Clear Jel is used as a home canning safe thickener for making pie fillings. Jellies and jams contain a lot of sugar and this tends to boil out rapidly, and burn if used as a pie filling. I make sugarless jams, with Splenda and there I can get away with adding these sugarless jams to baked goods like muffins etc, but for pie filling is not an option. Also, if you use Splenda in pie fillings too, it will not boil out as quickly for things like turnovers. I use puff pastry sheets for those and because my jams have no added sugar the filling will not all empty out into the pan when baked. Check out the many dozens of posts about Clear Jel, the modified food starch that is safe to use for home canning. Never use other thickeners like tapioka, corn starch, flour, arrowroot or other unstable thickeners for making canned pie fillings. Barry Farms offers many commercially canned pie fillings, all use Clear Jel, and they also sell the Clear Jel itself. The Clear Jel will remain stable in canned foods even with high acid. Yes, adding ascorbic acid (antioxident) and lemon juice are good choices for adding extra acid and stability to a home canned pie filling. Its all done in a BWB as indicated. Do a SEARCH by typing in the key words 'pie filling' or 'Clear Jel' in the small search window at the BOTTOM of a main thread page. For a newbee first timer, it may not be a wise choice to attempt to make a jam with no added pectin. The need for lots of sugar and cooking down is necessary for pectin-less jellies and jams, which rely solely on the natural pectin in fruits, which an vary greatly. In the, Pomona pectin threads listed, it will not even require any sugar to set up. Its the most 'user friendly' pectin sold, and you can make up to 30 cups per box.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pie filling threads..

The easy answer to your question is this:

Linda Lou's Apple Pie Jam is a JAM. I'm certain it's called "apple pie jam" because it tastes like apple pie.

Apple Pie Filling is like that stuff you can purchase at the grocery store in tin cans. This is made so we can easily use OUR apples and OUR recipe to make OUR pies quickly.

Another thing: You mentioned that you should probably use recipes that call for pectin until you get the swing of things. That's a good idea. I see you've been a member here for a long time, but are just now starting to can. It's a great idea to have a good resource (other than this forum) so please purchase the current Ball Blue Book (its cover photo is a lemon tart with berries on top) or spend time reading and learning from the site I'm including below. And be forewarned that old recipes (and even old Blue Books) don't always have recipes that are considered safe now. So, if in doubt, check with someone here.

You will gradually learn more about thickeners -- whether its pectin, Pomona, or Clear Jel.

Ken gave you information to read. Lots there.

And as for your strawberry syrup -- just enjoy it!

Good luck, and we'll read more about your successes with time, I'm sure.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Here are the instructions for making Apple Pie Filling from NCHFP.

Dave

You can also can plain apples, unthickened or freeze them and make your pie later. You make the entire pie and freeze it.
As Ken posted, do not use any thickener for canning other than Clearjel. You don't want INSTANT Clearjel.

As Kathy posted, the Apple Pie Jam is just that, jam.
It's called Apple Pie because it actually has small chunks of apple in it and pie spices traditionally used in pie.

Apples are often made into jelly rather than jam (not that it isn't done...), but this is chunkier! and spiced!

Apple Pie Filling is simply thickened, sweetened (not as much as jam), spiced, apples and juice. I would think slices rather than tiny chunks.

For best success, I heartliy agree with doing lots of reading, NCFHP is great! Most agricultural colleges have websites with pretty reliable info, Ball Blue Book is trustworthy (current version of course).

If you have an interest in making something, try several (reliable) sources. And be careful of websites the "sound like" they know what they're talking about.
Things like processing time, ingredient quantities, etc. should be able to be verified. Otherwise, testing probably hasn't been done, or quality is less than desirable.

I've linked the NCFHP site below to the Apple Pie Filling.
As you can see, you're fine with BWB!

Have fun!
Deanna

Here is a link that might be useful: Apple Pie Filling

Ok - I was thinking this Clear Jel stuff you were all talking about was some kind of pectin! So if I'm understanding, the Clear Jel lets the pie filling "set up" or "thicken", but it's not pectin in that you don't need tons of sugar to have it thicken as with jam or jelly?

Ksrogers - I'd be interested to hear more about your low or no sugar recipes. My mom can't eat jam because she has sugar issues and I'd love to be able to make some things she can eat. I've used Splenda to make certain things and it's worked out great, but in others, the taste is just off. Do you find that jams/jellies made with Splenda don't have that "diet" taste? It's strange how some dishes I can't even tell it's Splenda, but in other things it's just yuck!

Kathy - I do have the Ball Blue Book - I purchased a kit, the pot, jar lifter, funnel, etc. and it came with the book. So that's what I've been using. I do find the whole thing a little confusing tho - for instance, I've read you can't "can" spaghetti sauce without a pressure canner, then I read recipes for spaghetti sauce that CAN be "canned"!! I know it's just a matter of experience and understanding the "science" involving acid levels and sugar and all that, but that's my problem - I don't have much experience yet!!

Sofar I have some good pickles and some failed jam under my belt, but I'm very anxious to learn more and try more!

Thanks everyone!

Lisa

Hi Lisa, just agreeing that the apple pie jam recipe is for a spreadable jam - while it tastes as yummy as apple pie, it's not :)

I'm sorry too about your strawberry 'topping'...if there is ever a jam I won't make without pectin, it's strawberry....never sets for me and I'm not a kid in the kitchen, in fact, I'm about older than dirt.

Here's the link for an approved canned apple pie filling - if I were making it I'd probably leave out the food coloring but that's just me...

And you aren't dense! Keep asking questions, better safe than sorry and we all started from square one at some point.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Canning apple pie filling

Well, I suppose that's what happens when I answer the phone in the middle of posting. Three links to the recipe must be better than none, right? :)

I was thinking this Clear Jel stuff you were all talking about was some kind of pectin! So if I'm understanding, the Clear Jel lets the pie filling "set up" or "thicken", but it's not pectin in that you don't need tons of sugar to have it thicken as with jam or jelly?

If it helps, think of Clear Jel like a substitute for cornstarch or flour, the usual thickeners used in pie fillings, but you cannot can things with flour or cornstarch so we use Clear Jel. It just thickens the juices, it doesn't gel like pectin does.

for instance, I've read you can't "can" spaghetti sauce without a pressure canner, then I read recipes for spaghetti sauce that CAN be "canned"...

There are 2 types of canning - BWB and pressure canning. There are many things that cannot be safely canned used a BWB but may be safely canned using a pressure canner.

BWB is restricted, for the most part, to high acid foods like fruits and pickles and a few other recipes with lots of vinegar added to them such as salsa. Pressure canning allows for canning all the low acid foods such as vegetables, meats, soups, and mixed recipes such as spaghetti sauces.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Clear Jel can take the place of pectin for a jam or jelly, but if used to make jams jellies, it will set up a bit differently inn texture compared to a pectin. Pectins set up sort of like thick 'jello', whereas if you used Clear Jel instead, and it was a lot, it would be more like a 'gummy bear' in chewy-ness. When I make sugarless jams, I do use Pomona and it uses a tiny amount of calcium to make it set up. The calcium is packed with the Pomona pectin. This pectin is citrus based, so it usuaully sets up citrus based jams quite quickly. Clear Jel is a modified food starch which has been used for more than 50 years. It comes from a major company called National Starch. It IS corn based, and they make many other types of starches used for several freeze thaw cycles, very high acid resistance, and several other food thickening commercial products. I even got samples of other modified food starches that are added to dairy and make it less susceptible to ice crystals when making ice creams.

I do use mostly Splenda in my sweetened products, including fruit drinks, baking, PICKLES and cooking. For jellies and jams, I usually use the Splenda type that is not 'puffed up' like whats sold in the big bags. Its made that way so it measures cup for cup compared to sugar. However, it creates a LOT of foam in the jams while it dissolves and cooks. Instead, I use the small packet type Splenda as its more concentrated and finely granulated, and doesnt foam up. A very tiny 1/10th of a teaspoon or less is equal to a teaspoon of sugar. For most jams, I do like to add a small amount of honey, so the jam will be a little more sticky as opposed to being more like a thick Jello. Because sugarless jellies and jams tend to spoil fast when opened, I also add acid blend to the jam to taste. It helps to get rid of and mask that aftertaste and gives EVERY jelly and jam more 'character'. I dislike cloyingly oversweet jellies and add the acid blend (33% citric, malic, and tartaric). Its found through beer and wine making supply stores, and I have posted this info here numerous times in recent months. My last big batch of apricot preserves was made with Pomona pectin, and Splenda, as well as adding a little ascorbic acid and some of the acid blend. The ascorbic doesn't increase acidity, but instead acts like an antioxident, which reduces browning of things like apples, peaches and some other fruits.

Faild jam? Is it not set up, or is it too stiff? If its not setting up, let it sit at least a month or two and then if its still watery, use it as a sauce over ice cream or pancakes. If its a large batch, add half of them to another new batch of jam and be sure to do the cold plate test to see if it sets up. For mixing the Pomona, I don't follow their instrctions as it seems to clump up when added dry to the boiling liquid. Instead, I put the Pomona pectin powder in a blender with some of the juice or water, and whizz it a minute until its a thick sauce (looks like liquid Certo). I use a spatula to get it all out of the blender jar and pour it into a bowl. Its easier to add that pectin mixture to the boiling juices that have already been sweetened and tasted. Once the mixture comes back to a boil again, let it boil gently for at least a minute or two so the pectin gets fully dissolved. After that, you mix some of the calcium with a little water in a glass and slowly pour it in while stirring. Within one minute, you should start to see the stuff coating the spoon and pot. Pour out a small sample onto a saucer and place in the freezer a minute. Then check to see if its gelled. If not, add a bit more of the mixed pectin and then the calcium water. The calcium packet is more than enough for the box of Pomona. That single box of Pomona will make one big batch up to 30 cups, and thats not something you can do with regular pectins.

For sweetening pickles with Splenda in the brine, I do not us cup for cup when recipes say to add a 6 cups of sugar. I find that if just a half cup of Splenda (fluffed up type) is added to vinegar, it seems to intensify the sweetness quite a bit. A B&B pickle recipe can have 6+ cups of sugar, but about half a cup of Splenda is usually just as sweet. I am diabetic so sugar isn't an option.

All the stuff I stated here has been mentioned before too.

Thank you all for the info! I am going to print this thread out - and thanks to the people I didn't mention by name. I think I was typing my response when others chimed in so I'm just reading their contributions now.

Ken - I tend to like the Splenda packets myself. The fluffed up stuff you buy by the bag doesn't seem to taste the same to me, altho it might be that the sweetness level is different between the two products. The strawberry jam I made used 4 quarts of strawberries and 12 cups of sugar!! It is sickeningly sweet, but still better tasting than store bought. I would like to take the sweetness down a few notches, just for my personal taste as well as thinking about mom who can't eat that much sugar! Anyway, the jam is sort of thick, but if I try to mound it on a spoon, the excess runs over the edges - it's thick, just not jam thick. Maybe after it sits it'll thicken and it should thicken more in the fridge as well. I only made 7 pints so it's no biggie - I can use it as pancake topping and as a matter of fact, my husband doesn't like maple syrup so he uses jam on his pancakes/waffles anyway. It will not be going to waste!

But I guess I still have a lot to learn! I will check out all the links and check out the apple pie recipe at that national site.

Thanks again everyone!

Lisa

That is a huge batch of jam! Unless you're using Pomona pectin, where the size of a batch is irrelevant, the odds of a batch that size failing are very high.

Ironically, the sugar required in a jam made with commercial pectin (again, not Pomona, which falls into a separate category) is greater than that of a jam made without commercial pectin.

I don't use commercial pectin in strawberry jams and jellies, but realistically, it's generally easier to pull off a set if commercial pectin is used. (Just not a batch that big, LOL.)

Good luck and come back when you have more questions.

Carol

Did you double the jam recipe ? If so it will never gel. You cannot double jam recipes unless using Pomona's pectin. That is the only pectin that will allow you to do that. I know you did not use pectin, but still, doubling jam recipes will not work.
You can open the jars and use some Clear Jel, cook, and thicken it up with that. For every package of pectin called for you use 7 T. of Clear Jel.
Clear Jel is a modified corn starch, just the same thing as modified food starch listed on most prepacked foods in the stores. Read the labels and you will find it in thousands of products.
You can take a free online course at the National Center for Home Food Preservation. I think it would help you out a lot. Look below the box with the picture of the green beans. We refer to the NCHFP because they are the leading authority in safe food preservation.

Here is a link that might be useful: Free online food preserving lessons.

I didn't realize there was such a difference in the Splenda packets vs. the big bag.
The frugal side of me always buys the big bag as it's cheaper per ounce, but if it's truly different, I'll have to try some packets!! Good to know!

Lisa,
You can thicken ANYTHING with Pomona pectin (link to their site so you can research it and the bottom of the page has a link to recipes)! Including water. Not sure why you'd want to, but it works. LOL
Last year we pressed fresh apple cider and I thickened some for Apple Cider Jelly. Just a little Splenda and Pomona, that's it!
I also mash blackberries (get really ripe ones) and thicken with Pomona. NO sugar. Just thick fruit pulp.
Maybe your mom could eat those??? If she can tolerate other natural sweeteners you can use those as well.
Agave, honey, date sugar, Stevia, etc. If not, just thicken nice sweet fruit.
I like these because they taste like FRUIT, not sugar!
I agree totally that they do spoil faster after opening so I only do mine in the little 4 oz. jars. I'm the only one who eats the sugar-free and not much of that!

I haven't tried adding the acid blend Ken mentioned, but I'm headed to our local fermenter store later this week and will be picking some up for wine making anyway so I'll have it on hand now!

Deanna

Here is a link that might be useful: Pomona site

Lisa, I hate to add more to this discussion -- because I think it's already nearly reached saturation, but ...

You mentioned 4 Quarts of Strawberries. Were these Whole Strawberries, or did you measure 4 Quarts of Strawberries that had been sliced and crushed (known as Prepared Fruit in most of the pectin pamphlets/instructions)? I have no idea in the world where you would have found a recipe with these quantities, so we must assume you doubled the original recipe.

When you follow the directions of any reputable recipe you will nearly always reach the desired outcome. Sometimes there's just a word or two that will make the difference (such as "prepared fruit" or "crushed berries" or "chopped peaches"). So, read every recipe thoroughly a couple of times -- making certain that you follow every teeny tiny step.

I would say that no canning, no jam preparation, no pickles, no jellies, etc., are difficult to cook. One just needs to follow each and every step and not deviate.

Again, good luck.
Kathy

Linda Lou, thanks for that link, I had been hunting for a course here in CT, as digdirt said he did a course, obviously this is a theoretical course, unlike digdirt's which was both theory and practice, but I have signed up, fingers crossed.
It ideal for someone like me who is housebound due to lack of car, and has small children.
I have signed up because Canning is really a whole new concept to me! never heard to term until a few months ago and have absolutely no cultural point of reference to look back on, remembering a grandparent doing it for example! we make, we seal in hot jars, job done!
I joined a discussion on a British forum, and it turns out you can't actually buy Pressure Canners unless you order them from the US, and buying the jars...try $20 for 6 pint jars!

Heather - have you contacted your local county extension service about classes? University of CN has an excellent extension service program, especially in the more rural counties where the demand for such info is high, and they should be able to tell you when the next session of introductory classes begin. Once you complete the basic class then you can look into specialty and certification classes too if interested.

Meanwhile the online class offered by NCHFP is a good place to start.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: UConn Extension Services

Well then, that must have been my problem because I did double the recipe!! I didn't realize you couldn't! I know you're not supposed to fool around with amounts in recipes so you keep the acid ratio correct, but where this was just strawberries and sugar and nothing else in the recipe I figured it was ok! I guess not!

And I measured out 4 quarts of whole strawberries. The recipe was 2 quarts of strawberries and 6 cups of sugar. It didn't say to cut them or mash them before measuring - in fact (I'm remembering off the top of my head here as I don't have the book with me) it said to crush the strawberries one layer at a time and then to mix with the sugar, so it sounded to me like you measured the whole strawberries, then crushed them and that's what I did.

I'm not going to fuss with what I already made - as I said, it won't go to waste as hubby will use it as pancake topping - we've even been known to plop a spoonful of jam in a bowl of oatmeal, so this stuff will work for that as well. But I'm glad I spoke up because for future adventures in jam, I wouldn't have known any of this and would probably have given up on it if I kept failing!

And I thought it was weird that the jam recipe that used the pectin used an extra cup of sugar from the one without pectin.

I've learned so much from just this thread - thanks so much guys! I want to take my next adventure into the realm of peaches! Peach jam sounds yummy and if I fail again, hubby does like peaches, so he'll have more pancake topping than he knows what to do with lol!!

Lisa

Lisa, I've successfully doubled a couple of fruit jam recipes (like the apple/maple), but some just can't be doubled. If you use commercial pectin (other than Pomona) you can't double any of them.

It's trial and error, but as a general rule, I don't double. I understand that part of the problem is that the jam does not come up to temperature fast enough if you have too much fruit in your pot, and somehow that disturbs the jelling process.

Annie

Ahhh - light is beginning to dawn on Marblehead!!

I was having trouble because I didn't have a big enough pot and every time I brought the mixture to the boil, it almost boiled over so I had to keep raising and lowering the temp as I was stirring like a madwoman! I finally poured it all into a bigger pot and then I was able to bring it to a full, rolling boil. So that might have been another reason my jam didn't set right. The instructions said to bring it to a boil "rapidly" and keep stirring. So maybe that 10 minutes or so that I was fighting with the heat so it wouldn't boil over led to the jam not setting as well.

See? This is the stuff I was talking about! People with experience setting you straight on things you didn't even think about!!

Now that I'm ironing out all these wrinkles I'll hopefully have better luck next time. Thanks annie1992!

Lisa

Lisa, I'm happy to help. I did manage a double batch of the apple maple and it jelled perfectly but I have a really big 8 1/2 quart Calphalon hard anodized pot that I use for jelly.

I'd rather have a maslin pan, but that Calphalon is a really close second for me...

Annie