MUCH depends on purpose and length of storage. If you're talking just yr to yr or two "normal"...or a SHTF prep.
First, make a list of what you will eat. Next look at nutritional value of those. Look for proteins, carbs, vit/ min...balance. I look for 2yr use for most veg types & a year on meats -- for what I'll eat. Guess we're not considering the freezers
Next I try to grow most popular eating for me. But will buy if value there with expense of time/material to can is there. This being my normal, yearly method. Plus I can some convenience things.
1. Tomatoes in all forms. Whole, peeled and cored, sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, etc.
2. Vegetable Soup from whatever is in the garden.
3. Chicken-home raised
4. Broth
5. Jams and jellies
6. Fruit
7. Green beans
8. Pickles-you have my recipe!
9. Peas although I like them better when frozen.
10. Pinto beans because I want beans now and didn’t think ahead enough to soak them overnight and simmer all day.
I've been seeing alot of those sheet pan soup recipes lately. The ones where you roast a bunch of quartered tomatoes & onions, a whole garlic, some herbs & probably other things. Then toss it all in a blender, add a little liquid (milk or broth or whatever) & tahdah, soup!
I'm thinking that several jars of a tomato base & several versions of a squash/pumpkin base would be good to have.
Tomatoes in several forms are a given.
Beans - plain as a base, with ham 'better than bouillon' & onions, & baked beans.
Chicken/turkey & broths. Beef : cubed & ground & broths. Pork.
I keep a gallon bag in the freezer for all the veggie scraps & make broth when it's a cockpot full.
Corn. Potatoes. Butter beans & string beans.
A few meals in a jar would be handy. Beef stew, chili.
Spices. Open up the container, separate into smaller piles, then vac pack into small bags. They will last a long time and it will surely spice up whatever you're going to store for longer term.
I also vac pack rice - both white and brown. And two types of sugar too.
I've done the roasted veggie soups - and roasted tomato soups - DEEEEELISHHHHHH - but I put those in freezer ziplocs, and freeze laying flat (easier on freezer space). I'm a bit of a stickler on safe canning practices so when I can I follow the recipe exactly (changing only dried herbs and spices).
There's a few FB groups that are safe cannersSafe Canners for Beginners and Experienced and Canning and Preserving With Love With Bernadette nice people in both groups and willing to help.
I love makng jam,s, je;;ies, and pckles, but you can oly eat so much f that. When the kids were little I went through a pt of jam daily. Now mainly tomatoes, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce without meat, and vegetables if I can grow them in TX. I also canned a bunch of meat out of the freezerv preoar=tory to moving the freezer to Texas.
By the end of December, I will (assuming I pass) attain my Master Food Preserver title.
I'm taking an on line class thru the state of WA, the local Sustainable Ag dept and several County Extension offices. They are trying to resurect the knowledge of safe and tested canning, dehydrating and freeze drying processes, in order to help educate those interested. No Rebel canners allowed, for good reasons.
I can soups, stews, chicken, veggies...love having it ready for heat & eat. Keeps me eating correctly, even when I don't want a big cook affair. I also do mass cooking ...30 stuffed peppers a couple weeks ago, some jelly, pot of cabbage soup, etc. Peppers were wrapped & frozen, but can be put into a jar & canned. Other stuff canned.
Great to have potato salad, chicken salad, etc by just mixing it up, already cooked is great. Saves time! And $$. Eating out meals are expensive for every day lunch. Broth canned is great for fast soup, gravy, meals, casseroles, or just to drink -- and it's made from "throwaways"!