Clear Jel vs. Cornstarch for canning??

[kimnkell]

Has anyone ever used regular cornstarch instead of clear jel? I read somewhere that the only difference is that cornstarch just makes your food look cloudy but tastes the same. Any insight on this anyone?

 

[Woodland Woman]

What in particular are you planning to use it in?

 

[kimnkell]

For pie filling is what I was gonna use it for.

 

[Woodland Woman]

For pie filling I use tapioca and it holds up well. I am not sure cornstarch would hold up as well though but I have thought about it in the past. You could experiment and let us know how it turns out.

 

[kimnkell]

Thanks will have to do that.

 

[Wifezilla]

My old room mate used to use corn starch. Her pies tasted fine to me

 

[kimnkell]

My old room mate used to use corn starch. Her pies tasted fine to me

Well, I went ahead and made a few quarts of peach pie filling and some blueberry pie filling as well. It looks fine but I'll have to make a pie soon and see how it turns out. If it does well I'll make some apple too.

 

[patandchickens]

Clearjel is quite dependable, whereas cornstarch can get weird (clumpy, or break down) on canning and reheating, although IME *usually* it is okay. If you want to thicken your pie filling and cornstarch is whatcha got, go ahead and use it, just make sure it is very smoothly whisked in and maybe err on the side of less rather than more.

However IMO the simplest and best approach is to can the pie filling without any thickener at all, then throw a Tbsp or two of tapioca into the pie when you're baking it. Same as you might do if you were making it with fresh fruit. Saves all the bother of worrying about canning thickeners.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[kimnkell]

Clearjel is quite dependable, whereas cornstarch can get weird (clumpy, or break down) on canning and reheating, although IME *usually* it is okay. If you want to thicken your pie filling and cornstarch is whatcha got, go ahead and use it, just make sure it is very smoothly whisked in and maybe err on the side of less rather than more.

However IMO the simplest and best approach is to can the pie filling without any thickener at all, then throw a Tbsp or two of tapioca into the pie when you're baking it. Same as you might do if you were making it with fresh fruit. Saves all the bother of worrying about canning thickeners.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

Yeah, I did think about canning it without any thickener. I'll see how this cornstarch does and if doesn't hold up good I'll go that way the next canning. Thanks.

 

[Rebecka]

I was just looking at the apple pie filling recipe posted in another thread and wondering the exact same thing. I was going to give it a go tomorrow with just corn starch. Mostly because its what I have on hand and I was just given 4 bushels of apples.