Ball freshTECH Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker, Silver –

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.