Canning Without Chaos: My Real-Life Setup
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Let’s talk about canning without chaos. While I love this season of preserving the harvest, my kitchen isn’t exactly an HGTV dream.
What it is though? Functional. Real. And finally at a place where I can knock out tomatoes, green beans, or pickles. All without making the kitchen look like a disaster zone.
This post isn’t about perfection, it’s about the setup, tools, and rhythms. These things help me can without losing my mind (or a jar).
Our Garden Setup for Preserving the Harvest
We’ve got two growing zones in this house:
My kitchen garden (a few raised beds by the house) is where I grow smaller-scale stuff I can grab quick. I plant herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and squash.
But out back? Sam runs the big garden — and I mean big. That’s where the bulk crops come from:
– Snap beans
– Purple hull peas (which I freeze)
– Corn
– Sweet potatoes
– Onions
– Watermelons
– Butter beans
– Pickling Cucumbers
– Okra
– Pumpkins
– And cantaloupe (which I hate, but Sam insists on growing every year )
He also built me an arbor for the pickling cucumbers. It’s become one of my favorite parts of the garden.
What I Can from Our Kitchen and Big Garden
From both gardens, here’s what usually ends up getting water-bathed or pressure canned:
– Tomatoes (whole, crushed, salsa — depends on the week)
– Snaps (green beans) — my absolute favorite to can
– Pickles — sweet, spicy, garlic dill, and sometimes all of the above
This week, I canned 4 quarts of fresh green beans.
And yes, I only got one photo… and it has writing on it because real life doesn’t wait for content days.
canning without chaos: my must have tools
I don’t have a prep kitchen or unlimited counter space — so I stick with tools that do the job without adding clutter.
– Water bath canner
– Pressure canner (I am saving up for this Electric one. Set and forget? Yes please.)
– Wide-mouth funnel
– Magnetic lid lifter
– Bubble remover/headspace tool
– Clean towels
– Sharpie (write on lids!)
– Spiral-bound Ball Canning Cookbook (The one I used to start with)
– The Homestead Canning Cookbook (This is the one I LIVE by and spiral is a MUST!)
That spiral version is one of my favorite things ever — it lays flat and never tries to close itself mid-recipe.
My canning without chaos Routine
Here’s what keeps me sane when the kitchen’s covered in produce:
– Wash jars the night before
– Label lids ahead of time
– Keep a Sharpie, funnel, and towels right by the stove
– Only tackle one thing at a time (no canning + baking + phone calls all at once)
– Turn on music or Unscripted Conversations and let it flow
Lessons Learned from Real-Life Canning
– Don’t overfill jars
– Headspace matters (really)
– Hot jars + wet counter = slip city
– Label everything
– Freezing is allowed — not everything has to go in a jar
Pin canning without chaos for Later
Related Posts You’ll Love:
– Grow Lemon Balm for the Perks — Control It for Your Sanity
– How We Built Our Raised Bed Garden Setup
– Too Many Cucumbers? Here’s What to Do With Them
About the Host
Hey sweet friend — I’m Ashley, the heart behind SimplyBlessedDesignz and the voice of Unscripted Conversations.
I’m a faith-filled creative who believes in Jesus, Dollar Tree flips, and showing up even when life gets messy. Whether I’m podcasting, crafting, or cooking something from scratch, my prayer is always the same: that you leave here encouraged and reminded you’re never alone.
Grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and let’s do this life—one grace-filled day at a time. 💛