This easy recipe for canning strawberry pie filling only has 5 ingredients. It is incredibly easy. Make the sauce and refrigerate or water bath can it for longer storage.
Strawberries have such a short season that is nice to have an arsenal of different recipes to extend that season for months to come. This pie filling is a great example.
You can make a small batch or make up to 7 quart jars to fill up your canning pot. This pie filling can be stored in the freezer if you prefer not process them in a water bath canner.
Want to learn to grow your own strawberries? If you love growing your own produce, these posts are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss our How to Start a Garden Series!
The first section is Planning Your Garden. Second is Preparing the Garden Site.
The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance.
The last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this article has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!
What you need
- strawberries – use fresh or frozen berries. We recommend using your own frozen or a good quality store bought frozen berry.
- sugar -white or turbinado will both work.
- lemon juice -use bottled lemon juice, the acidity is more uniform than using fresh lemons.
- Clear-jel thickener – do not use cornstarch or corn flour to make this filling if you are canning it. It is not safe!
- water
How to make filling
Wash and heat jars and lids. Prepare water bath canning pot. Turn on to preheat.
- Rinse berries well.
- Remove hull from strawberries.
- Boil water in a large pot. Blanch berries for one minute. Remove with slotted spoon to covered bowl. Make sure you let them drain well in the slotted spoon.
- Add strawberry juice or water, lemon juice and Clearjel mixed with sugar to a separate pan. Bring to boil. Stir to remove clumps. Reduce heat cook about 10 minutes until thickened. Add berries back to sauce to heat.
Canning strawberry pie filling
- Ladle hot filling mixture into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Wipe rims clean with damp paper towel.
- Center lids on jars.
- Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight. Place filled jars directly on rack in canner ensuring jars are covered by over 1 inch water. Bring to a gentle, steady boil.
Process jars for 30 minutes, adjusting for altitude. After processing time is complete, turn off heat. Let jars rest in hot water for 5 minutes before removing from canning pot.
Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down in the center, when pressed. Store jars in a cool place.
Important recipe notes
- 1 quart (liter) makes enough to fill a standard 9″ (25cm) pie crust.
- Only use bottled lemon juice. The acidity is tested and the acidity of fresh lemon juice varies.
- Blanch strawberries briefly or they will overcook.
- Wait for water in canning pot to return to a boil before starting the 30 minute timer.
- Always allow jars to rest in the canning pot water for 5-10 minutes before removing them to reduce the risk of siphoning. (liquid seeping out of the top)
Uses for strawberry pie filling
- obviously, pies (top with fresh whipped cream for a special treat)
- vanilla ice cream topping
- pour over yogurt or cottage cheese
- strawberry bars
- strawberry crisp
- parfaits
Canning strawberry pie filling is a fun and easy project that you will be so happy you did in the middle of January when the strawberries you buy at the store are so very sad and flavorless. the flavor of this pie filling is far superior to the canned stuff you buy at the grocery store.
More pie fillings
Connect with us through our social media ages! Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.
If you have any questions or comments, please ask in comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!
I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Canning Strawberry Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 3½ cups fresh strawberries just over a quart
- 5 tablespoons Clear Jel modified cornstarch
- ¾ cup Sugar plus 2 Tbsp
- 1 cup water
- 3½ teaspoons Bottled Lemon Juice
Instructions
How to make the filling
- Rinse berries well.3½ cups fresh strawberries
- Remove hulls.
- Boil water in a large pan. Blanch berries for one minute. Remove with slotted spoon to covered bowl.
- Add juice or water, lemon juice and Clear-jel mixed with sugar to a separate pan. Bring to boil. Stir to remove clumps. Reduce heat cook about 10 minutes until thickened. Add berries back to sauce to heat.5 tablespoons Clear Jel modified cornstarch, 1 cup water, 3½ teaspoons Bottled Lemon Juice, ¾ cup Sugar
How to can the filling
- Ladle hot filling into the hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.
- Wipe rims clean with damp paper towel.
- Center lids on jars.
- Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight. Place filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by over 1″ water. Bring to a gentle, steady boil.
- Process jars for 30 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat. Let jars rest in hot water for 5 minutes before removing from canning pot.
- Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down in the center, when pressed. Store jars in a cool place.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
USES FOR STRAWBERRY PIE FILLING
- obviously, pies
- ice cream topping
- pour over yogurt or cottage cheese
- strawberry bars
- strawberry crisp
- parfaits
Sarah
Hello, can I use strawberry jello instead of strawberry juice? Would that work?
Beth Neels
No strawberry jello wouldn’t work if you are canning it. I just use water and the fresh strawberries. I don’t even use juice. Thanks for checking out the recipe Sarah.
Cynthia Engberts
Is there an alternative for the Cleargel?
Beth Neels
If you are canning it. No. You can not substitute anything else.
If you just want to make a pie, then you can use tapioca, cornstarch or flour. Do not use any of these if you are canning though!
Genevieve
This looks so good and canning strawberries sounds so much easier than I thought!
Beth Neels
It really is very easy. Thanks for checking out the recipe Genevieve!
Susie
I have canned Strawberry pie filling and it was beautiful. Is it normal for the strawberries to lose that bright red color? They did and I wound up throwing it out thinking it wasn’t good. The seal was good. Thanks
Beth Neels
The strawberries will “bleed” some of their color into the filling. This is perfectly normal. It’s really what you are looking for.
Irina
I made it today! WOW! It is so yummy and delicious that I can eat it on its own! The pie will wait for me. 🙂
Beth Neels
We had the same problem over here. I could eat it with a spoon! So good. Thanks Irina!
Jacque Hastert
Thanks for sharing these tips and tricks for canning this strawberry pie filling. I will be doing this soon.
Beth Neels
Thanks for checking out the recipe Jacque. I hope you like it!
Jacqueline Meldrum
What a great idea! I (very) rarely make strawberry jam but I didn’t think of doing this pie filling and less sugar is a bonus
Beth Neels
Thanks Jacqueline. It is really good. I hope you like it!
Claudia Lamascolo
this sounds delicious and I bet its great on top of ice creams and in shakes also!
Beth Neels
Yes. It’s a perfect dessert topper! Thanks Claudia!
Beth
Yummy! This is going to be perfect for my pie later this weekend! So excited to make this very soon! The family is going to love this!
Beth Neels
I hope they do. Thanks so much for checking out the recipe Beth!