Blackberry Pie Filling

In Oregon, Blackberries are considered a weed....they grow EVERYWHERE! I absolutely love blackberries, so I wanted to utilize their under appreciated taste and make pie filling. I canned the pie filling I made, so I could use it this winter. It was surprisingly easy, and turned out great. Have you seen how much they charge for canned blackberry pie filling at the store? It is well worth the effort to can your own not only for the superior taste, but also for the savings!

The one ingredient you may not recognize is the "Clear Jel". It's similar to cornstarch, but doesn't break down during the canning process. It also creates a clear syrup when thickened. It can be found at most cake decorating or culinary stores. I don't know if you can replace it with cornstarch when canning, as I've heard mixed feedback about cornstarch's ability to hold up under heat. If you aren't planning on canning the filling, however, go ahead and use the cornstarch.

Now to tell you the truth, I didn't follow any recipe exactly. I was looking of three different recipes, and tweaking them into my own, so I added a bit more/less here and there. This is the general recipe though. As long as you get the clear jel and lemon juice measured correctly, everything else can be tweaked to your taste. Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS: 

2 quart jars or 4 pint jars (if canning)

2-quarts (8 cups) fresh blackberries

1 1/2 cups sugar                    (can make adjustments for tartness of berries)

1/2 cup Clear Jel                    (replace equally with cornstarch if not canning)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon         (optional, I liked the taste it adds though)

2-3 cups water                       (depending on how thick you want the filling)

 3 Tbls lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Select quality, firm, ripe berries. Rinse berries and set aside.

2. Combine Clear Jel, sugar and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Add water and mix until smooth. Stirring during the thickening process is critical for a smooth product. Heat, stirring mixture constantly until it bubbles. Quickly add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. (you may add more water at this point if you want to have a berry topping instead of pie filling). Remove from heat and fold in berries. You can eat it right away (makes 2 pies) or can it, as directed below. 

3. Fill 2 quart jars (or 4 pint jars), leaving 1 to 1 1/2 inches of headspace.(I made some in pint jars because when there are only two of us, we don't need such large amounts)

4. Process in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes at sea level, 35 minutes at 1001 to 3000 feet and 40 minutes at altitudes 3001 to 6000 feet. Each quart of pie filling will make an 8- or 9-inch pie.

(FYI: if you decrease the sugar just a bit, this recipe is great for blueberry pie filling too!)