7 Things to Can and Make from Your Garden in June
June marks the true beginning of garden preserving season here on the homestead. While the tomatoes and peppers are still ripening, the early harvest offers plenty of canning opportunities—from leafy herbs and snap peas to the first flush of berries. If you’re itching to fill your pantry shelves, these are my favorite recipes to start the canning season strong.
Each one is beginner-friendly, garden-tested, and perfect for tucking away now to enjoy later.
Make From Your Garden In June
1. Strawberry Jam
Nothing kicks off canning season quite like a bubbling pot of homemade strawberry jam. It’s sweet, just a touch tart, and tastes exactly like June in a jar. I use fresh garden strawberries (or local U-pick berries) and just a few simple ingredients to create a classic preserve that’s perfect for spreading on biscuits, layering in cakes, or giving as a summer hostess gift.
2. Pickled Red Onions
These quick pickled red onions are one of my favorite ways to use up early summer harvests. Tangy, slightly sweet, and vibrantly pink, they add the perfect bite to burgers, tacos, grain bowls, or even egg salad. They only take about 10 minutes to make, and they’ll keep in the fridge for weeks—if they last that long. This is a must-have staple in my farmhouse kitchen year-round.
3. Green Beans
When the garden starts producing more green beans than we can eat fresh, it’s time to break out the canner. These home-canned green beans are crisp-tender and perfect for quick weeknight meals all year long. I use a pressure canner for this low-acid vegetable, and each jar feels like a little taste of summer when the winter months roll in.
4. Cherry Pie Filling
This homemade cherry pie filling is sweet, glossy, and just the right balance of tart and rich. It’s the perfect way to preserve an abundant cherry harvest—and so much better than the store-bought version. I love spooning it into pies, layering it in trifles, or even serving it warm over pancakes or ice cream. Tuck a few jars away now, and you’ll thank yourself come fall baking season.
5. Chimichurri Sauce
This vibrant chimichurri is one of my favorite ways to use up a flush of garden herbs in early summer. Made with parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar, it comes together in minutes and adds bold, fresh flavor to grilled meats, roasted veggies, or even scrambled eggs. I keep a jar in the fridge and freeze extra batches for later—it’s a garden staple in our kitchen.
6. Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Green Beans
These spicy pickled green beans are crisp, tangy, and have just the right kick of heat. I like to tuck in a garlic clove and a few chili flakes or sliced jalapeños to give each jar a little attitude. They’re perfect on charcuterie boards, tucked into Bloody Marys, or straight from the jar as a snack. It’s one of my favorite ways to preserve the green bean harvest with a little extra punch.
7. Sauerkraut Recipe
With just cabbage and salt, this old-fashioned sauerkraut is one of the easiest and most rewarding ferments you can make from the garden. It’s crunchy, tangy, and full of gut-friendly probiotics. I pack it into jars and let it ferment right on the counter before moving to cold storage, where it lasts for months. Perfect as a side, on sandwiches, or tossed into a skillet with sausage.
Want More Garden-to-Pantry Ideas?
I send out a weekly note with recipes, preserving tips, and from-scratch kitchen goodness—all from our farmhouse in Tennessee.
Just is just the beginning
The pantry starts small—just a jar or two from items you make from your garden in June and beyond. By the time September rolls around, you’ll have a whole season captured in glass. So don’t wait for tomato season. Start now with what your garden is giving, and let the rhythm of preserving anchor your summer. And to keep up on what I’m doing on the farm and in the kitchen, make sure we’re friends over on Instagram.
Meet Eryn
Eryn Whalen is a homestead blogger and recipe developer with a lifetime of hands-on experience in gardening, home canning, animal husbandry, and traditional kitchen skills. From preserving homegrown harvests to baking sourdough from scratch, she shares her family’s journey of intentional living on their 100-acre Tennessee farmstead. Recently, Eryn has expanded her homesteading life to include caring for a family milk cow, sharing the learning process and daily joys of small-scale dairying. Read more about Eryn here
