If you’re looking for a delicious way to preserve zucchini, canning zucchini is an option, but you can’t can just plain zucchini. You can, however, can it when combined with other vegetables. This Mediterranean-inspired zucchini and tomato mix is one of my favorite recipes for canning zucchini. It’s flavorful, versatile, and completely safe for pressure canning — perfect for serving over ravioli, tortellini, or even as a base for soup.

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This recipe comes from Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond (Amazon) by Angi Schneider. I followed her recipe closely, with just a couple of small adaptations that worked well for me.

checking the headspace on canning jars filled with zucchini and tomatoes.

Why I Love This Recipe for Canning Zucchini and Tomatoes

One of the challenges of preserving zucchini is that, as mentioned above, there are only a few approved ways to can it safely. This recipe pairs zucchini with tomatoes — a safe combination — and adds Mediterranean herbs for a rich, savory flavor. The finished product is a chunky vegetable mix that’s ready to heat and serve right out of the jar.

It’s also a flexible pantry item. When it’s time to serve, you can thicken it with tomato paste, sprinkle with Parmesan, or toss it with pasta.

My Adaptations

While the original recipe calls for fresh, blanched, and peeled tomatoes, I used canned diced tomatoes for convenience. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients for canning zucchini and tomato sauce — The ingredients for canning zucchini and tomatoes are zucchini, canned diced tomatoes and herbs. The recipe is from *Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond* (Amazon) by Angi Schneider.

I used five 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, partially drained. I kept about half of the liquid because liquid is important for heat penetration during canning (which is a big part of canning safety).
My tomatoes ended up weighing about 6½ pounds after draining — a little more than the original recipe — which gave me 10 pints instead of 9.
I canned this in two Nesco canners (Amazon) because each only holds 5 pints. If you have only one Nesco or Carey canner, you can either cut the recipe in half or refrigerate half the batch, then reheat it before canning the second round.

Ingredients for Canning Zucchini and Tomatoes, Mediterranean Style

(Full ingredient amounts and processing times are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Here’s what you’ll need for canning zucchini and tomatoes, with a Mediterranean twist. Exact amounts and processing times are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Tomatoes – The base of the recipe, providing both flavor and safe acidity for canning. I used canned diced tomatoes for convenience, but you can also start with fresh, blanched, and peeled tomatoes.
Zucchini – Adds texture and mild flavor that pairs beautifully with the tomatoes and herbs. Cut into ½-inch cubes so it cooks evenly.
Garlic Powder – Infuses the sauce with warm, savory notes without overpowering the fresh vegetable flavor.
Oregano – A classic Mediterranean herb that complements tomato-based dishes perfectly.
Thyme – Adds a subtle earthiness that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Rosemary – Just a hint gives the sauce a fragrant, woodsy aroma.
Dried Basil – Layers in even more Mediterranean flavor, tying the herbs together.
Salt – Brings out the flavors of the vegetables and helps preserve the mix. Use non-iodized salt for canning (Amazon).

Optional for Serving

Fresh Basil – A pop of fresh flavor and color when you serve the finished dish.

Tomato Paste – For a thicker, richer sauce when reheating.

Parmesan Cheese – Adds a salty, nutty kick right before serving.

Step-by-Step: How I Canned Mediterranean Zucchini and Tomatoes

1. Prep the Zucchini

Start off by washing the zucchini and then cutting it into 1/2″ cubes.

Washing zucchini. Be sure to give your zucchini a good wash. I personally like using this over the sink colandar (Amazon) , but you can do this any way you’d like. The main thing is to get any dirt or chemical residue off.

I then sliced the zucchini down the middle length-wise, and cut each half of the zucchini into cubes that are approximately 1/2″ in size.

2. Prepare the Tomatoes

I wasn’t sure how many cans of tomatoes I’d need to end up with the required 6 1/4 pounds of tomatoes. So I opened one 28-ounce can of tomatoes at a time, and poured the individual can of tomatoes into a mesh strainer.

Partially draining canned tomatoes for canning zucchini and tomatoes — The image above is a good representation of how much liquid I left from each can. I didn’t want the tomatoes to be extra soupy, but I also knew that I needed a decent amount of liquid for proper heat distribution. I drained the juices into a bowl and set it aside to top off the jars of tomatoes as needed. Once I was done, I put the remaining juice in the fridge to “do something” with. :)

On the left you can see the bowl with partially drained tomatoes. It’s sitting on a scale, because rather than just dumping a bunch of cans of tomatoes in the pot, I went by the weight as indicated in the recipe. On the right is what was left from the final can of tomatoes once I had reached the required amount of tomatoes for the recipe. In the end I decided to go ahead and use the extra tomatoes, and can an extra pint of zucchini with tomatoes.

3. Simmer the Tomatoes and Spices

Once I had the zucchini prepped and the tomatoes weighed out, it was time to simmer the tomatoes and spices. I put the tomatoes and spices into a large stainless steel pot, and put the pot on the stove to simmer. Hold off on adding the zucchini for now.

tomatoes and seasonings in a stainless steel pot. — Here are the tomatoes with juice and spices in a large stainless steel pot.

Stir together the tomatoes and herbs. Over medium-high heat, bring the tomatoes to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the tomatoes and herbs for 10 minutes.

Here’s what it looked like once I brought the tomatoes to a boil and simmered them.

4. Add the Zucchini

Next, you’ll add the zucchini to the tomatoes.

cubed zucchini on top of tomato sauce and spices in a pot.

Stir the zucchini into the tomatoes and herbs. Bring the mixture to a boil again, and once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

zucchini stirred into tomato mixture — Here’s what the combined zucchin and tomato mixture looks like. Yum!

5. Fill Canning Jars with the Zucchini and Tomatoes Mixture

Now it’s time to fill your canning jars.

Side note: Be sure to heat your canning jars and water ahead of time. If you use the Nesco canner like I do, here’s how to heat your jars in the Nesco canner.

Since you want an equal distribution of solids and liquid ingredients in each jar, start off by using a slotted spoon to equally distribute the solids into each jar. Here is the “colander scoop” (Amazon) that I use to do this process.

using a ladle to put zucchini and tomatoes into canning jar — Using a scoop with holes in it to add the solid ingredents to a canning jar. Note the use of a canning funnel to minimize the mess. :)

canning jars filled with zucchini and tomatoes — Here’s what the filled jars looked like. As much as possible, I evenly distributed the solid ingredients between the 10 pint-sized jars.

As you can see, I have a pot with the hot tomato juice with spices on the right. This is what was left after I put the solids into the jars.

Once you’ve filled the jars with the solids, use a regular ladle and canning funnel to equally distribute the tomato sauce into the jars.

Note that you’re going for 1″ headspace.

If you don’t have enough tomato sauce to fill the jars up to 1″ headspace, you should still have some tomato juice from the cans to get to 1″ headspace. If you do not, you can add boiling water.

6. Remove Air Bubbles & Wipe Rims

Now it’s time to remove the air bubbles, check the headspace, and wipe the rims, and get the lids and rings on.

debubbling canning jars filled with zucchini and tomatoes

You’ll start off by debubbling the jars. I use this debubbler and headspace tool that I picked up on Amazon.

checking for 1" headspace on canning jars filled with zucchini and tomatoes

Next, measure the headspace. You’re going for 1″ headspace. Add or remove tomato sauce as needed to get to the 1″ headspace.

Once you have debubbled and gotten to 1″ headspace, wipe the rims, using a damp paper towel or cloth.

In spite of using a canning funnel, you can see from the soiled paper towel above, there was some residue on some of the rims. This is why wiping the rims is so important. Failure to do so may result in your lids not sealing.

Put the lids on, and then the rings, fingertip tight.

canning jars filled with zucchini and tomatoes waiting to go into the canner.

Above is what the filled jars look like. Yum!

7. Process the Jars

Now it’s time to can zucchini and tomatoes!

While it may be a bit hard to see in this photo, I put a canning ring under one of the jars. This is to lift it up slightly, which will make it easier to remove the first jar after processing is complete.

The processing time for pints is 30 minutes, or 35 minutes for quarts.

Since I had two Nesco canners, I ran both at the same time. If you’re doing two batches in one canner, refrigerate the second batch until ready, then reheat before canning.

Serving Suggestions for Home Canned Zucchini and Tomatoes

home canned zucchini and tomatoes in canning jars right after removing them from the canner.

Above is what the processed zucchini and tomatoes looked like after they came out of the canner.

When you’re ready to serve, simply heat the jar contents in a saucepan. You can thicken with tomato paste, sprinkle with Parmesan, or garnish with fresh basil.

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Yield: 10 pints

Canning Mediterranean Zucchini and Tomatoes

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A safe, flavorful pressure canning recipe that combines zucchini, tomatoes, and Mediterranean herbs. Serve over pasta, as a soup base, or with crusty bread. Includes instructions for using fresh or canned tomatoes.

Adapted from Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond by Angi Schneider

Ingredients

6¼ pounds (2.8 kg) blanched and peeled tomatoes (about 7 pounds/3.2 kg fresh tomatoes before peeling)
OR 5 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, partially drained — keep about half the liquid for proper heat penetration.
2¼ pounds (1 kg) zucchini, cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
2 tablespoons (17 g) garlic powder
1 tablespoon (5 g) dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon (5 g) dried basil
1 tablespoon (18 g) non-iodized salt

Instructions

1. Prepare your canner, jars, and lids according to manufacturer’s instructions. For the Nesco/Carey canner, heat 3 inches (8 cm) of water to about 180°F (82°C) and warm jars inside.
2. In a large stainless steel pot, combine tomatoes, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon, fill hot jars with solids first, dividing evenly. Ladle hot liquid over solids, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace.
5. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as needed, topping off with reserved tomato liquid or boiling water. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth. Apply lids and rings fingertip-tight.
6. Process jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure** — 30 minutes for pints, 35 minutes for quarts. Adjust for altitude if needed.
7. Let canner depressurize naturally, remove jars, and cool 12–24 hours. Check seals before storing.

Notes

Using canned diced tomatoes saves time — just drain about half the liquid but keep the rest for safe heat penetration.

If your canner holds fewer jars (like the Nesco), you can cut the recipe in half or refrigerate the second batch until ready to can. Reheat before processing.

This recipe is adapted from Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond by Angi Schneider and follows safe, tested guidelines.

If desired, at serving time, you can thicken with tomato paste if desired. Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil (optional).

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