Ball freshTECH Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker, Silver -

Ever since I tried homemade preserves and jams, I've always wanted to make my own. However, I couldn't be bothered with all the equipment, timing and procedures needed to make your own jam and preserves. This little gadget has caught my attention when it first appeared on Amazon but I couldn't justify the cost of purchasing one since I didn't know how often I would use it. It was recently on sale and the price was low enough for me to pull the trigger and get one. This Ball FreshTECH jam and jelly maker is a hoot to use. It takes out all the guesswork needed to make jams and jellies. All you have to do is wait for the beeps to add stuff in. It takes care of the cooking and stirring so you don't end up with a mess all over stove. Overflows are an issue with jam and jelly making but this unit eliminates it by constantly stirring the concoction until it's ready to go in your jars. You need to make sure you don't overload past the manufacturer's recommendation. The clean up is simple and fast (unless it overflows). The biggest issue I read is the capacity. It makes around 4 cups of jam; not nearly enough for the serious jammers (?). Wonder why they haven't come out with a larger capacity model since this seems to be very popular. For my own family, the amount is perfect. Just enough so they don't get tired of the same flavor. I am going to try and see if I can actually preserve my next batch to be shelf stable. The instruction booklet that comes with the unit is very informative and tells you exactly how much pectin, sugar and fruit to add. Just about foolproof. I can do it anyone can. This unit is not really a one trick pony. You can use it to make spaghetti sauce; just about anything that requires cooking and stirring. Once you try homemade jams and jelly, there is no going back to the commercial stuff.

This is a wonderful jam and jelly machine, for small batches but you can just repeat the recipe 2-3 times , it will still be less time than standing over hot burners stirring and The recipe that comes with the machine it very accurate, Just follow the simple instructions and do your best not add alter the recipe don’t add too much or too little it’s scientifically have been measured, so if you’re not the type of who needs a big batch all at the same time this machine is for you, just Repeat the process two or three times for extra jars do not double the recipe just repeat the process to get the amount of jars that you want because you only could put so much ingredients in the machine , so do exactly what it says to do nothing more if you want your jam or jelly to be correct. I’m a platinum Senior citizen and I do approve this machine, it’s only my husband and myself and sometime I give jars to my Friends and family.. I’m telling you I’m tired of staying over the burners and stove stirring and stirring so now I can still do my things from scratch and cut my time in Half and hurry up and get my butt out the kitchen, Of course I make my biscuits of course from scratch and make my own dinner rolls to go with my wonderful jam and jelly’s But I should tell you I don’t take a lot of time to make jams and jellies now, But every now and then I’ll still do the old fashion way stirring stirring just in case I need to teach somebody how to do it old the way too, Just to keep your skills sharp, but I really enjoyed this little jelly and jam machine it’s amazing!

This machine is fantastic.It does what it says it does: makes small batches of jelly.I am used to buying in bulk and to canning large batches (I canned 48 quarts of applesauce one weekend last year), so there is a mind frame adjustment that is necessary for me here. This machine works better for small, experimental batches of jellies and jams. It'd be a little silly to try and do large bulk batches.For instance, I got around 50 pounds of strawberries in bulk, but instead of doing a huge batch of strawberry jam, I did five small batches using the five strawberry recipes found in the book. That way, I ended up with 20 jars of various flavors instead of 20 jars of one flavor. The cleanup between batches is SO fast and easy, and the most time-consuming part of the project is prepping your fruit or veggie. Instead of having to stand over your oven and stir stir stir, in just 20 minutes of machine-time (while you're busy cleaning up and prepping the canner and the next batch), the jelly is ready for the next step.Speaking of recipes, I should hope that everyone knows that Ball is protecting its butt by telling you not to deviate from the recipes in their booklet. They can't possibly address all the safety concerns with all the possible recipes people would try. Unfortunately, in this litigious society, they are just being smart about their own liability.Having said that, I have successfully made many other recipes in this machine than just what's in the book. One of the main concerns is that I don't get too MUCH jelly in here because any overflow would not only not set the jelly up right, but also be a pain to clean out of the machine parts that aren't supposed to be exposed to the food. A lot of the recipes I've tried are just imaginative variations on the recipes they've included. I've made a Banana-Pepper Jelly substituting garden banana peppers for bell peppers. The flavor and color is unique, but the recipe worked the same. I've also added different spices to others for the fun of the experiment.However you want to use this, whether sticking to the book or going out on your own limb, it is a great device and easy to clean, store, and use.