Can your own pie fillings for a sweet taste of summer year

Is there a food more evocative of summer in Wisconsin than the luscious fruit-filled, crunchy-crusted, ice-cream topped pie?

We savor each morsel of that freshly baked peach pie, knowing the fleeting seasonal fruit will once again be a memory, while we thank the intrepid baker who loves us enough to "hot up the house" for a summer pie.

But you can actually enjoy "summer pies" year-round — by canning (or freezing) your own pie fillings.

The pie — a sweet or savory filling enrobed in a pastry crust — is first noted in early cookbooks from the eastern Mediterranean and appeared soon after the advent of wheat farming and grain milling. Pies, though they weren't called by that name until the mid-1200s in England, were the first convenience food.

Travelers and soldiers could carry a stew that had been baked into a sturdy crust. Early crusts were made of only flour and water and cooked to a hard finish; they were discarded much as today we would throw away a plastic container. A few centuries later, the addition of salt and fat to the dough rendered it delicious.

Pies also served as a form of food preservation. A rectangular pan, made of ceramic and later metal and called a "pie coffin" was covered with the dough, which sealed the filling from the air and outside contamination.

Extending the life of food by a mere day or two might not seem of great consequence, but when food was scarce, another opportunity to eat a hard-won meal was critical to survival. Our modern pasty brought to Wisconsin from Welsh and Cornish miners is descended from those ancestral pies.

The preservation quality of sugar had been observed and known by Arab cultures well before that. Sugars — and that includes honey, maple syrup and other sucrose-rich liquids — bind with the water in a fruit, leaving none available for microbes. It was a natural next step for early cooks to combine fruits with sugar and then encase them in a crust to make the fragile food last even longer.

Knowing a little pie history arms us with information we need to work our kitchen alchemy by canning pie fillings. It may seem daunting at first, but pie fillings use the same canning science used in jam- and jelly-making. If you make jams and jellies, you’ll be a success at pie fillings.

The bane of many a pie maker is the dreaded runny filling. Four out of five runny pies are the result of impatience. If a fruit pie is cut open before it has entirely cooled, the juices that have been released from the fruit during cooking haven't had time to bind with the thickener of choice.

Canned pie fillings are prethickened. This makes them ready to use and eliminates any of the preparation work needed when making a fruit pie from the start. You get the convenience and homemade properties at the same time.

The essential ingredient for home-canned pie fillings is a product called ClearJel. Developed by the Center for Home Food Preservation (a consortium of universities throughout the United States), ClearJel is a finely milled and refined cornstarch for use in pie fillings.

Home-canned pie fillings should ONLY use ClearJel for thickening. The other traditional starches (flours, cornstarch, tapioca, etc.) are not safe for processing. Other starches coagulate into a disgusting solid mass as the jars process in the canner. It looks gross and is unsafe, as the heat required for safe processing can't penetrate the floury goo.

ClearJel is available as a regular or instant product. Do not use Instant ClearJel; it's primarily used in restaurants to thicken foods without using a heat catalyst. Regular or "cooked" ClearJel is for canning.

ClearJel is not produced in a low-sugar form, so there isn't an option for reducing the amount of sugar in the recipes. I have already tested and adjusted these recipes to use the least amount of sugar and ClearJel. You can replace the sugar with honey or Splenda, but that may result in a less thickened slurry. It's pie. It's going to be sweet.

ClearJel is not a product you will find in your neighborhood grocery store. It is, however, readily available via multiple online sellers including Amazon. Amish or Mennonite stores always stock ClearJel, as well as many other food preservation supplies.

If ClearJel doesn't appeal to you, I suggest canning fruits in syrup. Then, when you want to make pie, make a pie slurry out of the canning liquid using your preferred thickener.

Or, try your hand at a pie filling recipe that does not require additional thickening. The Vegetarian Mincemeat and Green Tomato-Orange Pie Filling recipes here are historic pantry staples updated for modern safety standards that do not use ClearJel.

ClearJel requires both a heat and chemical catalyst to activate thickening. Meaning, when the ClearJel and sugar mixture dissolve in the liquid under heat, it won't begin to thicken unless lemon juice (or orange juice) is added to the boiling slurry. This chemical reaction happens quickly, so keep stirring.

Always keep a large measuring cup filled with a few cups of water on hand as you’re making your pie filling to add to the pot in case the filling becomes too thick. (You’ll know it is too dense if it won't stir and begins to scorch.)

Many cooks loathe blanching. It's often viewed as an unnecessary step in any cooking process, but when making pie fillings, blanching the fruit pushes the air out of the cells and reduces the amount of expansion that occurs later in the jars.

Peaches are defacto blanched in the peeling process, so there is no need to do it again. Dense fruits like apples and pears expand the most during processing and must be blanched. Only berries and cherries get to skip blanching; just add them to the cooked and thickened slurry and cook about five minutes longer to help them release their air and juice.

Make close note of the headspace when filling your jars. Pie fillings tend to expand in the jar much more than other sweetened preserves, as the ClearJel thickens the juice that releases from the fruit during processing. There are few more sorrowful things in a kitchen than when a quart of cherry pie filling oozes out the bent lid or the jar cracks open due to overpressurization.

The recipes here are for Wisconsin favorites using fruits that are (or will soon be) in season. Try them. Each recipe also includes variations in tweaking the flavor.

You’ll notice that there are zero recipes for any dairy-based or egg-based pie fillings. Milk and eggs are low-acid and high-fat, making them unsafe for hot-water bath canning. All the recipes call for using a quart-size jar, as one quart fills a standard 8- to 9-inch pie plate. You can also use pint jars; the processing time remains the same.

Pie fillings made with ClearJel also can be frozen. Two methods work very well.

The first is to portion out a cooled, pie sized amount into a freezer-safe plastic container, keeping 1 ½ inches of headspace from the edge to prevent it from expanding over the top or cracking the plastic. Defrost filling before baking the pie.

The second method involves pouring the cooled mixture into an unbaked piecrust and placing the entire pie into a gallon-size plastic freezer bag. When baking your frozen pie, bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees and then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking another 40 minutes.

Home processed pie fillings have a recommended shelf-life of 12 months. As with all canned goods, clearly label what's in the jar and the date it was made. Store in a temperature-stable location out of direct sunlight.

Making your pie is as simple as unrolling a premade shell or preparing your favorite pastry recipe. There are debates in baking circles about blind-baking crusts for extra crunch and lattice tops vs. full-coverage top crusts, but what you and your family enjoy eating should determine how to make your pie.

The real secret of home-canned pie fillings is the versatility. There are absolutely zero rules. Use it as the base for a sweet biscuit topped cobbler, spoon it onto ice cream, mix a dollop into yogurt or oatmeal or use it as a topper to luscious cheesecake. You may find yourself adding it to just about everything!

Use alcohol to add flavor. Makers throughout history have used alcohol to preserve and flavor fruits. You should, too. Use a good-quality product, though it need not be "‘top-shelf."

Explore flavor combinations and experiment. The apple pie filling recipe here includes a variation to make a bourbon apple pie filling. Any of the liquid in a recipe can be wholly or partially replaced with your favorite liquor!

Substitute liquids for added flavor. A recipe may call for water, apple juice, cherry juice, etc. as its base liquid. You can substitute any type of juice with any other, keeping in mind that it will complement or change the flavor.

Using pineapple or orange juice with a strawberry pie filling will give it a zingy fruity flavor. Apple juice is neutral-flavored and tends to absorb whatever the dominant flavor is.

Experiment with sweeteners. Any natural sugar you choose will do the preservation job of absorbing moisture. Pick a style of sugar that complements your fruit and liquid.

Balance your flavors, so they’re not competing with each other; white sugar has a neutral flavor and is best matched with a strongly flavored liquid. A mild liquid pairs best with a robustly flavored sweetener. Remember to let the fruit shine through.

All recipes assume that you’ve prepared your canning jars according to the best practices described in the hot-water bath canning Instructions included here. If you’re using a dishwasher to sterilize your canning jars, start the cycle before you begin cooking.

If you’re hot-water bath processing, your canner should be filled with water and underway before you start cooking the pie filling. Pie fillings take a minimum of 25 minutes to process in the hot-water bath canner. An atmospheric / steam canner does not produce enough steam for that length of time. Don't use one here; use the hot-water bath canner instead.

Recipes can be cut in half; however, for the amount of work, you’ll want to make a big batch. (Canned pie fillings make great gifts!)

Set a rack on the bottom of a stockpot or canning pot, making sure the pot is large enough to hold the jars and allow at least 2 inches of water above them. Fill pot about halfway with water. Bring to a rolling boil.

Wash jars in hot soapy water, rinse, and set aside. Alternatively, run jar(s) through the dishwasher and leave in machine until ready to use.

Fill jars to the headspace called for in the recipe.

Slide a thin plastic or metal blade in and out of jars to remove air bubbles.

Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel. Place lids on top, then screw on rings only to finger-tightness or just until the band begins to tighten on the jar. Over-tightening lids can prevent the canning process from working.

When water in canner is boiling, carefully lower jars into pot using jar-lifting tongs. When all jars are in the pot, if water does not cover them by at least 2 inches, add more boiling water from a kettle until they are covered by 2 inches.

Cover pot and return to a rolling boil. Process pie fillings at a hard boil for 25 minutes (or as called for in the recipe) at sea level; add 5 minutes to this time for every 1,000 feet above sea level. Remove jars when processing time is complete.

Let jars rest on counter or table to cool for 24 hours, then check their seal. Lids should be taut, with no flex or give when you press down on them. If your jars do not pass the test, transfer to refrigerator and use pie filling within 1 week.

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Make this apple pie filling as is, or try bourbon apple, caramel apple, apple-cranberry, pear, or pear-cranberry variations.

Recipe tested by Christina Ward

Makes 6 to 8 quarts

Special equipment/ingredient: ClearJel. Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce.

Headspace: 1 ½ inches.

Total prep time: 3 hours. Process time: 25 minutes. Storage length: 1 year.

Step 1: Peel, core and slice apples. (An apple peeling machine will do all three tasks!)

Step 2: Blanch apples in boiling water bath 2 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice and set aside.

Step 3: Mix sugar and ClearJel together. In a large stockpot, mix apple juice, water, sugar/ClearJel mixture and spices. Stir with a whisk to fully integrate the dry items.

Step 4: Begin to heat under medium flame. Stir often, as mixture will begin to thicken and potentially scorch before it boils. Add lemon juice. Boil 1 minute while constantly stirring with a whisk. (The slurry should take on a glossy and clear sheen.) Remove from heat.

Step 5: With a large rubber spatula, mix in apple slices.

Step 6: Fill jars, leaving 1 ½ inches headspace. Stir mixture after every few jars to keep the fruit-to-slurry mix in balance. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel.

Step 7: Put on lids and process in a hot water bath. OR, cool completely, and fill freezer-safe storage containers (leave 1 ½ inches headspace).

VARIATIONS

For caramel apple pie, change granulated sugar to brown sugar. For a boozy bourbon apple pie, replace half the apple juice with your favorite bourbon.

The steps in this recipe are the same used for more variations. Substitute pears for the apples and pear juice for apple juice, and it's pear pie. Add 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries to either (no need to reduce amount of pears or apples), and you have a lovely autumn fruit blend.

As with all the recipes, keep the ratios of ingredients intact and feel confident to substitute fruits, sugars and spices with an experimental hand.

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This recipe also can be used to make peach pie filling. Peaches must be peeled before using. To peel peaches, in small batches, submerge in boiling water 2 minutes, then remove and place in ice bath. When cooled, slip skins from peaches, remove pits and slice.

Blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, chokecherry, ground cherry and raspberry variations also are possible.

Recipe tested by Christina Ward

Makes 6 to 8 quarts

Special equipment/ingredient: ClearJel. Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce.

Headspace: 2 inches.

Total prep time: 3 hours. Process time: 25 minutes. Storage length: 1 year.

Step 1: Wash and pit cherries. Sprinkle with bottled lemon juice and set aside.

Step 2: Whisk together sugar and ClearJel. In a large stockpot, mix water or water/juice with sugar and ClearJel. Stir with a whisk to fully integrate the dry items.

Step 3: Begin to heat over medium flame. Stir often, as the mixture will begin to thicken and potentially scorch before it boils. Add lemon juice. Boil 1 minute while constantly stirring with a whisk. (The slurry should take on a glossy and clear sheen.) Remove from heat.

Step 4: With a large rubber spatula, mix in cherries and cook 5 minutes longer.

Step 5: Fill jars. Stir mixture after every few jars to keep the fruit-to-slurry mix in balance. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel.

Step 6: Put on lids and process in a hot-water bath. OR, cool completely and then fill freezer-safe storage containers (leave 1 ½ inches headspace).

*****

VARIATIONS

Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, chokecherries, ground cherries or raspberries can all be substituted for the cherries in this recipe. (For peach variation, see directions in the recipe intro.)

The ratio of liquid to sugar to ClearJel to fruit remains the same for all berry-based and cherry-based pie fillings. If you’d like to spice the filling, add 2 teaspoons dry or 3 teaspoons liquid. (See cherry variations below for flavor ideas.)

As noted in other recipes, changing the sugar from granulated to brown gives the pie filling a caramelly taste.

Cherry variations include cherry with cinnamon, cherry with almond extract or cherry lime (use 3 cups lime juice and 3 tablespoons lime zest in the slurry).

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You may notice that this recipe bears similarity to the Green Tomato Pie recipe. Both are 19th-century in origin and updated for modern canning safety procedures.

Also note that because this recipe does not use ClearJel, the apples do not have to be blanched.

Recipe tested by Christina Ward

Makes 10 to 12 quarts

Special equipment/ingredient: Food processor. Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce.

Headspace: ½ inch.

Total prep time: 3 hours. Process time: 30 minutes. Storage length: 1 year.

Step 1: Wash apples. Peel, core and dice. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside. Wash oranges and lemons. Cut in half and remove seeds. Grind separately (peels and all) in a food processor and measure the amounts called for.

Step 2: In a large stockpot, mix all the ingredients except spices and brandy.

Step 3: Begin to heat under medium flame. Simmer mixture uncovered, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching, about 15 minutes until thickened.

Step 4: Mix spices into brandy. Add to cooked fruit mixture. Continue to simmer another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Fill jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel.

Step 5: Put on lids and process in a hot-water bath. OR, cool completely, and then fill freezer-safe storage containers (leave 1 ½ inches headspace).

VARIATIONS

Depending on your family tradition, sherry can be used instead of brandy. Apple juice will work if you’d like to avoid alcohol but will affect the overall taste and will not seem quite like mincemeat. You can also substitute other dried fruits as long as the total volume is the same. Spices also can be adjusted to suit your tastes.

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This recipe is a great way to use up green tomatoes that get caught in the first frost of the season. Both this recipe and the Vegetarian Mincemeat filling are 19th-century in origin and updated for modern canning safety procedures. (This recipe was not tested for this story but has been made before.)

Recipe tested by Christina Ward

Makes 6 to 8 quarts

Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce.

Headspace: ½ inch.

Total prep time: 3 hours. Process time: 15 minutes. Storage length: 1 year.

Step 1: Wash tomatoes and apples. Remove and discard stem end of tomatoes and roughly chop the tomatoes; set aside. Peel, core and chop apples; set aside.

Step 2: In a large stockpot, mix all ingredients.

Step 3: Begin to heat under low to medium flame. Simmer mixture uncovered, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching, about 40 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Ladle into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel.

Step 5: Put on lids and process. OR, cool completely, and then fill freezer-safe storage containers (leave 1 ½ inches headspace).

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While it doesn't use a seasonal ingredient, pecan pie is another favorite that's great to have on hand.

Makes 2 quarts plus 1 pint

Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce.

Headspace: 1 ½ inches.

Total prep time: 2 hours. Process time: 25 minutes. Storage length: 1 year.

Step 1: Whisk together brown sugar and ClearJel in a bowl.

Step 2: Add to a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot along with apple and orange juices. Whisk until dissolved, then turn on the heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until mixture begins to boil and thicken. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute while continuously stirring. Remove from heat and fold in pecans.

Step 3: Fill jars to 1 ½ inches headspace. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel.

Step 4: Put on lids and process. OR, cool completely, and then fill freezer-safe storage containers (leave 1 ½ inches headspace).

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The pie filling is already cooked, so your focus should be on the crust.

For a single-crust pie, place dough in pie plate. Blind-bake a homemade or premade crust (filling first with pie weights) at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove shell from oven, remove pie weights (or beans). Add filling. Bake at 350 degrees an additional 20 minutes.

For a regular double-crust pie, place homemade or premade crust into bottom of pie plate. Add filling. Place top crust over filling and pinch edges closed. Poke or slice small air vent holes in top of shell. Sprinkle top with 1 tablespoon of water, then 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and continue baking 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned.

For a crunchier double-crust pie, blind-bake homemade or premade crust at 425 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce temperature to 350. Remove shell from oven, remove pie weights (or beans). Add filling. Place top crust over filling and pinch edges closed. Poke or slice small air vent holes in top of shell. Sprinkle top with 1 tablespoon of water, then 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes.

For a lattice-topped pie, follow directions for either double-crust pie.

Defrost filling. Then use in the same way as the canned filling instructions.

If entire pie is frozen, remove pie from freezer bag. Sprinkle top with 1 tablespoon of water, then 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and place into oven set to 425 degrees. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and continue baking 30 to 40 more minutes until lightly browned.