This third recipe on my list of things to make with my Michigan blueberry order was pie filling. Blueberry pie is probably my most favorite fruit pie, and whenever I find a deal on berries, I try to put some filling away for a taste of summer during the cold winter months. This recipe is from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving.

The food coloring listed in the recipe is optional. I’ve done it both ways, and to be honest, I couldn’t tell a difference in color between jars that didn’t have the added food coloring to those where I added it.

It does use ClearJel, and be sure you buy the cook type and not the instant. If you’ve never used ClearJel, be aware that once you add it to the berries and start cooking, it can gel up on you in an instant, so make sure the pot has your undivided attention. I’ve used it lots of times, and it almost got away from me this time around! But I managed to save it and ended up with 5 pints of awesome goodness. Pie filling jars are the pints in the middle of the blueberry madness below.

Blueberry Pie Filling

7 cups blueberries

1-2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup ClearJel

12 drops blue food coloring (optional)

4 drops red food coloring (optional)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

Fill a large stainless steel saucepan halfway with water and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Add blueberries and blanch for 1 minute. Drain well and return to pot. Cover to keep warm.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar and ClearJel. Whisk in 2 cups of water. Add blue and red food coloring, if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Stir in lemon zest, if using, and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Fold in heated blueberries.

Ladle hot pie filling into hot jars, leaving slightly more than 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot filling. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 30 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Yield: About 4 pints

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