ClearJel is called for in canned pie fillings; the most recent edition of the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving replaces flour with ClearJel in two mustard pickle recipes.

There are also a number of Extension recipes where ClearJel is used in lieu of pectin for jams. These recipes can be either boiling water bathed or treated as a freezer jam due to ClearJel's stability.

I use ClearJel all the time for a wide variety of thickening tasks.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Pie Fillings

It has been around for years. I have pie filling recipes from USDA back over 15 years that call for it.
It can only be used in high acid things like pie fillings or jams or the relishes, as Carol said.
NO low acid foods are safe to thicken, not even with Clear jel. No tomato products are safe to thicken before canning, either. Not other than tomato jam. Not salsa or tomato sauce, etc.
Some people argue that it is fine to use in those low acid things, but it is no safe to do so...
It is a great product for pie fillings. That is what the commercial industry uses for a thickener.

Thanks Ladies...that's the answer I guess I was looking for. I saw a recipe using it in a cream soup....cream of mushroom soup actually and I was interested in doing the soup but nervous about the clear jel.

Check out Barry Farms. They sell Clear Jel and many canned pie fillings its made from. Its more stable compared to flour and has been used as a thickenr by the commercial industry for over 50 years or so. Only the last 20+ years has it been available for home use. National Starch, the maker has many differet forms of the starch, technically called 'modified food starch'. They make starch products added to ice cream, frozen foods, canned products and even coatings on candies. Regular corn starch can break down under the acidic conditions its used in. Flour can also fail if its heated too long and is in a strong acid. There is also Freezer Flo starch, that offers more stability for freeze/thaw/freeze applications. Its similar to Clear Jel, but has another modification to help it remain stable after long freezes. Stability breaks down in other thickeners and no re-cooking will bring back the original thickness texture. Even Linda Lou was against using it some time ago, but has since found it to be very useful in acidic canning.

Suggest that you do a Garden Web search for the key words Clear Jel, as it will bring up many hundreds of posts about its uses. Yes, for a creamed soup it could be used in small amounts if it was pressure canned, but you must not use any cream or other dairy product in the soup to be canned.

Thanks Ken...I think we are so fortunate here on this site to have you, Carol and Linda to advise us. I truly respect you opinions and have learned so much.

I do not remember any time when LindaLou was "against" ClearJel, only against its use in untested recipes.

Any Extension-trained Master Preserver such as LindaLou would have been aware of ClearJel's uses in canning since the early 90's, when it was approved for use in the last USDA manual.

It's no secret.

ruthie_g, it's my understanding that one reason you don't see more recipes developed and tested with ClearJel as a thickener is that early plans to make it more generally available to the public fell through. While it is "out there" a lot of canners don't find it easily and organizations like the NCHFP won't develop recipes using products people might have difficulty locating.

Carol

I didn't know that Linda was a master canner....I'm impressed...Are you also ReadingLady...I've noticed how knowledgeable you are and have wondered if you had studied or were just very experienced etc. I gather that Ken has lots and lots of experience but I have wondered where your's came from.

I am a Master Food Preserver and Food Safety Advisor. I teach at classes at my local county extension office. I am in the middle of training a new group of volunteers now and starting some 101 classes to the public as well. Some here in town and some up north from here in another county.
(I have never been against using Clear Jel, but not in tomato products such as salsa or in gravy, etc. It is never safe to thicken those things and can them. I think that is what you are remembering was the discussion about tomato products. I still am against thickening any tomato products as those are the guidelines.)
You cannot use the Clear Jel in canning mushroom soup, sorry. ONLY high acid pie fillings or jams. Nothing else.
You should can the mushroom soup using the safe guidelines and then puree once you open it up. Basically what you would do is use half a jar of cooked mushrooms and other veggies you want, the other half full of some sort of broth or water. Please, keep safe and don't use cooking recipes for canning. I keep using this saying " There are cooking recipes and there are canning recipes. The two are not the same."

Thanks Linda...I would never use a recipe that wasn't approved. I'm just not that brave...and I know that the cooking and canning are totally different.

I would expect that pressure canning the Clear Jel and mushrooms may help to reduce any risk of food poisoning. Wrong choice of words about Linda Lou, but I do recall that a few years back where she didn't seem to know about using it in things like pie fillings and mustard pickles. Only after seeing Barry Farms selling all their pie fillings, was there a change in opinion. Even commercial Ketchup uses the 'modified food starch', as there is quite a bit of acid in it. I never even store my Heinz ketchup in the fridge, as it keeps quite well for longer than a year on the pantry shelf even after being opened. One thing about mushrooms, they can't be overcooked or turn to mush. Quite amazing for a fungus!