Set Up a Bloody Mary Bar & Get Canning!

By Article: Jennifer V. Cole
Photo: Cedric Angeles

Kick off a canning party with homemade heirloom tomato mix, a little vodka, and pickled veggie garnishes.

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Heirloom Bloody Mary Mix

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Because canning tomatoes requires extra care, try this refrigerator variety for your Bloody Marys. Trust us: You'll want to drink it immediately anyway.


Learn how to safely can tomatoes and—prevent botulism—at the National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu).

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Pickled Veggie Garnish

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Field-fresh okra is the perfect pickled garnish for a Southern Bloody Mary.

Elizabeth uses this basic recipe for pickling okra, beets, baby purple carrots, radishes--whatever's coming in from the garden. The recipe is very forgiving; you'd have to work to mess it up.

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Party Spread

Photo: Cedric Angeles

We asked some of our favorite canning enthusiasts (including chefs, gardeners, and cookbook authors) to share their favorite recipes.

And once you have your stash of canned goods, we've also included how you can spread the wealth beyond jam on bread.

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Cardamom-Plum Jam

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Recipe: Cardamom-Plum Jam

"Spices! In jam! This was the jam that made me realize how good homemade preserves could be--and I'm pretty sure it landed me my book deal. You can use any kind of plums. Tart, even under-ripe, plums too puckery to eat out of hand make especially good jams." Liana Krissoff

Recipe from Liana Krissoff, author of Canning for a New Generation

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Jelly-Cheddar Thumbprints

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Homemade pickles and jams add garden-fresh flavor to party menus any time of year.

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Muscadine Jelly

Photo: Cedric Angeles
"I've always enjoyed the bouquet and flavor of muscadine grapes ripening in late summer. Our muscadine vineyard gives me the opportunity to make lots of jelly."-Gwen Powell

Recipe from Gwen Powell, Co-Owner of Petals from the Past.

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Goat Cheese Log with Muscadine Jelly

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Some jellies, such as Muscadine Jelly, can take up to 2 weeks to jell. If yours doesn't set, learn how to reprocess it at nchfp.uga.edu.

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Judy's Pickled Squash

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Recipe: Judy's Pickled Squash

Recipe from Sara Foster, chef and author of Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen. "An overabundance of fast-growing yellow squash inspired my sister, Judy, to make these unusually gratifying sweet squash pickles. They can elevate anything from a simple dish of beans and rice to a fried egg sandwich. You can use any kind of summer squash, from sundrops to pattypans to zucchini.

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Pickled Summer Squash Quesadillas

Photo: Cedric Angeles

This delicious, canning-inspired bite comes together in less than 10 minutes!

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Uncle Hoyt's Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Photo: Cedric Angeles

Recipe: Uncle Hoyt's Bread-and-Butter Pickles

"My family starts clamoring for my Uncle Hoyt Harwell's pickles—a perfect combination of sweet and savory—as soon as summer's heat gives us cucumbers. I put them on sandwiches and in deviled eggs or just eat them out of the jar." —James T. Farmer

Recipe from James T. Farmer, III, author of A Time to Plant.

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Grilled Andouille Sausage with Pickles

Photo: Cedric Angeles

A drool-worthy spread that's perfect for the new kind of garden party.

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