Blueberry Pie Filling | Canning Instructions

This delicious blueberry pie filling can be made with fresh or frozen berries. Step by step canning instructions included.

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Having great desserts ready to put together sitting on your pantry shelf is a lifesaver when company comes over at the last minute.

Once the filling is made, just open the jar and add to your favorite sweet treats. If you have a frozen pie crust in the freezer, it will save you even more time.

You can have a pie done in less than an hour. Just pour the filling in the pie crust. Top with second crust. Poke holes in top crust. Bake about 50 minutes until middle is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

What blueberries should you use?

A far as variety goes, you can really use any variety of blueberry plant. Try to find organic berries. These bushes don’t get too many insects or diseases, so that should not be too hard to do. Even wild blueberries and huckleberries are delicious.

Blueberries are a special case when it comes to picking them. Unlike most other fruit, berries will not ripen after they are picked.

So the thing to bear in mind when you are picking berries is to only pick berries that are blue. When each berry ripens they turn from green to reddish to purplish and then finally to blue.

Pick perfectly blue fruit that is firm and not soft or mushy.

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How to clean blueberries after picking

Rinse berries under cold water and discard any stems, leaves or soft fruit. Add cold water to a large bowl and add berries.

Gently move them around the bowl with your hands, dislodging any dirt or foreign material from the fruit.

Drain well before using. A salad spinner works great to soak and remove water. Just spin slowly so that you don’t bruise any of the fruit.

Ingredients you need

• blueberries, fresh or frozen blueberries will work
• clear-jel or modified cornstarch IMPORTANT – Do not use cornstarch if you are canning. It is not safe!
• sugar
• lemon juice – always use bottled lemon juice when canning
• cinnamon – optional
• nutmeg -optional
• water or juice

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Step by step instructions

For fresh blueberries

Wash and sort berries in a large colander. Remove stems or any bad fruit.

1. Combine sugar and clear-jel.
2. Whisk or stir a bit to remove lumps.
3. Add one gallon of water to a large pot. Heat to boiling on high heat. Add up to 6 cups at a time. Blanch berries for one minute, after water returns to boil. Remove with slotted spoon to covered bowl to keep them warm.
4. Add sugar mixture to a separate medium saucepan.
5. Add juice or water. Stir to combine.
6. Bring to boil. Stir to remove clumps. Reduce heat, cook about 10 minutes until thickened.
7. Fold berries into sauce to heat.

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For frozen berries

• Rinse berries under cold water in a large colander. Allow them at least 15 minutes to drain and thaw.
• Then proceed as above instructions for fresh berries.

Canning blueberry pie filling

Prepare you boiling water bath canning pot. Wash and heat jars and lids.

1. Pour hot pie filling into hot jars with the aid of a canning funnel, leaving 1 inch headspace. (the space between the top of the product and the rim of the jar.)
2. Remove air bubbles with a tool or wooden or plastic chopstick.
3. Wipe rims of jars with damp paper towel.
4. Apply lids. Screw on band fingertip tight.

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Add jars to the rack of a water bath canning pot. Bring to boil. Then process for 30 minutes, adjusting for altitude. (See recipe below.) Remove pot from heat. Allow jars to cool in the hot water for 5-10 minutes before removing them so that they cool slowly.

This will prevent siphoning (leakage of liquid from the seal, even if the jars are sealed.)

Remove jars from hot water with jar lifter, after cooling period. Place on a kitchen towel on the counter and leave undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

Check for seal. Press down in the center of the lids. If the lids flex, the jar is not sealed. You can either attempt to process the jar again with a new lid or store any unsealed jars in the fridge and use them first.

How to use it

This pie filling is great for many different desserts. The flavor is so fresh and a bit on the tart side, which we love.

• obviously, pies
• ice cream topping
• pancakes, French toast and waffles
• pour over yogurt or cottage cheese
• blueberry bars
• blueberry crisp
• parfaits

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Pro tips

• Never use corn starch or corn flour when home canning. Always use a modified corn starch like clear-jel.
• Use quart jars. 1 quart is perfect for a 9 inch pie crust.
• You can adjust the sweetness of the filling by adjusting the amount of sugar and/or lemon juice that you use.
• If you don’t want to can the filling it can be stored in a sterile jar in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
• If you would like, you can add 3 drops of blue food coloring and 1 drop of red food coloring for color. We don’t find it necessary.

This homemade blueberry pie filling is so handy to have in your pantry for last minute guests. It tastes like munching on fresh blueberries in the middle of summer.

Other recipes with blueberries

• Blueberry BBQ sauce
• Wild duck with blueberry sauce
• Blueberry smoothie
• Blueberry jam

More pies

• Rhubarb custard pie
• Strawberry pie
• Cherry pie
• Apricot pie
• Lemon meringue pie
• Apple pie filling

Helpful tools

• canning pot
• Canning tool set
• quart canning jars
• canning lids
• ClearJel

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!