Customer Reviews

Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Let me say that I am not a "canner," or whatever the people who do a lot of canning refer to themselves as. I am a musician with a little down time at the end of August who has been inspired to preserve some of the fresh fruit that is floating around SoCal this time of year. This item was perfect for me: inexpensive, worked great, and no, it did NOT melt.

I was concerned after reading a few of the reviews of the product (many of which were written by people don't even own the item), so before I purchased the basket I did a little online research. The melting point of polypropylene (that's what the rack is made of) is somewhere around 320 degrees fahrenheit. Since water boils at 212 degrees fahreneit, I felt pretty safe.

And I was. No melting. Let me repeat that: no melting. Just canning.

Let me add that my stock pot is only 8 quarts and the rack touched the sides of the pot the entire time I boiled my fruit preserves (ideal "melting" conditions). No melting. Additionally, the recipe I used had me boil the jars a fairly long time -- 45 minutes -- and since the rack only holds 3 jars at a time I submerged it twice in succession (each time for 45 minutes). No melting. In fact, the rack was cool to the touch the moment it came out of the water.

Highly recommended.

I've canned for over 35 years and the idea of not having to heat up my large canner to process a few jars of salsa sounded great. Despite the negative review, I purchased the canning discovery kit, took it home and set the rack and lifter in a stockpot of boiling water for 30 minutes. It came out exactly as I had put it in -- no melting. It would surprise me if a company that has manufactured canning equipment for as long as Ball would fail to fully test a new product.

I find it hilarious that people reviewed this item without even trying it. Give it a shot before you knock it or use another method, but don't write a negative review on something you've never used.

Anyway, I got this kit as a gift a few weeks ago and decided to take a stab at canning last week. I decided to make some jams and this kit was a huge help. I did not use the jars that came with the kit since they were too large for what I needed but I did use the basket along with some smaller Ball Jars. I brought the water to a boil, put the jars I used in the basket (it easily held 5 smaller cans and will hold 3-4 larger jars), put them in the water, and put a lid on top. I did not closely track the temp like some of the other reviewers. I boiled for 8 minutes as per the recipe then removed the basket from the water. It was not melted AT ALL. It wasn't even soft and it looked just as it had before it went into the pot. The jams sealed perfectly and are delicious.

I have since used the basket 4 more times with absolutely no problems. I still do not track the temp, even. I was told Ball is a reliable canning company with a great reputation and I trust them to release only good products for canners. If you are just starting out in canning you will find this product to be a huge help! Happy Canning!

10/21/10 Update: I have now used the basket a dozen times. I made Salsa a couple of weeks ago that required boiling for 45 minutes. Once again, the basket came out of the pot without melting. It still looks like new and I look forward to using it many more times.

I have a glass top stove so traditional large canning pots are not an option. I saw this and decided to give it a try. I have canned 8 batches of jam, 2 batches of tomatoes and a batch of pears. I am working my way through my garden and I have nothing but glowing reviews for this product. I have had no problems with melting and I've cooked it for 2 batches @45 minutes one after another.

I would highly recommend this product.

I was surprised that a plastic item could be used for canning but it worked well and I had no problem with the canning basket. I made pickles last night and the basket came out of the water looking like it did when it went in. Since we are at a higher altitude the basket was in the water for a long time: maybe 10 minutes to come to a boil, 20 minutes at a "steady" boil, and 5 minutes with the lid off and removed from heat. I brought it to a boil on medium high heat instead of high heat as a precaution. I loved the fact that I could use it in one of my stock pots. The 6 quart was too small according to the dimensions given in the instruction book but my larger pot worked well. In fact the glass lid on my pot helped me see, for the first time canning, how low I could turn the heat to achieve a steady boil, which was about medium heat with the lid on. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. It took less than two hours from start to finish to make one batch of pickles!

I like:
It takes less time to heat the water.
The pot is smaller and much lighter.
I think this would work well for blanching tomatoes and peaches too.

I read some of the comments on this before I bought it about the melting of the product while in the water. I had my concerns, but I used it and it worked great. I canned a bunch of salsa using one of the recipes in the Blue Book guide to canning and followed the directions and it worked. I also had to add 10 minutes of boiling for living in a higher altitude. No melting. Would recommend for anyone interested in starting to can. If you are planning on canning big items that use quart size jars I wouldnt recommend. This is for small canning only.

The idea behind it is simple, a compact, easy, inexpensive way for people to discover how easy canning can be. A plastic rack with a handle that will fit into a nice big stock pot for small batch canning. The rack will accommodate 3 jars at a time.

The kit comes with the rack, 3 1 pint jars and very basic, easy to understand instructions.

You supply your own stock pot, and it needs to be at least 7.5 inches deep and 9.5 inches in diameter. A canning funnel and a small non-metallic spatula are also helpful.
If you have the spatula and stock pot, as well as ingredients for the small batch recipe you want to try, you can start immediately. The canning funnel is very helpful for filling jars, but if you don't have one, you can ladle things in the jars carefully.

If you're worried about using a plastic rack, polypropylene is a thermoplastic that melts at around 300 degrees F. Water boils at 212 degrees F. I have a gas stove, and the first recipe I did needed boiling for 35 minutes. The plastic held up just fine.

My experience with it:
I haven't done any canning since my mom passed away, and my daughter had never canned before. So if you've never canned before, trust me, you can follow the instructions in the booklet.

Since it was her first time canning and I wanted her to be enthused about it, I let her choose the recipe. She chose a very simple salsa recipe using Ball Fiesta Salsa Mix, 2 lbs of tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons of vinegar. We chopped and cooked, and followed the recipe and canning instructions. We decided to stick to the instructions for the salsa without adding pepper or cilantro. We had a lot of fun. Then we ladled it into the jars, and processed. The basket has a handle so you don't need a jar lifter. Since we did it in the afternoon, we couldn't check to make sure they sealed properly until morning but we heard the *pop* of the lids being vacuumed as the hot air in them cooled and contracted. When we checked them in the morning by pressing lightly on the lids to see if they seal, they had sealed perfectly.

So now we had two very pretty jars of homemade salsa ready to set in our pantry. Except my daughter wanted to open one immediately to try it. So she did that.
She loves it. She loved the whole process, and it's something she wants to do again. She has been going through recipes and planning gifts for friends. Next time she wants to try a Salsa Verde recipe.
As far as the salsa mix goes? Half of that first jar is gone already, and I'm not going to complain about her eating lots of tomatoes. So it's a great way to add vegetables to your menu. She likes salsa in omelets.

If you haven't canned before, but you've considered it, looking at the wonderful availability of vegetables, fruits and berries at the farmer's markets or from your own garden, this is a nice way to get into small batch canning. It's doesn't take up much space if space is a consideration.

Very happy to have a rack to use when I only have 2 or 3 pints to process. Have never seen anything like this in stores, only through this offer online. One problem, the handle broke first time I inserted it. Not a big issue because I don't lift the whole basket out w/jars, but might be an issue for others.

The basket is particularly good for smaller jam jars and is nice and light for removal from the canning pot.

(Orig. Review written in June 2010. Pic added see my profile pic. **Please see full review for update**) Wow, what a disappointment!! The plastic basket melts at the boiling water point, especially where the bottom of the jars contact the basket. I used a thermometer and watched it like a hawk, on the graduated thermometer the temp stayed between the 210 - 215 mark the water was at a steady slow rolling boil. I processed for the amount of time as stated on the recipe, 15 minutes and prompltly shut the burner off. The basket was badly melted and partially stuck to the bottom of the pot. In order to safely can foods the water must be brougt to a boil and the canning basket cannot take those temps! Do NOT buy this product, it is a waste of money.

UPDATE November 2011: My original review above was written in June of 2010. Since my review has caused a bit of consternation on the part of some people (???). I thought an update with more details was in order. This canning basket was purchased in June 2010 at a Walmart store by my fiance' as a gift. I had expressed an interest in getting back to canning. I grew up on small midwestern farm and my mother was an expert canner. Since I have a glass cook top I could not use the good old fashioned hot water bath type canners as the bottoms of these are not flat (you are supposed to use flat bottom cook ware on smooth top stoves). Canning on my smooth top stove was a bit different. My fiance thought this little basket used with my smooth bottom stock pot would fit the bill. I used the basket within days of him giving it to me. It melted, YES MELTED on the first use. It didn't just warp a little bit or get out of shape. It melted, deformed under the jars and stuck to the bottom of my stock pot!

I contacted Jarden (Jarden Corporation makes Ball canning products). They were slow to respond at first. I did get in contact with Judy, Manager of Consumer Affairs at Jarden Home Brands the first week of July 2010. I explained what had happened and sent her digital photos. We went over every step I had taken. Per her request I measured the diameter of my stock pot at the top, bottom,depth and the brand and type of stock pot. We discussed at length the type of stove I was using, the surface of the burner, the size of the burner. I was on the phone with her for a good half an hour answering all of her questions. After answering all her questions she agreed that the product had failed. She asked if rather then returning it to Walmart I would ship it to her instead. I agreed. They shipped a special box for me to use (to the wrong address for which the UPS driver scolded *me* about..*sigh*). I packed the basket per Judy at Jarden's instructions. I contacted UPS and set up the pick up to send it to her. Judy promised me a refund for my efforts. The refund was slow in coming, I had to remind her to follow up on it but I did receive my refund. I had requested an update as to Jarden's findings, but recieved none and decided I had invested enough time and energy on this issue.

The product was new to the market when I got it. It was **not** made in the U.S. (Jarden/Ball make their glass canning jars in the U.S. but not this product) It is within reason to conclude that perhaps I got a basket that was from a bad batch of polyprolene (thermoplastic polymer which can handle higher temps) or not manufactured to specifications.

I was not happy with the product. $10.00 isn't a lot of money but we work hard for every penny we make. Jarden is a large company and I'm just one person.

At the end of the day, other people have been having much better luck with this product then I did. If you wish to purchase this product by all means do so!

I would only suggest (for the following is just my opinion)do what I have started doing and try to buy products made in the U.S. I've had much better luck with the quality of products over all and it makes me feel good to know I'm supporting fellow Americans with my purchases.

UPDATE November 18 2011 I contacted Amazon to find out how to upload pictures to a review, you can only upload video I was informed by Eleanor at Amazon. The only place I found that a pic can be uploaded is in 'your profile' picture. If you don't see the picture click on my user name "Gwen" and you will see the picture. Why Amazon only allows videos and not pictures is strange. But then I'll **not** be reviewing another product ever again so won't research it further. For those interested in what can happen if you write reviews here take a moment to look at the comments below this review.