What is the difference between Clear Jel and Instant Clear Jel?
There are two types of Clear Jel® available, “instant” and “regular”. “Instant” does not require heat to thicken. The product will thicken once the liquid is added. “Regular”, on the other hand, must be heated.
What can I use instead of Clear Jel for canning?
There is not a safe substitute for Clearjel® when canning pie filling. Clearjel® is a flavorless, modified cornstarch that doesn't break down through the canning and baking process. It can withstand a variety of pH levels and allows for adequate heat penetration during processing to render a shelf-safe product.
What is Instant Clear Jel used for?
Used as a thickener in pies, stews, sauces, gravies and pudding. Clearjel Instant does not have to be mixed with cold water prior to use like regular Clear Jel. Substitutes: Clear Jel Cook Type, Gum Arabic Powder, Spelt Flour, Lecithin Powder, Potato Starch, Xanthan Gum, Tapioca Starch and Arrowroot Powder.
Can Clear Jel be used in place of pectin?
Could they be used interchangeably, she asked? Unfortunately, the answer is no. While they both have thickening properties, they act upon the fruit in jams and jellies differently. Pectin is a water-soluble fiber that is divided into very fine particles.
Can you use Sure Jell in place of clear gel?
A: Sure Jell is a very good choice if you are going to can jams and jellies. Clear jel will work but you have to have a perfect measure for jams and jellies.
Is it OK to use cornstarch in canning?
It's fine to use flour and corn starch in modern canning recipes. It's fine to use flour and corn starch as thickener when modern, tested recipes from reputable sources call for it.
How do you use Instant Clear Jel for jam?
The Instant Clearjel MUST be mixed with the dry sugar in this recipe (which is why you can't sub agave here.) It is an instant starch, which means that it will gel everything into a big glob, if not diluted with the other dry ingredients (i.e. sugar), and then slowly whisked into the smashed fruit.
Can Instant Clear Jel be heated?
It can be mixed in with dry ingredients when baking with fruit, or mixed with a bit of liquid and added to hot liquids to thicken sauces. It is also adjustable - you can add extra liquid to thin or add more Clear Jel to thicken, and it can be re-heated.
Is clear gel the same thing as unflavored gelatin?
A: It is a form of gelatin. However, it works a lot better and you use less, it also gives the product a better and more professional taste.
What is the difference between pectin and clear gel?
Pectin is for jam and jelly. It's a plant-based product. And lastly, Clear Jel is a cornstarch for pie fillings. I hope this was helpful.
How much Clear Jel should I use?
The amount of ClearJel you need depends on the juiciness of your fruit. Apples are not quite dry but have a lot of pectin, natural thickener; use about 1 to 2 tablespoons of ClearJel in a typical 9" pie.
Does Clear Jel expire?
The filling can be prepared and canned without thickening with a thickener of choice added at the time of use as if preparing a fresh pie. There is differing information on the shelf life of Clearjel®; most agree that in a tightly closed container, it should be good for 1 year in the pantry but some list up to 2 years.
Can I substitute cornstarch for Clear Jel?
Do you have Clear Jel®? Can you substitute tapioca, flour, or cornstarch for Clear Jel®? No, when canning pie filling, there is no substitute for Clear Jel®. Other thickeners like cornstarch clump when canning and may interfere with heat being able to reach throughout the jar.
Is clear Gel the same thing as unflavored gelatin?
A: It is a form of gelatin. However, it works a lot better and you use less, it also gives the product a better and more professional taste.
Can you can pie filling without clear jel?
SAFETY ALERT: Pie fillings thickened with starches other than Clear Jel, such as flour, cornstarch, or tapioca, are not safe for canning. The heat penetration of these products is poor, and this may interfere with the destruction of bacteria during the canning process.
Can you use gelatin in canning?
If you're doing the canning process, use each thickener for its proper purpose. Now, if you're making, say, a freezer jam and want to try using gelatin to thicken it up, you can do that, because you're not processing it. You're not storing it at room temperature on the shelf.
Instant vs canning Clearjel
Note this page applies to regular (aka “cook type”) Clearjel® and not the instant version; the instant version is not suitable for canning use. Instant Clearjel is meant for thickening things that won’t be cooked. It begins to thicken the minute it hits a liquid, without any heat being required.
Clearjel really only thickens upon cooling
One of the concerns in home canning about most thickeners is that because the thickener thickens as soon as heat starts to hit the food product being canned, density issues may be encountered causing insufficient heat penetration for complete processing of the jar and therefore an unsafe product.
Clearjel performance
While from the safety point of view the concern is about when the thickening happens, from a quality point of view there’s also the performance question: does the thickener go lumpy in the heat of canning? From a cook’s point of view, is it desirable as an actual thickener?
Cutting back on the amount of Clearjel a recipe calls for
Some people say that when Clearjel is used in the quantities the USDA calls for, it makes the mixture more like a jelly than a pie filling. “As to what many of us don’t like about canning with Clear Jel – when used in the amounts called for in some recipes it is often TOO thick, almost jelled. So many of us cut the amount called for.
Where to buy Clearjel
Clearjel is very hard to source still even as of 2015 for consumers, even though it is broadly used commercially by the tons, and if you are not in North America, your chances of getting it are sadly probably slim to none.
Clearjel Measurements
500 g (1 pound) of Clearjel will do 7 litres (7 US quarts) of pie filling. Allow one litre (one US quart) jar of pie filling per 20 to 23 cm pie (8-inch or 9-inch pie.) [12] Food Safety & Preservation: Fruit Pie Fillings. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY Extension Service. SP 50-616, Revised February 2013.
The history of the Clearjel recommendations
The very first okay (“recommendation”, in USDA terms) for using Clearjel in an approved canning recipe happened in 1988. It was for use in a canned apple pie filling; the recommendation was based on research that had been done earlier in the 1980s by Kuhn et al. at the Pennsylvania State Center of Excellence. [13] Andress, Elizabeth.
Sure Jell
Sure Jell is pectin. Pectin is a type of starch, called a hetero-polysaccharide, that occurs naturally in the cell walls of fruits and vegetables giving them structure. Most commercial pectins, made from apple pomace or citrus rinds, are sold as a dry powder or in liquid form.
Marlene Geiger
I am a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BS in Home Economics Education and Extension and from Colorado State University with a MS in Textiles and Clothing. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, quilting, cooking, sewing, and sharing knowledge and experience with others.
Is it possible to can Instant Clear Jel?
You should use normal Clear Jel for canning rather than quick Clear Jel. Instant Clear Jel thickens meals without adding heat, making it ideal for making a fast, room-temperature sauce, for example. However, it is ineffective for canning since it degrades when heated for extended periods of time.
Is it possible to thicken jam using cornstarch?
Cornstarch. As a pectin replacement, use cornstarch, a thickening ingredient produced from maize. Cornstarch thickens the jam as it boils when combined with sugar. However, since it burns quickly, stir continuously.
Is pectin the same as Clear Jel?
The answer is, unfortunately, no. While they both thicken, they have distinct effects on the fruit in jams and jellies. Pectin is a water-soluble fiber that is broken down into very small particles.
Is there a difference between Clear Jel and Sure Jell?
Sure Gel is a pectin, to be sure. It’s used to make jams and jellies. Clear jel, on the other hand, is ideal for pies. Although the NCFHFP guidelines do not suggest flour or cornstarch, most state extensions do not explicitly indicate that this is for safety reasons.
Is cornstarch free of gluten?
Cornstarch, despite its flour-like appearance, does not contain gluten. It’s a key component in many gluten-free recipes, along with potato starch.
Is Clear Jel available at Walmart?
Clear Jell (Clearjel) Cook Type Canning Starch – 5 Lb Bulk | Walmart.com
What is the best way to thicken mustard pickles?
However, “ClearJel” is the most frequently used and recommended thickening agent for home canned pie filling, while the usual thickening method for pickles and relishes is to simmer (evaporate by boiling gently) part of the liquid in the recipe.
clear jel as a thickener
I make my own taco seasoning mix (much like the stuff you buy in packets at the supermarket) It calls for cornstarch to be added. I have been instead making it with clear jel. I was curious about then using this seasoning mix in canning. The other ingredients are basic seasonings: garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper etc.
Comments (4)
Sorry, it is not safe to thicken any tomato products prior to canning, not even with Clear Jel. This is what it says: Never add a thickening product such as flour, cornstarch, rice or pasta to tomatoes before canning. These products will also change the acidity level of your tomatoes. You may thicken tomato products before serving.
