Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pie filling is great to have on hand.  I love using this for Strawberry Short Cake.  This recipe is adapted from NCHFP Blueberry Pie Filling.

Table 1. Strawberry Pie Filling.
	Quantities of Ingredients Needed For
	1 Quart	7 Quart
Fresh or thawed Strawberries	3-1/2 cups	6 quarts
Granulated sugar	3/4 cup + 2 tbsp	6 cups
Clear Jel®	1/4 cup	2 cups
Cold water	1 cup	7 cups
Bottled Lemon Juice	3-1/2 teaspoons	1/2 cup
Red food coloring (Optional)	1 to 2 drops	7 to 10 drops

Prepare your fruit:

1:   If using fresh berries, Wash berries well and remove cores.  Cut berries in half or slice.  I don't like to blanch strawberries very long but do want my fruit warm when added to the glaze so I have a pot of water boiling and using a large slotted dipper I dip them in the water for just a few seconds and then put in a colander to drain.  Do this with all your berries and cover to keep warm.  

2:  If using frozen berries.  Thaw berries completely.  They will have some liquid in them.  Put in a large pot with the liquid and let sit over low heat while you are preparing the glaze.  Stir gently and just let them get warm.  You can put them in a colander to drain, but if you make your glaze a little thick then you can just dip them from the pot with a slotted dipper and add directly to the glaze.

Make your glaze:

1:  Combine sugar and Clear Jel  in a large kettle. Stir together.

 Add water and, if desired, food coloring. 

2:  Cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Stir constantly. I like using a wire whisk for this.  3:  Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4:  Fold in drained berries immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch head space.

5:  Remove air bubbles and adjust head space if needed.  Wipe rims of jars with a damp paper towel and put on lids and rings.  Tighten them down finger tight.

Process your pie filling:

Table 2. Recommended process times for Strawberry Pie Filling in a boiling water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0-1,000 ft	1,001-3,000 ft	3,001-6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Pints or Quarts	30 min	35	40	45

When processing time is up, turn off heat, remove lid from canner and wait 5 minutes before removing jars.

Place jars on counter and let sit for 24 hours.  Remove rings from jars.  Wash if needed.  Put on labels and store in a cool, dark place.