Where to Get Produce for Canning

If you can much, you probably have to purchase at least some produce - unless you have quite a large garden. The question is, how can you get good produce in bulk at decent prices?

Farmer's Markets
Many canners first think of their local farmer's market. This could be a good place to get produce, but in my experience, farmer's markets generally do not sell produce in bulk. That is, they aren't used to customers asking for many flats of a particular fruit or vegetable all at once. That means you aren't likely to find as much produce at you want - and it's unlikely you'll get the best price for it.

Family, Friends, & Neighbors
If you have friends or family who garden, this could be another option. If Aunt Edna has lots of extra green beans, for example, she might be to give you the produce if you'll give a certain amount of it back to her canned. However, unless Aunt Edna has quite a large garden, she may not be able to give you the amount of produce you really want.

Another thought is to start noticing fruit trees around town. Many people in our area have apple and pear trees in their front yards, for example, and quite a number of them just let the fruit fall to the ground. A smart canner might knock on the door of a house with such a tree and ask if the owner is willing to let them pick the fruit; then you could give some to the home owner and take the rest for yourself. Elderly people, especially, are often thrilled with this arrangement.

Grocery Stores
Frankly, the grocery store is the last place I'd shop for produce for canning because: 1) the vegetables and fruits have been sitting around for quite a while and are therefore lower in nutrients, 2) much of the produce is picked before it's ripe, lessoning both taste and nutritional value, and 3) some produce just isn't worth canning if you buy it from a store. (For example, for pickles you want the freshest, as-close-to-just-picked cucumbers you can find or the pickles will end up mushy. Another good example is tomatoes; store bought 'maters just don't taste anything like garden or farm grown.)

CSA Gardens
Community Supported Agriculture programs can be a terrific way to obtain produce for canning, preserving by other methods, or eating fresh. Basically, customers pay a farmer to send them produce periodically throughout the year. Not everyone has a nearby CSA program, however, and not all CSA gardens are going to grow things you necessarily want to can.

My Choice: Farm Produce Stores & Stands
In my experience, the best place to buy produce for canning - both in terms of quality and price - is a farm stand or produce store. (Many also have "pick your own" options, making the produce even less expensive.) Not all of these stores are created equal, however. Today I visited two; I'd been told one had better prices than the farm store I normally purchase produce from. It turned out the produce was past it's prime - a definite no-no when it comes to canning almost everything. The second farm produce store I visited had absolutely gorgeous produce, but they were completely unaccustomed to working with canners. Their prices were too high to buy in quantity, they did not sell anything by the flat, and when I asked if they gave bulk discounts, they looked at me like I was crazy.

So here's what I recommend: Find the names and phone numbers of every farm produce store in your area, then call them. A good store is more than happy to answer your questions, so be sure to ask:

1. Do you sell flats of produce?

2. Do you offer quantity discounts? How about lower prices for "seconds?"

3. What's in season right now?

The latter question is very important since changes in weather, problems with pests, and a wide variety of other things can affect when produce is in season each year.

If the produce store is some distance from your house, I'd also ask the price per pound (or flat - just be sure you know how many pounds are in the flat) on several items you plan to purchase.


Where do you purchase your produce for canning?

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