Easy Homemade Pickles and Salsa and a Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System Review

 

 Photo source: Jarden Home Brands

I'm both delighted, and thankful, to have an ongoing relationship with the wonderful people at Jarden Home Brands. This company brings us Ball Brand Canning products, and I confess that I am a regular customer at the Fresh Preserving Website.

 
I became hooked on canning during the summer of 2009.  I bought Jarden Home Brand's book, "The Ball Blue Book to Preserving" . This book has become my "go to" when  looking for canning recipe inspiration. and for clear instructions.  The first homemade jam I made was  Classic Strawberry.  Since then, I've made a variety of jams and jellies and I have not bought commercially made jams ever since!

Last year, Jarden Home Brands sent me a Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker to test and review.  I absolutely love it, and use it often. I made a Strawberry-Raspberry Vanilla jam and homemade Grape Jelly which have become two of my personal favorite flavors.  This product makes jam and jelly making fool-proof and simple because I can do "small batch" canning.  I say that, because I love canning so much, but I don't necessarily want to make dozens and dozens of jars-- of the same flavor-- at once.

When Jarden Home Brands graciously offered to send me the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System to review, I was ecstatic!   We love Bread and Butter pickles, which I've made before, because of the balance of tart and sweet. However, I've never made Kosher Dill Pickles. So,  I ordered the Ball Brand Bread & Butter Pickle Mix and the Ball Brand Kosher Dill Pickle Mix, while waiting to hear the roar of my local UPS truck.

When my package arrived, from Jarden Home Brands, I immediately read the enclosed recipe booklet from cover to cover. I was ready to make make pickles and salsa, and began to follow the instructions.  The machine is easy to set up. Unpack it, wash the inner pot, plug it in and go!

One of the biggest reasons I liked the concept of the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System is that I didn't have to fill a huge pot with water (that feels like it weighs a ton), only to have to wait for 45 minutes for it to come to a boil so that I could "water can" the jars.  All I had to do was fill the inner pot with significantly less water, which is pre-marked with a fill line.  I set four pint jars (16 ounce) on top of the rack...

...shut and locked the lid and pressed two buttons to start the sterilization process.  Easy!
NOTE: I know this is a lengthy post, but I have so much so share-- and there is a giveaway at the very end of this post!

I'm fortunate to have an farm stand, just three miles down the road.  They sell organically grown, freshly picked (daily) pickling cucumbers for $2.99 a pound.  It takes about 15 minutes for the FreshTech Automatic Canner to sterilize the jars, so I got busy preparing the cucumbers to make Dill Pickles.

I needed four ingredients-- white vinegar, water, pickling cucumbers and the pickling mix. Total prep work: 5 minutes.

 All I had to do was to combine the pickling mix with the liquids, bring it to a boil and then turn it off.

At the same time, quartering each pickling cucumber into spears took just a few minutes. I used a spare jar to calculate how many cucumbers I would need, per jar.   Just as I finished slicing the  pickling cucumbers into spears, the Fresh Tech Automatic Canner beeped.  The jars were sterilized!

Using the jar lifter (included with the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System) I filled each jar, one-by-one.

All I had to do was ladle the pickling liquid into each sterilized jar, put on a jar lid and set it back into the
Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canner.  The instructions were so simple: press pickles and a coordinating number (clearly explained in the recipe book) and start.  Then, wait for about 30 minutes, for the beep to sound.

I was so excited to remove my pickles, and that I didn't have to stand over a stove....and wait...and watch.   I was amazed that in 30 minutes, I made dill pickles!  I couldn't wait to make more pickles, and so I immediately started making Bread & Butter Pickle Chips.

I (carefully) used my mandoline to slice each cucumber, and measured out the Ball® Brand Bread & Butter Pickling Mix.  I admit, that this mix is very convenient-- but I wondered, will I like this as much as my "from scratch" recipe?

While making the pickling liquid, the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canner sterilized my jars (this time I used 8 ounce jars.  I poured the the hot liquid into each jar, pressed two pre-programmed buttons and tidied up the kitchen.

TASTING NOTES:   I have to wait four weeks, before tasting the dill pickles, because that is what's recommended. However, I couldn't resist tasting the Bread & Butter Pickles. Wow!  The pickles were crisp, and the perfect balance of sweet with just a hint of tart. I loved them so much, that I made an additional small batch of two 16-ounce jars of Bread and Butter Spears!

I also ordered the Ball® Fiesta Salsa Mix.  Our homegrown Roma tomatoes were sun-ripened, but rather small, so I bought additional commercially grown Romas. 

I added the salsa mix, and I could smell cumin and other spices, and there were dried bell peppers. I decided to add a fresh jalapeno to the pot...

...and then cooked the mixture for about five minutes (per the recipe) and then poured them into sterilized jars.  All I had to do was pressed the two buttons, to let the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canner know what to do.  All I had to do was let the jars cool, label them and add them to my pantry for whenever I need salsa (which I use often).

TASTING NOTES: The salsa is good, but I probably would make my own salsa, in the future.  I prefer using uncooked tomatoes, adding my own blend of spices, cilantro and fresh onion.  However, my fresh salsa doesn't have much of a shelf life-- in fact, it can only be refrigerated for up to a week. So, there's the trade-off. This salsa has a bit more cumin than I prefer, but that's not to say it's not good.  Try it, and see for yourself, because it's not very expensive.

So, here's my honest review on the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System:

This makes home canning truly automatic and very user-friendly.  I feel as though the pickles practically made themselves!  I absolutely loved how effortless it was to sterilize my jars.  I can't praise enough how "water canning" my pickles was as simple as setting my filled jars into the  Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canner, pressing two buttons and being able to walk away and not worry about setting a timer. All I had to do was listen for the beep.

While I was anxiously waiting for the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System to arrive, I did a little research on what people were saying about this product.  Now that I've experienced this product for myself, I'd like to clarify what this product can and cannot do.

"It only makes small batches..."
Yes, that's true.  You can make six 8-ounce jars, four 16-ounce jars or three quart sized jars, at one time.  That's also not a bad thing.  I think that small batch canning has its virtues.  I'm not stock piling food, because I live way out in the boonies, nor do I have a large family to feed.  I don't grow a lot of produce or fruit, so I'm not in dire need of having to can bumper crops.  However, I do have an enamel canning pot, and will use that when I make an annual large batch of "Olallieberry Jam".  (I just have to ask one of my strong men to lift it from the sink to the stovetop.)

"You can't pressure can meat sauces..."
Yes, that's true.  You would need a pressure canner to accomplish this.  You can make jams, jellies, salsas and tomato sauces-- and I'm very happy with that.  I'm really not interested in canning meat sauces or fish, so I don't find this to be disappointing at all.

"You are limited to the recipes in the book, and can't make your own..."
There is a variety of delicious recipes in the included book (which is also online, as a PDF, for free). You can also find recipes online, with more being added.   I think that the reason people are discouraged to "tinker" with the recipes or to use your own, is a liability issue.  There are some canning safety rules that need to be followed, so that there isn't a risk of food becoming contaminated with bacteria (which is probably why I haven't gotten into canning meats or fish).  I've never had any of my recipes go "bad", because I use common sense with making sure that my equipment (and my hands) are clean.  I prefer the "water can" method, rather than making refrigerator jams, jellies or pickles.  That way, my shelf life is much longer, in my pantry.  I would think you can "tweak" (or "adapt") some of the recipes as far as adding additional spices or herbs.  I just make sure to keep the ratio of products and pectin (if applicable) and follow the canning process according to the recipes.

Is it really cheaper to make your own recipes?
I calculated that my pickles weren't significantly cheaper than buying them.  However, I liked knowing that my cucumbers were organically grown and GMO free, and that I was in control of what ingredients were used.  The ingredients listings in the Ball® Mixes weren't complicated with any questionable ingredients.  Plus, I feel a sense of accomplishment that I made something with my own two hands!

"This is way too expensive, for me"
For $299.95, I can understand why this might seem expensive!  Because I love canning so much,  I was saving my pennies to buy one of these, for myself.  After falling in-love with the  Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker ($84.00) I knew that I would be having even more fun making new recipes using both the Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker and the Automatic Canning System-- we're a team now!  I absolutely love that I am using less energy, less water and less guesswork.    It might take a while for the investment to pay off, but the end result is enjoying what you've made, and home canned products make great gifts!

If you love canning, or want to learn how, add this to your birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day Wish List or Wedding Registry. I can promise you, that  you will be dreaming up what other recipes you can make with this!

Bottom line:

SmartPRESERVE™ Technology is an energy efficient hybrid technology that automatically senses, and constantly monitors time and temperature optimized for each recipe. The automatic sensing technology also self-adapts the temperature and time based on the altitude of your location. The technology removes any guesswork, eliminates the need for stove-top monitoring and takes worries away. The freshTECH Automatic Home Canning System empowers you to fresh preserve delicious homemade foods that are shelf stable for up to one year.

What's not to love?!!!

 

Thank you, Jarden Home Brands, for sending me the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System to review.  While you sponsored this promotion, my opinions are honestly and truly my own.

 THE GIVEAWAY

Before I received my new Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System, I used the Ball® Home Canning Discovery Kit to make small batches of canned fruits, jams and jellies.  It's a great way to discover the world of canning.

 
***GIVEAWAY ENTRIES HAS CLOSED. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND POSTED****
I wish I could give one of you a chance to win a  Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System, but I can't.  Alas, my food blog isn't my full-time job, and so I'm not as famous as other food bloggers who do this as a business.

What am I giving away? I'd like to give someone a chance to win one copy of the Ball Blue Book "A Guide to Preserving", a Ball® Home Canning Discovery Kit (by Jarden Home Brands) and a case of beautiful 2014 Limited Edition Ball® Heritage Collection Spring Green Mason Jars.   

HOW TO ENTER: To be entered to win all you have to do is leave a comment on this post (not on my Facebook Fan Page).  I'd love to know what you would make, or if you have a tried and true recipe. I'm always interested in inspiration.

Do you want extra entries?  I'm easy. 

• Please "like" my Facebook Fan Page, and come back and let me know that you have. If you have already "liked" my Facebook Fan Page-- thank you, and please come back here to let me know.
• Join my Twitter. (I can assure you, that I only use Twitter to tweet my new posts or pics of something I'm cooking!)"
• Tweet this giveaway, and leave me a comment (here) that you've done so. Please tweet that I'm "giving away some Ball Canning Supplies" (I'm not giving an automatic canner nor automatic jam and jelly maker...though I wish I could)

Small Print: Sorry, but I can only ship to the United States.  I will randomly choose a winner on Saturday, August 16, 2014

The recipes, for the pickles and salsa can be found on the Fresh Preserving Website.