By Anna Woller, 2025 Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT Ambassador
Do you wish you could enjoy fall products year-round? With canning you can! From your favorite apples to carrots and squash, here is how you can harness the flavors of Michigan products for the whole year.
Canning Apples
Did you pick too many apples at your local u-pick orchard? Here is what you can do with them so you can enjoy them all winter long! First you will need to wash, core, and peel all your apples. Then cut all your apples into ¼ inch cubes. Combine sugar and water in a large pan and bring them to a boil. Add your cut apples to the boiled syrup and reduce the heat to simmer for five minutes. Pack your apples into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Ladle some extra syrup over the apples. Remove all the air bubbles from the can and put the can into a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes has passed, carefully remove the cans and let them cool. Now you have canned apples that will last all year long!
Information from: Canning Apple Pie Filling
Canning Carrots
Rinse and peel your carrots. Slice your carrots into your desired size, but no larger than 1 ½ inches thick, if you have baby carrots, you can leave them whole. Pack your prepared carrots into hot, clean jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of salt into each jar. Ladle some boiling water over the carrots, still leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles in the jar. Make sure the rims of the jars are clean and add your lids and rings. Put your jars into a pressure cooker. 25 minutes for pints, or 30 minutes for quart sizes. Remove the jars from the pressure cooker carefully, and add the carrots to your next soup, stew, or roast!
Information from: How to Can Carrots – Easy Raw Pack Method for Pressure Canning
Canning Butternut Squash
Start by washing your squash. Cut it in half and scoop all the seeds out. Cut all the peel off and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Once your squash is cut up, put it into a pot with water and boil for 2 minutes but make sure the cubes remain whole throughout the whole process. Once the squash is done boiling, fill each jar with the cubes and hot cooking liquid, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles in the jar. Wipe the rims of your jars clean and place the lid and ring on the jar. Add your jars to the pressure cooker, pint jars for 55 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Remove the jars from the pressure cooker carefully and enjoy fresh butternut squash on a cold snowy night.
Information from: Learn How to Can Butternut Squash/ Easy Pressure Canning
Canning Pumkin
Do you want fresh pumpkin for your homemade pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving? If so, slice your pumpkin in half and remove any seeds or membrane strings. Slice each half into 1 inch strips, then chop into 1 inch cubes. Then using a knife, slice the peel off of each cube. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your sliced pumpkin into the boiling water and let it cook for 2 minutes. Take all of your cooked pumpkin out and put it into your clean, prepared jars, leaving a 1 inch headspace. Make sure to get any air bubbles out of the jars. Clean the rims, and add your lids and rings. Load the jars into the pressure cooker. Turn the pressure cooker on high and allow the steam to vent for 10 minutes. Now you can let your jars process, 55 minutes for pint jars and 90 minutes for quart jars. Carefully remove the jars and store for your next homemade pumpkin pie.
Information from: Canning Pumpkin — Practical Self Reliance
Canning Cranberries
Cranberries are the perfect winter treat that you’ll be able to enjoy whenever you want! Here’s how: Wash and prepare cranberries, making sure to throw away any spoiled or damaged fruit. In a pan, bring water and canning syrup to a simmer. Add your cranberries to the simmering canning liquid and let them simmer for 1-2 minutes until they heat through and begin to crack. Ladle the cranberries into your prepared, clean jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Clean the rims of your jars and add your lid and rings. Add the jars into a two-part water bath canner for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and store them for a perfect Christmas side dish!
Information from: Canning Whole Cranberries — Practical Self Reliance
Canning is a great way to preserve fresh produce to enjoy all year. We would love to see your canning content! If you give any of these methods a try, tag us on social media at Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT.
About the Author
Anna Woller
Anna Woller lives on her third-generation family crop and cattle farm. She was a 2024 graduate from Montague High School. She is furthering her education at Muskegon Community College and will soon transfer to Michigan State University, where she will study Crop and Soil Science. Anna was heavily involved in FFA, holding leadership positions in both her local and regional chapters. Anna has been in 4-H for 13 years, showing calves, steers, and pigs; through 4-H, she was also her county’s ambassador. Anna is excited for this opportunity to share with the public about Michigan agriculture!
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