What to Can in Late July: A Garden-to-Jar Checklist

If your kitchen counter is starting to look like a produce stand, you’re right on schedule. Late July is when the garden stops trickling and starts flooding — tomatoes are blushing red, cucumbers are doubling overnight, and the green beans need picking every other day just to keep up. Sweet peppers tend to hit all at once too. It’s the best kind of overwhelm, but it does mean it’s time to start thinking about what’s going in jars this week.

If you are already closer to the end of the season and need some more ideas ➡️End-of-Summer Preserving: How to Make the Most of Your Last Harvest

Here’s a simple checklist of what to can right now, plus a few tips to make the process smoother.

1. Cucumbers → Pickles

If your cucumber vines are producing faster than you can eat them fresh, this is your sign. Small, firm cucumbers make the crispest pickles — don’t wait for them to get big.

Tip: Trim a thin slice off the blossom end of each cucumber before packing jars. It contains an enzyme that can make pickles go soft over time.

2. Tomatoes → Sauce or Diced Tomatoes

Late July tomatoes are just starting to come in strong, and a big batch of sauce now means a well-stocked pantry come winter. If you’re short on time, diced tomatoes are the faster option — no simmering required. Something to also consider ➡️Quick Guide: Freezing Tomatoes Made Simple

Tip: Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 30-60 seconds first. The skins slip right off, no peeling required.

If you’re just getting into canning this year, my favorite canning essentials can help you get set up without overspending.

3. Green Beans → Dilly Beans

Green beans grow fast this time of year, and pickled “dilly beans” are one of the easiest ways to preserve a big harvest without a lot of prep. They also make a great gift jar.

Tip: Pack beans standing up in the jar rather than laid flat — it looks nicer and fits more in each jar.

4. Summer Squash & Zucchini → Relish or Shredded Freezer Packs

If you grew even one zucchini plant, you know the struggle of keeping up (I’ve shared my favorite ways to use up extra zucchini before). Relish is a great way to use up a big batch at once, or you can shred and freeze it in portioned bags for soups and baking later.

Tip: Squeeze out excess moisture before freezing shredded squash — it prevents watery, mushy results when you thaw it.

Staying Organized Through the Chaos

Once your jars are cooling on the counter don’t skip labeling them – Trust me, “mystery jar, probably tomatoes?” is not a fun game come January. I made a set of canning labels (regular and wide mouth) just for this and I keep a stack in my kitchen drawer all summer.

With this much coming in at once, it’s easy to lose track of what you canned, when, and how much — especially if you’re putting up several batches a week. A lot of home canners keep a simple log going through the season: what was canned, the date, how many jars, and any notes for next year (like “double the garlic next time”). Grab mine below!