Clear Jel Thickener (Instant)

This Clear Jel is great stuff! There don't seem to be a lot of recipes on how to use it well in various ways so I've been experimenting with both this Instant Clear Jel and the one that requires cooking. Of the 2 - I like this one the best as you can determine the thickness of the final product instantly. I don't can foods, but I do make Berry Pies and this is absolutely perfect for making pies. You have to adjust the amount you use to the "type" of fruit, Fresh or Frozen fruit, the amount of fruit and the ripeness of the fruit as some fruits produce more juice than others -- but it's now my go-to thickener for berry pies. I particularly like its texture - and you can instantly make it as thick or thin as you want. BEST - you don't have to cook it. Wonderful blackberry pie!!! I first precook my own homemade pie shell - let it cool. Once the shell is cool, I sweeten fresh or frozen blackberries (I prefer frozen) with Sugar till thawed and juicy - about an hour. Then I add (1 T at a time) the Clear Jel to the Berry/Juice/Sugar Mixture and gently stir it. It thickens up immediately - no cooking. For a firm set pie (doesn't run) I use the full 3 T of Clear Jel for Berries that fill of the 9.5" pie shell. If you want it thinner, somewhat juicier or more runny, just add less till it's the texture you like. It holds up wonderfully in the Refrigerator as well.

I'd already been looking into this for the possibility of making homemade instant pudding mix, but what really put me over the edge was when my last mixed berry crisp came out way too watery. I use frozen berries, and cornstarch just doesn't have the thickening power needed to make them set up. Just yesterday I tried again after having ordered this wonderful stuff. I whisked together 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of instant clearjel, and then tossed my 1 lb. of frozen berries in that before adding them to the 9" round cake pan and covering with the crisp topping. The results were miraculous! My berry crisp set up perfectly, instead of the pan soaking in loose berry juices that were difficult to scoop up. The crisp mix I prefer is Concord Fresh Success apple crisp mix, and I like to use a pound of frozen mixed berries that includes blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries. That extra tartness makes for a wonderful holiday dessert, and the acidity didn't interfere with the clearjel's thickening power. One important tip: I read that you really do need to mix this with sugar to change how quickly the clearjel absorbs liquid, so it doesn't clump. Obviously for sugar-free recipes you'd use whatever sweetener you prefer.

I can not say enough about this product, we love this. I make homemade pudding and pie filling and this works like a charm. I will definitely be buying this again. If you are thinking about buying this, just do it and you will not be disappointed.

I use a lot of Clear Jel, both the instant and the cook type for various pies I create. The instant is a wonderful product for your fruit fillings. Simply blend Clear Jel with the sugar and add to your fresh fruit. The amount you use will depend on whatever fruit you are using, I usually use 2 1/2-3 Tbs for apple filling and up to 5 Tbs for other fillings such as blackberry, strawberry etc, you'll need to experiment to get the firmness in the filling you desire. If you find your filling is too stiff, add a bit of water and fold it in to get the consistency you desire. The cook type is fantastic for pastry cream and various other cream fillings. Regular cornstarch can breakdown and get watery, Clearjel doesnt. Another great quality of cook type Clearjel is that what you see is what you get, that thickness you get on the stove is the same thickness you'll get after refrigeration. In fact, once it reaches it's thickened state while cooking, your done so you wont have the worry of overcooking your filling. I've used Hoosier Hill Farms Clearjel in the past and have always been more than pleased with the quality of their products. I consider their 1 1/2 lb container a great value and with the plastic jug I don't need to provide a container ( I purchased a LOT of containers for various ingredients). I highly recommend both these products and I will continue to be a repeat customer.

Works wonderfully, but would prefer if it had been gluten free.

First, it is best to mix the powder with a non-liquid first then add the liquid. In my case I mix it into sugar first then add the liquid. This reduces the clumps.

This is the type that does not need heat to thicken, but that does not mean you cannot heat it. As long as it's only cooked or baked once, it holds up just fine. You can use it for a glaze over fresh strawberry pie, or you can heat it on the stove in a sauce, or use it for baking a fruit pie. This is very handy for thickening all kinds of things. I used it in my dairy-free pumpkin pie this year which has always been a little loose until now. Since I use coconut cream (canned) and not sweetened condensed milk, there is more moisture in my pies. I prefer to only use 2 eggs to avoid an eggy taste. I added 2 tablespoons, and was able to make a pie firm enough to slice the way normal pumpkin pie is. It works when making cream pies too out of melted chocolate and coconut cream. I even tried some in a coconut-pecan frosting, to emulate the German's chocolate cake type. Since I avoid dairy, and the original recipes call for sweetened condensed milk and/or yolks, I just played around with adding some clear jel. I'd advise going lightly. My first attempt seemed fine when I dressed the cake, but turned a hint of rubbery the next day instead of "creamy." Simply cutting back by a teaspoon gave a more natural result. I intend to try this in making non-dairy ice cream too. I make the kinds with a custard base. Somewhere I got a recipe that calls for substituting corn starch in place of eggs. I have been using a recipe where I use both eggs and corn starch, but this next season, I am going to use clear jel in place of the regular corn starch.

Let a mixture set for an hour and just ended up with a bunch of chewy little pills floating on marginally more viscous liquid. Pre-mixed it with a small amount of liquid like you'd do with gelatin and got the same result. Cold liquid, same thing. Hot liquid, same thing. There's a brief pictorial of how much to use for making a glaze, but no instructions on *how* you're supposed to use this stuff, and every educated guess I could make has been tried. Just stick to regular cornstarch; yes, it's a pain to heat through, but at least it'll dissolve and set properly.