How Do You Can Summer Squash

You can summer squash by water bath canning it in cubes or slices, and it’s one of the easiest preserving projects for a beginner.
 
Unlike tomatoes, summer squash is a low-acid vegetable, so it has to be pressure canned to be safe unless you turn it into a pickled or sweetened relish.
 
If you’ve been wondering how do you can summer squash without ending up with a mushy jar of goo, the answer is picking a method that matches how you plan to eat it.
 
In this post, we’ll walk through how do you can summer squash safely, which methods work best, and the little tricks that keep your jars firm and flavorful.
 
Let’s get into it.

How Do You Can Summer Squash Safely?

 
You can summer squash safely by choosing the right canning method first, because summer squash is a low-acid food with a pH above 4.6.
 
That means boiling water alone won’t kill the bacteria that cause botulism, so a pressure canner is the only approved way to can plain summer squash.
 
When you can summer squash in a pressure canner, you’re processing it at 10 to 11 pounds of pressure and following your altitude adjustments carefully.
 
The good news is that you can summer squash in several forms, so you’re not stuck with boring jars of plain cubes.

1. Gather Your Summer Squash and Equipment

 
Start by selecting young, tender summer squash that are firm and free of soft spots.
 
You can summer squash that’s slightly larger too, but you’ll want to scoop out the big seeds and peel the tougher skin first.
 
Wash everything well, then grab a pressure canner, jars, lids, and bands, plus a clean towel and a jar lifter.
 

2. Prep the Squash for the Jars

 
Cut the squash into uniform cubes or slices about one inch thick so they pack evenly.
 
If you plan to can summer squash as a plain vegetable, a hot pack gives the best results.
 
To hot pack, boil the squash in water for two to three minutes, then pack it loosely into hot jars and cover it with the hot cooking liquid, leaving one inch of headspace.
 

3. Process the Jars in a Pressure Canner

 
Load the jars into your pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s directions and vent steam for ten minutes before adding the weighted gauge.
 
For cubed summer squash in a dial-gauge canner, process pints for 30 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure.
 
Once the time is up, let the canner cool and depressurize on its own before you open the lid.
 

Other Ways You Can Summer Squash

 
Plain squash isn’t the only option, and honestly, the flavored versions are often the ones people actually reach for.
 
If you can summer squash as pickles or relish, you get crisp texture and tangy flavor that holds up beautifully on burgers or crackers.
 

1. Pickled Summer Squash

 
You can summer squash as a bread-and-butter style pickle by slicing it thin, salting it, and soaking it in a vinegar, sugar, and spice brine.
 
Because vinegar raises the acidity, pickled summer squash can be processed in a boiling water bath instead of a pressure canner.
 

2. Summer Squash Relish

 
When you can summer squash as a relish, you grind it up with onions and peppers, then simmer everything in vinegar and sugar.
 
This is a fantastic way to use up oversized zucchini, and it makes a sweet, chunky topping for hot dogs, beans, and sandwiches.
 

3. Mixed Vegetable Relish

 
Another option is to can summer squash alongside cucumbers, carrots, or green tomatoes in a mixed relish.
 
Just follow a tested recipe and keep the ratio of low-acid vegetables to vinegar exact, because winging it can throw off the acidity and make your jars unsafe.
 

Tips for the Best Canned Summer Squash

 
Small squash hold their shape better than big ones, so pick them young whenever you can.
 
Don’t skip the salt in pickled recipes, because it pulls moisture out and keeps the slices crisp.
 
Also, never swap in a water bath for plain squash, and always double-check your processing times against a trusted source like the USDA or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
 

So, How Do You Can Summer Squash?

 
You can summer squash by pressure canning plain cubes or slices for 30 to 40 minutes, or by water bath canning pickled and relish versions with enough vinegar for safety.
 
The method you choose depends on what you want in the jar, whether that’s a neutral vegetable for soups and casseroles or a tangy pickle for snacking.
 
Now that you know how do you can summer squash, your bumper crop has somewhere to go besides the neighbors’ porch.
 
Happy canning, and enjoy every jar.