Pi(e) Filling
Ernest Miller
First, I just wanted to thank everyone who came to Delilah and my
canning demo this past Sunday. Beautiful weather, fantastic market and
great people. It doesn't get much better than that. We plan to do at
least a couple more demos at the market as canning season really gets
underway later in the Spring and Summer.
Second, St. Patrick's day is six days away on the 17th. There is still
time to start that beef brisket brining for corned beef. For more
information, see this past weekly email:
http://preservenation.blogspot.com/2010/02/taking-cure-weekly-email.html
Third, if you don't read the blog, Slate magazine published an article
yesterday dismissing the revival of canning as "cute" and a "cultish
hobby". Naturally, I took issue with the article and wrote my response
here:
http://preservenation.blogspot.com/2010/03/slate-magazine-on-canning-uninformed.html
Fourth, I just want to encourage those who've joined the Facebook
group to add photos and let people know what you are preserving. Let's
see what everyone is preserving in Southern California!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=280846286958
With those notes out of the way, I observe that March 14th is just a
few days away. Why does this matter? Why, March 14th (aka 3/14 aka
3.14) is Pi day (3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971
69399 37510 etc. etc. etc.). Coincidentally, it is also the
anniversary of the birth of Albert Einstein.
So, let us discuss the canning of pi(e) filling.
Fruit pie fillings are a wonderful thing to have around and they can
be used in many more things than just pies. Turnovers, crostadas,
tarts, danishes and similar pastries are quicker to make when you have
some canned pie filling in the pantry.
The most important thing to note about canning fruit pie fillings is
that the USDA recommends only one starch for thickening pie fillings
to be canned. That starch goes under the brand name "ClearJel", which
is not to be confused with the brand name pectin known as "Sure-Jel".
Also, don't use "Instant ClearJel," just the regular stuff.
What is ClearJel? ClearJel is a modified corn starch made from waxy
corn. One of the differences between regular corn starch and ClearJel
is that it is pre-cooked and consists entirely of Amioca starch.
Amioca starch differs from common corn starch in that it is entirely
amylopectin, whereas common corn starch contains both amylopectin and
amylose.
Sorry about that.
What you need to know is that ClearJel will not break down when canned
and subsequently baked. Other common starches for regular pie
fillings, such as flour, tapioca, and regular corn starch, can break
down under all the heat and acid of canning and baking, resulting in
runny pie fillings. They can even separate in the jar. More
importantly, from a safety point of view, other starches are much more
prone to having over-thick patches, which can protect molds, yeasts or
bacteria during the canning phase, meaning your canned pie filling
might go bad.
It has some other advantages as well. As its name implies, it creates
a very clear and transparent set. It is flavorless; you don't have to
worry about that chalkiness of other thickeners. It is smooth, with no
lumps or grittiness. Also, because ClearJel is a starch and not
pectin, you can modify the amount of sugar in pie filling recipes,
reducing the sugar, if desired - it won't fail to set. I use the
stuff in regular cooking as a substitute for corn starch.
Unfortunately, I'm not aware of anyplace in LA that sells the stuff
(let me know if you know a place). It is available by mail order, and
if you want to use it, go ahead and order it now before berry and
cherry season is here. One pound of ClearJel will make about 8-9
quarts of pie filling.
Of course, you don't have to use it. Any recipe for canned pie filling
can be made without the ClearJel. You simply can the filling without
any thickener and add the thickener when you open the can to make pie.
You might even find that this makes your cans a little more versatile
and useful for things like sauces.
And don't forget to play with spices and infusions when it comes to
pie fillings. Like pickles, however, I prefer to use whole or broken
spices that can be removed and leave a clear filling, not a cloudy
one.
Frozen fruit, preferably unsweetened, can be used in canned pie
filling. When defrosted, save any of the juice for use as a substitute
for any water in the canning recipe.
You can find some pie filling recipes here:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/canpie.html
And how about pizza pie? You can preserve pizza topping, of course,
but wait until peak tomato season.
That's it for this week. If you have any questions about canning,
pressure canning, fermentation, dehydration, freezing, pickling,
curing, smoking or brewing, feel free to email me at
ernest...@gmail.com.
Be sure to check out the blog, which is updated several times a week:
http://preservenation.blogspot.com/
And/or join the Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=280846286958
Thanks,
Ernie Miller