Fresh Preserving Is Still In Season Even As Autumn Arrives: Jarden Home Brands Debunks Top 5 Home Canning Myths

DALEVILLE, Ind., Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Home canning is one of the year's hottest food trends and there's still plenty of time to get started with seasonal fall produce like apples, pears, beets and green beans. The home canning experts at Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball^® and Kerr^® canning products, are here to help home cooks capture the best, seasonal produce by debunking five common canning myths and making the home canning process easier than ever. From pickles to jams, Jarden Home Brands offers a variety of resources to help you every step of the way, from those new to canning who are preserving their first pint, to experienced home preservers putting up dozens of jars each season.

"As the leaders in fresh preserving, consumers are always coming to us with questions on the home canning process on our vibrant social media communities and our website, www.FreshPreserving.com," said Chris Carlisle, Vice President of Marketing at Jarden Home Brands. "I always tell people that if you can boil water, you can can -- it is that easy. And we have so many resources to help you get started from our website, to our Facebook and Pinterest pages, to the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving."

To kick-start late season canning projects, Jarden is demystifying some of the top home canning myths, making it easier than ever to get started. Below are five home canning revelations showing just how simple it is to preserve your own fresh produce.

Myth 1: "Home canning takes too long." Many think home canning is a time intensive process but, in fact, many home canning recipes can be prepped and preserved in well under an hour! For example, this delicious, seasonal recipe for Apple Jam takes about 30 minutes start to finish including processing time. FreshPreserving.com has dozens of fast, easy recipes for jams, jellies, pickles and more.

Myth 2: "I can only fresh preserve in Summer months." Not true! Preserving season doesn't end in August -- or even September! There's still plenty of time to learn to can using fresh, seasonal produce well into the fall. Apples, carrots, cranberries, squash, grapes and more are all perfect for preserving in jellies, jams, pickles and sauces. Whether growing your own or frequenting your favorite farmers market, fall is a great time to learn to can.

Myth 3: "Lids need to be simmered or boiled before use." Advances in food science and technology are making the home canning process easier than ever including this recommendation -- Jarden Home Brands has verified that you do NOT need to simmer Ball or Kerr canning lids prior to processing. Extensive testing by the Jarden Home Brands Quality Assurance Team determined the best way to prep lids is by washing with warm, soapy water and keeping at room temperature until ready for preserving. If you desire, it is still safe to simmer the lids but boiling is never recommended. For more tips and tricks on canning lids, visit Lids 101 on FreshPreserving.com.

Myth 4: "Home canning is complicated." In reality, the home canning process is actually just three steps. Assemble and prepare your equipment, make your recipe, and fill and process your jars -- that's it.

Myth 5: "I need to sterilize my jars before processing."  New and experienced preservers commonly think preheating Ball or Kerr canning jars prior to processing serves the same purpose as sterilization, but that's actually not true. The preheating step is meant to reduce the chance of thermal shock which can cause jar breakage from placing hot food in jars that are too cool. If you are following a recipe that processes for 10 minutes or more, the sterilization will occur during that time. One less step to worry about in the home canning process!

For more information on Ball canning products or additional information on how to get started preserving, visit www.FreshPreserving.com or visit the Ball Canning social media channels, or the brand's social media channels including Facebook (www.Facebook.com/BallCanning), Twitter (www.Twitter.com/BallCanning) and Pinterest (www.Pinterest.com/BallCanning). To purchase Ball Canning products, visit www.FreshPreservingStore.com.

About Jarden Corporation

Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 120 trusted, quality brands sold globally. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, AeroBed®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Greys®, Gulp!®, Hardy®, Invicta®, K2®, Madshus®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, PENN®, Rawlings®, Ride®, Sevylor®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Volkl®, Worth® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Breville®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Lifoam®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, ProPak®, Quickie®, Spontex®, Tigex® and Yankee Candle®. Headquartered in Florida, Jarden ranks #356 on the Fortune 500 and has over 30,000 employees worldwide. For further information about Jarden, please visit www.jarden.com.

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SOURCE Jarden Home Brands