Jam Recipes using Clear Jel (2024)

Hi all:

Here is the information from the class at LRH's last night. We used a product call "Clear Jel" instead of Pectin. Below is information on both. Also, you will find several recipes using Clear Jel at the bottom of the post.....so please keep reading!.

Clear Jel

: Clear Jel®, a corn starch derivative, is a commercial thickening product used by bakeries and for frozen food. This product is used the same as flour or corn starch. 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. This is generally the preferred type to use in products to be canned.The advantage is that it is more cost effective and often requires less than half (sometimes ¼) the amount of sugar that Pectin requires. It also lasts indefinitely.

General Directions: Replace cornstarch, flour, and tapioca as thickener with Clear Jel by: Adding Clear Gel slowly to hot or cold liquid using a wire whisk. Stir until smooth. Allow 10 minutes for cold liquids to reach maximum thickness. Refrigerate or freeze finished produces for future use if desired.

Conversion ratio

:
1 tbsp. cornstarch=1 1/2 tbsp. Instant Clear Jel

2 tbsp. flour or tapioca= 1 tbsp. Instant Clear Jel

Advantages:

• It is clear in color when cooked.
• It has excellent stability.
• It remains smooth.
• It prevents liquid separation and curdling after foods have been frozen.
• Cream sauces, custard, and puddings may be frozen with excellent results.

Advantages:

• It is less expensive than pectin.
• The amount of sugar may be adjusted without losing the jelling capacity.
• Recipes may be doubled, tripled or halved.
• The jam may be frozen or processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Hints:

• Using Clear Jel® in making jams and jellies is not an exact science. Many factors influence the quality of the product. It is best to try a small batch and make adjustments before making larger batches.
• Use pint or 1/2 pint jars.
• Any fruit jam or jelly recipe may be used as long as the product is processed for 10 minutes or frozen. Substitute 7 tbsp of Clear Jel® for the pectin in cooked jams and jellies and 3-4 tbsp of Clear Jel® for the pectin in freezer jam recipes.
• For freezer jam follow the jam recipes on this sheet.
• Clear Jel® does not dissolve easily in liquid. To help dissolve the product mix the Clear Jel® with a little sugar before adding to the fruit or juice.

Problem solving

:
Jam is too stiff: To make softer, heat the product and add a little more juice or water, then reprocess.
Jam is too thin: To make stiffer, heat the product and add more Clear Jel® mixed with a few tbsp of sugar and dissolved in 1/2 cup of the product.
o Suppliers: Allison’s Pantry (Pleasant Grove), Kitchen Kneads (West Jordan), http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/, http://www.sweetc.com/

· Pectin: a non-digestible carbohydrate naturally found in the peel of many fruits that thickens jams and jellies. There are two types of pectin: regular (high-methosyl pectin) and special (low methoxyl pectin) Regular pectin is generally made from apple peel or from the white inner skin of citrus fruit. This type of pectin works with sugar and acid to form a gel. A low-sugar variety of regular pectin is also available. Low-methoxyl Pectin is extracted from the inner rinds of limes and lemons and is chemically different from regular pectin in that it uses a calcum solution, rather than sugar, to form a gel. Please note that “no sugar needed Pectin is not necessarily the same thing as low-methoxyl pectin. Ball brand lists the following ingredients: dextrose, pectin, locust beangum, xanthan gum,. Dextrose is the same thing as glucose, a monosaccharide (sugar), the other ingredients are all indigestible carbohydrates and aid in gel formation. Use liquid pectin (CERTO) if you want to avoid all added sugar from regular pectin.
o Suppliers: Any local grocery store, Ball/Kerr Home Canning (1-800-240-3340), www.kitchenkrafts.com/

The recipes below come from Instant Delite Recipes by Merrily Lloyd.

(Something you need to know about using Clear Jel is that you mix the wet ingredients together and then the dry ingredients together. Finally combine the two mixtures together when making Jam.)

Processed Strawberry Jam:
5 ¾ C ground strawberries
¼ C lemon juice
2 ½ C sugar
6 rounded Tablespoons Instant Clear Jel
1 package unsweetened Strawberry Koolaid.

Wash, stem, and grind ripe berries. Add lemon juice. Put in large sauce pan and bring to a boil. In a dry bowl, mix sugar, instant clear jel, and KoolAid. Slowly pour dry ingredients into fruit and blend thoroughly . Pour into sterilize canning jars and process for 10 minutes (Hot water Bath Canning)

Freezer Strawberry Jam:
2 C sugar
3 rounded Tablespoons Instant Clear Jel
1 package unsweetened strawberry KoolAid
5 cups diced, uncrushed fresh strawberries ½ C light Karo syrup

Mix sugar, instant clear jel, and Koo-Aid well. Add to washed and diced berries. Put in Karo syrup and stir until well blended. Put into containers and freeze.

Other Recipes using this product are (from http://skagit.wsu.edu/FAM/publications/using%20clear%20jel%2003.pdf

Cherry Jam
4 cups pitted chopped cherries
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 1 cup)
Add lemon juice to cherries. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to cherries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Apricot and Pineapple Jam

5 cups ground apricots
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 3 cups)
Add lemon juice to apricots. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to apricots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Apricot Jam
3 1/2 cups apricots
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 2 cups)
Add lemon juice to apricots. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to apricots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Peach Jam

3 3/4 cups peaches
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
Add lemon juice to peaches. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to peaches. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Berry Jam

4 cups crushed berries or juiced
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
Add lemon juice to berries. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to berries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4” headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

(Sources: http://skagit.wsu.edu/FAM/publications/using%20clear%20jel%2003.pdf, http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Supplies.pdf, Instant Delite Recipes by Merrily Lloyd)

FAQs

Can you use clear gel for jams? ›

Clear Jel Basic Freezer Jam: Mix 3 Tablespoons Clear Jel with 2 cups sugar and 5 cups frozen mashed fruit. Add 1/2 cups corn syrup. Mix well, put in containers and freeze. Note: Clear Jel ALWAYS has to be mixed with sugar before adding it to anything you are making, otherwise it becomes lumpy!

Can you substitute clear gel for pectin? ›

No, each commercially branded product serves a different purpose. Sure Jell® is a commercial brand that sells pectin. Pectin is another type of starch found in fruits and vegetables. Powdered or liquid pectin works as a gelling agent in jams and jellies.

Read On ›

What can you do with clear gel? ›

Perfect Pie fillings.

When using it as your thickener, it will swell with the liquid and create a lovely thick, glossy fruit filling (try it in my easy Blueberry Cake and Cupcake Filling). With other thickeners, fruit-based pie fillings can become watery or cloudy.

Learn More ›

How do you make jam thicker without pectin? ›

The secret ingredient to making jam without pectin is time. The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. A long, slow boil drives the moisture out of the fruit, helping to preserve and thicken it at the same time. Fruit varies in water content as well, and some fruits may take longer to jam up.

What is the best thickener for jam? ›

Whether you want to ensure a thick jam from the beginning or fix a runny jam, these techniques can help:

Add chia seeds to the recipe. Chia seed jam is a method of making jam that requires no cooking. ...
Use cornstarch. ...
Try commercial pectin. ...
Use gelatin sheets or powder. ...
Reduce it on the stovetop.

Jun 13, 2022

When should we apply clear gel? ›

It is recommended to use Cleargel AP Gel 15 gm at night and other products in the morning. However, please consult a doctor before using any other medicines or products with Cleargel AP Gel 15 gm. Does Cleargel AP Gel 15 gm cause dryness of the skin? Yes, Cleargel AP Gel 15 gm may cause dryness of the skin.

View Details ›

What did people use before pectin? ›

The earliest fruit preserves would be made by mixing fruit pulp with honey and allowing it to dry in the sun, creating a texture more like that of a jellied sweet. The high-pectin quince lent itself to making this well-set fruit preserve.

Discover More Details ›

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

I do occasionally add a satchel of lemon wedges to a jam when I know there is likely to be lower amounts of pectin, like with strawberries. This helps add extra pectin that the berries don't have, but in lower amounts than if I were adding commercial pectin.

What happens if you boil jam too long? ›

The process of overcooking your jam mixture results in most of the water content evaporating. In candy terms, your jam is probably somewhere between Hard-Ball stage to Caramelized stage. For jelly/jam you want the temperature around 220 degree F.

Keep Reading ›

Is clear gel liquid pectin? ›

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 I use clear jel instead of cornstarch? ›

Regular Clearjel® can be used to replace cornstarch or flour as thickening agent in cooking or baking, but cornstarch or flour should not replace Clearjel® for canning.

Is clear gel the same as clear gelatin? ›

A: I think it's not the same at all. This is a thickening agent like corn starch, not a congealing agent like gelatin. It doesn't set the liquid up in suspension, if that makes sense.

Read The Full Story ›