Ball FreshTech Electric Water Bath Canner Review

Are you learning to make preserves from your garden for the very first time?

Or are you an experienced home canner?

Canning your own fresh vegetables, fruits, pickled preserves and salsa gives you security over food choices for your family. It gives you independence and a supply of food for the winter. It is delicious, nutritious and fun to do.

Whether you are discovering canning for the first time as a beginner, or are a seasoned pro looking for a new device to make your kitchen run smoother at canning time, I suggest you get the Ball FreshTech Electric Water Bath Canner.

ballfreshtechelectricwaterbathcanner

IMAGINE THIS:

  • No more worrying about your flat glass top stove breaking under the weight of an enormous boiling pot!
  • freeing up space on your stove by canning anywhere you have an electrical outlet!
  • never worry about carrying a heavy water bath filled with boiling water from the stove to the sink!
  • using 20% less electricity compared to a typical stove top system!

Can you do all of this with a single multi-cooker?

Frequently Asked Questions

How many stove burners does it use?

Zero. It is electric. Plug it in anywhere you have counter space, freeing up your stove completely.

 

Can I use this on my flat glass top stove?

You don’t need a stove. It plugs into an electric outlet. No more heavy systems that can crack a stovetop!

 

Can I use this as a Multi-Cooker?

Yes, in addition to being a waterbath for canning, you can cook pastas, soups, and hot beverages in the Ball Freshtech.

 

Can a smaller person use this when it’s full?

One of the best features is not having to haul it around the kitchen.  The FreshTech has a built in drainage spout. One of the challenges of traditional water bath canning is lugging a 40 pound stainless steel monster off the stove to the sink to drain it. You can set the Ball Canner up near the sink, plug it in, do your canning, and then simply open the drainage spout to conveniently and safely empty it. Perfect for a senior or a person with physical limitations.

 

Is it simple to use?  Watch this video:

 

Do you ship internationally?

Yes, the Ball Freshtech Canner does ship to many countries, to find out if you are eligible for discounted international shipping CLICK HERE.

 

Do I need any extra equipment to sterilize my canning jars?

No. Sterilizing is one of the main steps this device does. If you are brand new to canning, I’d suggest picking up a traditional canning set of accessories when you order the Ball. You’ll use the jar lifter, lid lifter, magnet, and funnel a lot and they are cheap and last a long time.

 

Is the readout digital?

It’s a simple dial. This canner is designed to be filled, plugged in, and turned on. Very easy to use.

 

Can I make jam and jelly with this?

Yes, there is an old-tymie strawberry jam recipe in the menu book that comes with the electric canner. You can make raspberry jam, chokecherry, Wonderberry, rhubarb, chutneys, pretty much all of the classic jams we enjoyed as kids.

 

Can I can beets with this?

Definitely! This year we have Golden beets, Cylindria beets, Chioggia beets and Bulls Blood Red beets in the garden specifically for canning.

 

How many half pint jars can I do at one time?

It will hold a dozen half pints.

 

What is the best pressure cooker for canning?

You will be happy with the All American 921 or the Presto 01781. The Ball FreshTech is not for pressure cooking recipes like meat, seafood, poultry or beans. It is designed for high-acid water bath canning techniques.

 

Can I can beans with this?

Most bean recipes for canning need a pressure cooker. However, you can definitely pickle beans. Some of the swankiest bars in town serve their martinis with a giant pickled bean in them instead of an olive.

 

How many canning jars can I can at one time?

The water bath holds 7 quart jars or 8 pints or a dozen ½ pints at one time. It is not deep enough for half gallon jars.

 

Can I use this on an outdoor stove or fireplace?

Please don’t. Fire and external heating sources will destroy it faster than you can say “picked a peck of pickled peppers”.  It is electric. It has it’s own self-contained heating element in the base. At 1500 watts it’s perfect for home use.

 

Can I take it to the cottage, camping or in the RV?

Absolutely! You can use it as a versatile multi-cooker and make hot soup with it, pastas…even mac and cheese or instant ramen noodles. Perfect classic camping food.

 

What is the inner container made from, aluminium or stainless?

It’s stainless steel. Be careful when using metal instruments in it to prevent scratching it. Most canning kits will be fine.

 

Where is it made?

It’s made in China. It has a complete manufacturer’s warranty from Ball.

 

Can I use recipes out of the Ball Blue book?

Yes. In fact you should. Canning is an absolute delight and you can experiment with and endless array of different flavors. Taco sauce, chutney, pickles, relish, tomato sauces and salsa, the sky is the limit.

best canner recipes

I’m trying to decide between this and the Ball autocanner.

The big difference is in the size. With the Freshtec water bath you can do more jars in different sizes, perfect for small batches as well as large batches of canning.

 

Can I pickle hot peppers with this?

For sure! This year we are growing Chinese 5-color peppers, Naga Vipers, Trinidad Scorpions, and a bunch of jalapenos and Red Rockets just for canning. Of course they will be so hot that it can take paint off the wall, but that’s how I like them!

 

My Italian neighbor makes 400 quart jars of tomato sauce every September the old way.

Tell them about the Freshtech! Your neighbor will get 2 days of their life back each summer, their house won’t heat up a million degrees, and they will thank you for it. It’s awesome for large batch canning. If you lend them yours you might get some jars of sauce as a thank you.

 

Would a homesteader or prepper find this to be a good gift?

This is an excellent gift for anyone who wants to preserve their own food, increase their family’s food security, store food for the winter or interruption in distribution, and introduce more healthy nutritional fruits and vegetables into their loved-ones diet.

 

Should I be concerned about salmonella?

If you follow the instructions properly and can high-acid and not low-acid or pressure cook only foods, you will do fine. For extra information check out the government food safety information. http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/home_canning.html

 

Can I blanch vegetables with this?

Yes. The pot is 21 quarts, and perfect for blanching your vegetables. You can control the rolling boil or heating speed. If you ever dehydrate your own veggies then you will love this.

 

Can I make hot cider in it at Christmas time?

Now you’re getting the big picture! This isn’t an appliance that you’ll use twice in September then put away…it has a ton of versatility. If you make 20 quarts of cider make sure you invite over a lot of friends and family to enjoy it.

 

I lost my canning recipe book.

You can download the recipes and owners manual from Ball – click here.

Where can I get customer service?

Ball – U.S. 1-800-240-3340 Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 8:30a.m.-4:30p.m. EST

canning in waterbath

DIMENSIONS:

The Ball FreshTech Water Bath Canner measure 15.4 inches square. It stands just under 16 inches tall. It’s empty weight is 16 pounds.

 

REVIEWS

On the largest online retailer it has a 91% satisfied or very satisfied customer rating, making it one of the very top reviewed waterbath canners on the market.  The owner community has answered nearly 2 dozen questions specific to the Ball Canner.

PROS

  • You get your stove back.
  • You will never worry about breaking a glasstop or flat stove from a heavy canning pot again.
  • Your kitchen cabinets will never be dripping with steam from a hot canning pot.
  • The electric burner heats up quickly.
  • The self-draining spigot means never lugging a heavy pot full of hot water again.
  • The 21 quart pot is a versatile multi-cooker for pastas soups and hot beverages.
  • You can blanch vegetables in it.
  • Holds a dozen half pint jars in one batch.
  • Good for small or large batches
  • perfect for high-acid foods canned in the water bath method
  • stainless steel liner
  • comes with recipe book
  • top electric water bath canner reviews

CONS

  • not for pressure cooker recipes or low acid foods
  • do not use for salmon, wild boar, water buffalo, deer, pork, or poultry
  • does not work on a camp stove or open fire
  • at 16 inches tall might be high on counter top for a shorter person
  • not for canning seafood (though you could cook a lobster in the pot)

 

PRICE and SHIPPING:

The best place to price out the best deal is on Amazon. They have frequent shipping deals, financing opportunities and around the holidays they have specials.

CLICK HERE to check the price on the Ball FreshTech Electric Water Bath Canner

 

 

 

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