning goals) on track.