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Fruit pies and clear jel

13 years ago

I really like fruit pies, and make a lot when our black raspberries are in. Today I used some frozen sour cherries to make a couple of pies. I used cornstarch and tapioca as a thickening agent, and the pies worked out very well. I had two pieces!

I've read a lot about clear jel and it's use as a thickening agent for fruit pies, so I ordered a pound tonight. As soon as I get it, I'll use the rest of the cherries to make another pie, and see how they compare. My question is, have you used it, and of so, what's the conversion rate? Do you use it tablespoon for tablespoon compared to tapioca and/or cornstarch?

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Comments (5)

KatieC
13 years ago
Did you order Instant Clear Jel, or the non-instant?

I use both - the non-instant for canned pie filling and as a sub for cornstarch, and the instant for a low sugar freezer jam or anything I want to thicken without cooking....glazes on fresh fruit pies, cake fillings.

Rule of thumb for the non-instant is 1:1, and the instant is one part cornstarch to 1 1/2 parts Clear Jel.
grainlady_ks
13 years ago
The link below addresses Clear Jel (regular and instant) for pies. And do be mindful that "regular" and "instant" Clear Jel work differently. If you are going to make home-canned pie filling (heat processed in canning jars), you need to use "regular" Clear Jel.

I use more "instant" Clear Jel than "regular" and would suggest the booklet - Merrilyn Lloyd's "Instant Delite". "Instant" Clear Jel is a home storage favorite (stores indefinitely) and I buy it in #10 cans. I use "instant" Clear Jel in many home-made convenience foods.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Everything Pies
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There are tomato ketchup mixes from Ball and Mrs. Wages that use a small amount of modified food starch to thicken ever so slightly. Its used to help prevent some water seperation in ketchup once the jars are stored. Clear jel is much more stable than most any other starch or thickener, and has been used for many years in commercial canning of many thickend products. The only other modified food starch that reains stable under freezing is the Thermo Jel or Freezer Flo product, as Clear Jel will break down, seperate, and get watery again. I have used both in thickening gravies for making frozen meat pies. Clear Jel is also the primary thickener used by places like Barry Farms in all of the canned pie fillings. The acidity of tomatoes alone will not be safe, so added acid like cider vinegar in a Salsa, or Lime Juice, or citric acid in tomatoes will suffice. Another option to thicken is to add some dried tomato powder, dried onion, dried garlic, and dried peppers. This tomato powder product can absorb quite a lot of water and give more thickness to a salsa.
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Start with a good apple peeler, the kind with the hand crank that peels, slices and cores all in one opration. No, Clear Jel is not cup for cup compatble. Hes, its much more stabe in home canning. For spices, I use a little cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mostly cinnamon though. I use Splenda for sweetening and cannot use sugar. I made a slurry of the Clear Jel and either water or frozen apple juice concentrate (about a cup and a half). Mix it well and slowly pour some of the slurry into the bubbling mixture and stir continously, while watching for thickening. If its not thick enough, add a bit more of the Clear Jel slurry, or until it thickens to your preference. Be sure to allow it to cook for a couple of minutes just to make sure the starch is cooked too. I just canned 7 quarts, and because I like it tart, I also add a bit of an acid blend (malic, citric, tarteric) to boost the tartness a little. I use that acid blend in fruit jams too.
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I bought some Clear Jel from King Arthur just to experiment with. I don't can anything nor do I make any pies. But I've found a couple of really good uses for it. I've been playing around with a way to make my own lower calorie and lower sodium salad dressing. When making a vinaigrette, I use the bottle that comes with Good Seasons salad dressing mix kit. I use the same quantity of vinegar, but I sub a mixture of Clear Jel & water for the plain water and even some of the oil. The Clear Jel provides the viscosity and texture that would be missing if I just added more plain water. It also acts as an emulsifier so the oil & vinegar don't separate as easily. The end result is lower calorie salad dressing but without all the weird ingredients of store bought. (I add my own spices and salt free seasonings.) I do something similar with store bought and homemade creamy dressings. I lower the salt & calorie content by mixing in anywhere from 1/4 - 1/3 cup of a water/Clear Jell mixture. You can do the same with dips and other simnilar foods. I like using Clear Jel because it's easy to combine with water and doesn't add a strange flavor or texture. It's not gritty and doesn't leave an off-taste. It's virtually undetectable. I also use a Clear Jel/water mixture now when making homemade lower calorie & lower salt buttery spread. I mix 1/2 pound (2 sticks) softened & unsalted butter with 1/2 cup oil, gradually adding the oil while I'm beating with an electric mixer. Once the oil is incorporated, I beat in the Clear Jel mixture until everything is fully incorporated and the butter mixture is light & fluffy. Freeze for about 20 minutes and then place in the refrigerator. It's a perfect spread for breads and for topping vegetables. Again, lower calories than store bought and without any weird ingredients. I'm still experimenting. But I thought these might give you some ideas on how to use it in every day cooking.
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John Tebbs
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for your answers. I purchased the regular clear jel since I was under the impression that the instant was generally for thickening things that are not cooked, such as strawberry pie. My useage will be almost exclusively cooked fruit pies, and I intend to use it to replace tapioca and/or cornstarch. I have no plans to can any pie filling.

Grainlady, your post and the link seem to suggest that the instant clear jel can be used in a cooked fruit pie, can you in fact use the instant for a cooked fruit pie?

Thanks, SR
grainlady_ks
13 years ago
You'll find some King Arthur pie recipes using "instant" Clear Jel at the link below. You might check their web site for more information and recipes.

In "Instant Delite", there are recipes using "instant" Clear Jel for:
Apple Pie
Caramel Pecan Pie
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Dutch Apple Pie
Fresh Peach Pie
Large Strawberry or Raspberry Pie
Lemon Chiffon Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Microwave Pecan Pie
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
Peaches 'N' Cream Pie
Pineapple Pie
Processed Apple Pie Filling
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Rhubarb Cream Pie
Rhubarb Pie
Quick Raspberry Pie
Scrumptious Cherry Cheese Pie

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Pie recipes using
mustangs81
13 years ago
Thank you Grain Lady, I just ordered a pound of instant Clear Jel.

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