Product Reviewed:
Ball FreshTECH Automatic Home Canner
This canner is a must-have for both canning regulars and first-timers. It’s completely automatic — it takes all of the guesswork out of canning and simplifies the entire process meaning no hot water baths, timers, or worrying that you’ll end up with a safe finished product.
The FreshTECH canner is incredibly user-friendly. When you’ve got your pickles or sauce or jam ready, simply place your jars in the canner and press the preheat button. Once they’re warm, fill them with whatever you’re canning, select the appropriate button on the machine for what you’re canning and hit the “START” button. When the time goes off, remove the jars and you’re done!
My other pros of the machine include the fact that it’s lightweight. It’s a bit large, but not bulky or unreasonable for what it does. It could easily be stored in a pantry or basement until you’re ready to use it. It’s also easy to clean and it comes with a booklet packed with recipes.
To test out the machine, I made salsa. Even though it was the middle of winter in Ohio — not a great time or place for tomatoes — I eat salsa pretty much every day, so I decided to give it a whirl!
It turned out great! I made three jars and one has already been devoured. It’s so convenient that I have two more jars waiting for me and I don’t have to deal with getting all the ingredients out to make another batch each time I want some.
The only downside of the machine is the price. If you’re only a sometimes-canner, the price tag may be a bit steep. But if you can regularly – or are looking for a way to simplify the process so that you are able to can more frequently – I think it’s definitely worth the money!
