Posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy for further details.
It’s fresh fruit season which means lots of canning for pies and treats. Today’s tip I’m sharing with you what you can use when you can’t find ClearJel.
So if you’re like me you’ve found it near impossible finding the product ClearJel in the grocery store when you’ve decided you want to can fresh pie filling. Sure the stores carry SureJel but no ClearJel. You re-check your recipe and sure enough, it calls out specifically ClearJel. Do you reach for the SureJel in its place?
The answer is no. SureJel and ClearJel are two different things that produce different end results. SureJel is a pectin that, when cooked with sugar will thicken the mixture for say preserves or jelly. ClearJel is a starch that, when cooked, becomes a thickener. The beauty of ClearJel is that it’s, well, clear – meaning the ‘sauce’ of the pie filling is clear or rather the color of the fruits it contains. Got it?
When you’re in the grocery store and you can’t find ClearJel, reach for Tapioca Starch. It’s a thickener like ClearJel that will thicken the mixture and be clearer than the other items. That and arrowroot work. But it’s not a 1:1 substitute. ClearJel is powerful therefore you don’t need a lot of it. Since Tapioca Starch is a modified starch it’s a bit thinner, therefore, you need twice as much. So it’s a 2:1 ratio where 2 is Tapioca Starch.
So it’s like this:
- 1 cup of ClearJel = 2 cups minus 2 Tbl of Tapioca Starch *Note that tapioca starch is NOT the same as tapioca flour
- 1 cup of Clear Jel = 1 cup of Minute Tapioca. If you have a grinder, it’s best to grind it down into a powder otherwise you have to cook it down first.
- 1 cup of ClearJel = 1 cup of Arrowroot
But I’ll be honest I prefer using ClearJel in my pie fillings that I can. I order mine off of Amazon. I really, really like this one from Hoosier Hill Farm.
Hi I am canning some cherry pie filling , can I use Knox gelatine instead of clear gel ?
Hi Toini,
I’ve never used Gelatin like that for canning. I’ve only used clear jel.
Gelatin I think would make it too stiff; almost like how jello firms up.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
What about the ratio of Arrowroot to ClearJel? Same as Tapioca Starch?
Hi Mary, no it’s a 1:1 swap. See the post above for details.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Can you please answer the question? – “What about the ratio of Arrowroot to Clearjel?”
I already did back in October. See the post for the information.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
If you have An Amish, Mennonite store near you, they carry Clear Jel. Both Instant and Cook type. Cook type is what you want for canning, apple pie filling. It is about half of Amazon’s price. I just got some at 2.79 per pound.