Summer Preserving Tips: Canning Products, Recipes, and More

Hoosier Hill Farm Clear Jel is a modified cornstarch that aids in thickening a variety of recipes. Our classic cook-type formulation has a great tolerance for high temperatures, which makes it ideal for canning fruit pie fillings and making smooth gravies and sauces.

How to Use: When using Clear Jel to thicken a pie filling or compote, we recommend first mixing it with an equal amount of water. To thicken one batch of fruit pie filling (enough for a 9-inch pie), start by mixing 1 tablespoon of Clear Jel with 1 tablespoon of water. Use a fork or whisk to make sure the mixture is smooth. Once combined, add the mixture directly to your pot of filling. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until bubbles appear. The filling will begin to thicken once removed from heat.

Hoosier Hill Farm Instant Clear Jel instantly thickens foods without cooking! Unlike our classic cook-type formulation, Instant Clear Jel works immediately with no stovetop preparation necessary. It’s perfect for fruit pie fillings, syrups, or glazes with no cooking required.

How to Use: When using Instant Clear Jel to thicken syrups, sauces, or other dishes, we recommend first mixing it with the other dry ingredients in the recipe, such as sugar. This technique prevents the starch from forming lumps and ensures a smooth, uniform consistency.

Hoosier Hill Farm Fruit Pectin is a specially formulated dry blend that’s perfect for thickening jams and jellies. It is a naturally occurring thickening agent found in many fruits. Many recipes featuring pectin use the ingredient to add a stable, slightly gelled consistency to fillings, jams, and jellies when cooked. 

How to Use: Mix our powdered fruit pectin into jams and pie fillings to help your preserves thicken, or try mixing it with a fruit puree to make jelly candies.

Hoosier Hill Farm Pickle Fresh Granules are the perfect addition to your homemade pickles of any kind. Our Pickle Fresh granules are made from calcium chloride, the same food-safe ingredient used in commercially packed pickles. Pickle Fresh Granules are an easy way to keep home-canned vegetables fresh and crispy. Ditch the cumbersome process of soaking produce for hours in lime and repeated rinsing. Instead, simply add Pickle Fresh to your brine when canning. One jar of Pickle Fresh is enough to can over 160 quarts of pickles!

How To Use: Pickle Fresh works great for any pickled vegetables you want to keep crunchy: cucumbers, sweet or spicy peppers, carrots, green beans, garlic, and much more. When canning pickles, we recommend using 1/4th teaspoon of Pickle Fresh for every quart jar you can, or 1/8th teaspoon for pint-sized jars. Add the Pickle Fresh to the jar after adding your cut and prepared vegetables, then top with brine and finish canning using your preferred method.

Alum powder is a versatile salt that aids in baking leavening, has antibacterial properties, and maintains the crispness of fruits or vegetables throughout the pickling process. Our alum powder is pure, granulated, and useful in making your own pickling recipes.