Home Canning Is Season's Hottest Food Trend; Consumers Preserve The Fresh Flavors Of Summer In Growing Numbers

I've used Ball Jars for lots of things, not just canning. Check out Ball's website for some great jam recipes! 

Home canning is this summer's hottest food trend with Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball® brand fresh preserving products, reporting a 31 percent year over year* sales revenue increase in Ball® Brand glass canning jars, year to date.

"With a growing interest in eating fresh and local foods, it's no surprise consumers are turning to home canning to preserve the summer's delicious fruits and vegetables," said Steve Hungsberg, Sr. Brand Manager of Marketing for Ball® brand fresh preserving products. "Home canning allows consumers to capture the summer's best produce at peak season and preserve it to enjoy year-round."

Younger canners are fueling the trend as innovation and social media are making it easier than ever for new canners to get started. In fact, over 60 percent of the nearly 50,000-strong Ball® Canning and Recipes Facebook community (www.Facebook.com/BallCanning) are under the age of 44. The page connects new canners with seasoned pros who share canning knowledge, tips and recipes.

This spring, Jarden Home Brands released the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker, an innovative appliance that lets consumers create fresh jams and jellies in under 30 minutes. At www.FreshPreserving.com, where web traffic is up 22 percent year over year to date**, consumers can find hundreds of recipes to preserve the summer's best tomatoes, cucumbers, berries and more.

"It's been a strong sales season for us as so many new consumers embrace home canning as they learn to preserve the best seasonal produce," continued Hungsberg. "We're passionate about teaching consumers how simple yet fun and rewarding home canning, freezing and fresh preparation can be."

Beyond fresh preserving, the stylish Ball® brand glass canning jar is setting the table for summer parties nationwide. From weddings to garden parties, consumers are discovering inventive uses for the iconic Ball® brand glass mason jar while entertaining. The Ball® Fresh Preserving Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/ballcanning/) showcases some of the best summer canning decor as well as recipes, tips and more.

For additional information about Ball® brand fresh preserving products, visit www.FreshPreserving.com.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1lr1V)