Question 1

I'm brand new - have never canned anything before.  Am intrigued by this machine, and was just curious if you could only do jams and jellies?

Accepted Answer

This machine is perfect if you are new to canning.  If  you follow the instructions your jams and jellies will turn out well.  You cannot make anything else with this machine, but the Ball website has add more recipes that can be made in this machine.  I also love that you do not have to make a huge batch of jam or jelly and can make recipes with or without sugar and low sugar as well.

Question 2

I don't like "specialized" appliances unless they REALLY make the work easier.  How is this a major time-saver? It doesn't eliminate any steps right?

Accepted Answer

The biggest gift; YOU don't stir, it does. If you've ever canned fruit, the stirring while it boils is the worst part. This has a 21 minute cycle, beeps when you are to add sugar and spices and then you turn it off when it's done and pour it into prepared canning jars. I use a Ball recipe that makes a quart at a time, either in four little half pint jars or two pints or one quart or even 8 quarter pint jars. I also have a steam bath canner for my stove top that processes them for 10 minutes. That's less than an hour , even with cleaning the canner, which is super simple. I've been using my 4 years now and it's actually fun. I no longer need those all day ordeals; I make one or two batches at a time as my fruit ripens , and I have lots to give out at Christmas or supply my kids' families, and they love my strawberry rhubarb jam!  Very litte effort gives great results.

Question 3

My question is, can I use my own favorite recipes that make 6 jars jelly, and decrease recipe to make only 4 jars in this machine?

Accepted Answer

Hi There, Some people responded yes to this in the past. that is why I purchased it. However, being an avid jam maker ( when the trees begin to throw fruit at us) I gave this a try. My recipes needed to cook a bit longer, and even though I scaled back to make 4 jars, the precious jam burned (2 x). We have mango trees and the work that goes into peeling and pitting is far too much effort to waste. I also tried it with a raspberry and the same thing happened. I ended up sending back the machine . Amazon was great as usual. And I now continue to make jam the way my mother and grandmother did. We are still opening  jars and my jams will see our family through the winter months once again. As a point of interest, I processed one jar that had been slightly burned and picked out just to see what would happen with it. Just last week I took a look at it. The color was very different from the other jars processed in the old fashioned way and the taste was quite off. Their instruction booklet also states that jam frequently burns and although you may adjust the time for a bit, should you feel it needs a bit more you cannot increase the time after the machine  has been set. Nor can you just start it again because the thermostat needs to cool completely down before it can be used again. If you want to make a batch back to back there will be a "cool down" period between batches. If you make a good deal of jams,  have your own recipes and are experiencedin the process I  would suggest you skip the purchase. If you only make a bit and like their recipes, I am sure you will have fun with it.

Question 4

Does the book teach you how to properly can your jams too?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this jam maker is great for beginners or someone that's been canning for 50 years.  It explains how to make jam or jelly,  please follow all instructions in the order they are given.  Then it tells you how to put it in jars, how much head space,  how to place the lid and ring on and then it tells you how to put it in a water bath canner and for how long the jars need to be in the boiling water bath.  This is a great piece of canning equipment, one I wouldn't give up for nothing.  It's so simple and it makes great jam and jellies, I use the low sugar recipes they are fabulous recipes.

Brand	Ball Jar
Model Number	1440035005
Color	Silver
Product Dimensions	36.83 x 28.96 x 36.83 cm; 2.95 kg
Capacity	227 g
Material	Aluminium
Item Weight	2.95 Kilograms

Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker (by Jarden Home Brands)

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