Four Berry Pie Filling Storage: 12 months+
Yield: 6 cups
Now you can make delicious homemade fruit pies in minutes! A quart jar is the perfect size for a family-sized pie, or makes pint (or half-pint) jars for single pies if you have a pie maker. If you use big jars, you can make extra fruit pies and then freeze them. Jars of pie filling are also good on pancakes, ice-cream, cheesecake and baked cakes too.
Ingredients:
¼ cup ClearJel (regular/cook-type) - do not substitute (do not use any other flour/thickener)
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice ¾ cup white sugar
1kg (2.2lbs) mixed berries (fresh, blanched; or frozen - thaw and no liquid)
Prepare jars.
Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.
Make pie filling.
In a large, heavy-based pan, measure the water and bottled lemon juice into the pan. Whisk the ClearJel in very well, then stir in the sugar and whisk well. Heat on medium (whisking well every few minutes) while the sugar dissolves. Thicken slightly for a minute or two, whisking well to remove any clumps. Pour the berries into the mixture (refrigerate or freeze the leftover juice from draining the berries). Stir gently. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and thick, and then turn the heat off.
Prepare lids.
While you are making the pie filling, place the lids into a pot of previously boiling water. Do not simmer or boil, just let the lids heat through in the few minutes while you make the pie filling and then fill the jars, removing the lids from the hot water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
Ladle hot pie filling into hot jars.
Immediately spoon hot pie filling into hot jars, leaving a 1 inch (2.5cm) headspace. Wipe rims and seal.
Boiling water bath processing.
Process in hot water bath canner for 30 minutes. Start your timer when the water returns to a full boil. Then when the time is off, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
Next day: check for seals.
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jars should not flex up or down when pressed, if jars have not sealed refrigerate immediately or reprocess.
For more photos of the four berry pie filling process, visit HERE