# Clear Jel



## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

I was wondering if anyone here does any canning with clear jel. If so, what do you can? 

I have a really great recipe for dutch apple pie (got it from taste of home mag.). It calls for cornstarch which I know I can't use for canning. I usually just can my apples in a light syrup. I figure if I am already peeling them why not just go one step further. 

Blessings,
SG


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

I put some apple pie filling up last year with some Therm Flo, which is just like Clear Jel but a different brand name. The flavor was excellent, but unfortunately contains a lot more *gel* than I like in my pies. I prefer it to be wall to wall fruit with just enough juicy sugary cinnamony goodness to glue it together. While one might think one could just remove some of the gel, that concerns me from the standpoint of density in the jar. I want it to all get processed correctly.

You also have to be mindful of the amount of Clear Jel/Therm Flo you use. I was told that the recommended amounts make the product so stiff that you might not be happy, and to reduce it by half. I found this to be exactly true, and I could even deal with reducing it a little further.


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## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

Horseyrider said:


> I put some apple pie filling up last year with some Therm Flo, which is just like Clear Jel but a different brand name. The flavor was excellent, but unfortunately contains a lot more *gel* than I like in my pies. I prefer it to be wall to wall fruit with just enough juicy sugary cinnamony goodness to glue it together. While one might think one could just remove some of the gel, that concerns me from the standpoint of density in the jar. I want it to all get processed correctly.
> 
> You also have to be mindful of the amount of Clear Jel/Therm Flo you use. I was told that the recommended amounts make the product so stiff that you might not be happy, and to reduce it by half. I found this to be exactly true, and I could even deal with reducing it a little further.



Funny, we are the opposite. We don't mind cinnamon, but we prefer the dutch apple because the filling doesn't have any in it. The crust almost reminds me of an apple crisp topping. 

Do you remember if you used an instant Therm Flo or was it one that you cook? From what I have read, it is recommended that you use the one that you cook. It doesn't thicken up until after it cools. 

If that's the case then I would think that it would process correctly providing I don't use too much. No?


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

You know, I don't remember. I just used the instructions that were on the NCHFP site, if I remember right. Might've been in the Ball Complete book. It had some lemon peel and lemon juice in it, if I remember correctly, and the flavor itself was delicious. I'm pretty certain it was packed hot.

I love the Dutch apple topping too, as long as the air's dry or the pie's really fresh. I don't like it to get too soggy.


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## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I appreciate that. I should probably try and research it a bit further before I can it. I would hate to have a bunch of failures due to my own foolishness.


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## Tammy1 (Aug 31, 2011)

I have canned with both clear jel and cornstarch. There is a really good recipe online for apple pie filling that calls for cornstarch. When I canned cherry pie filling it called for clear jel. The only difference I've noticed is the apple pie filing has separated and the cherry pie filing looks the same as it did the day of canning.

I don't know if I used instant clear jel or some other kind but I do remember the first batch became so thick while cooking it that I couldn't use that batch and created another with less clear jel. I'm planning on doing more apple pie filing this year and was going to call the Home Economist here to see about changing the apple pie filing recipe to clear jel.

If you find something that works please post it, I would really like to know the conversion rate.


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## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

I am still trying to find information on the conversion rate. What I did find out is that you should use regular (the cook kind) clear jel for canning, and NOT the instant. The regular clear jel is made to withstand high temperatures and won't break down or clump up after cooking. It doesn't get much thicker after it cools. Therefore it is much safer for canning. For some reason I had it in my head that it thickened after it cooled. After reading online, I realized that I had it all wrong. 

The instant clear jel is made for cold products like pudding. 

I am going to keep searching for more information. As soon as I find something else I will be sure to post it.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

We use it- to do the Apple Pie filling that we make


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I have an apple pie filling recipe that calls for cornstarch. It also calls for lemon juice. I can the apple pie filling in the pressure canner and always bake it in a pie, so nobody eats it right out of the jar.


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## MuskovyMom (May 31, 2012)

I've not been able to find clear jel here, but I've used cerioca (or is it ceroica?) corn starch, which I've been told does the same thing. It's a stabilized corn starch so it works in canning. We've used it for apple pie, cherry pie, huckleberry pie and peach pie fillings, using the USDA recipes as guidelines (but with a lot less sugar, we're not that keen on hyper sweet stuff.


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Happened across this vid just before coming here and finding this thread:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FXrGl3EQ7I&feature=g-user-u]Canning Apple Pie Filling - YouTube[/ame]


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## Adamrussell3316 (11 mo ago)

Hello everyone, im new here, i have a pressure canner on the way, and one recipe i have found asks for clear jel , just having a hard time finding the proper type that can be used for PRESSURE canning and not water bath


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

From what I have read, the ClearJel for canning works in both pressure canning and hot water bath. The instant ClearJel should not be used for canning.


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