Blackberry Pie Filling Recipe - Taste of Summer in a Jar (2024)

by Tracy | 53 comments

Canned Blackberry Pie Filling Recipe from Scratch

Not thorns in my finger tips or the 100-degree heat can keep me out of my blackberry patches this time of the year. Armed with a big straw hat, jeans, boots, a long-sleeve shirt I headed to the blackberry patch for a marathon session of picking. In just a couple hours I had the twogallons I neededfor my canned blackberry pie filling.

Late June always means blackberry pies, jam, and ice cream, and to us that means summer! After gathering up all myhome canning supplies I went to work spending the day in the kitchen canning. I know it’s so worth it when I open a jar of blackberry pie fillingin the middle of winter.

I found thiscanned pie filling recipeyears ago and have adjusted it to my liking over the years. I wish I could remember where I got it butI’ve made so changes to it that I’ll just consider in mine now.

Please note.Thisrecipe calls for clear-jelwhich is hard to find in grocery stores. I buymine at an Amish bulk food store in Pennsylvania, butI have also purchased it from Amazon.

Blackberry Pie Filling Canning Recipe

2017-03-01 01:13:22

Ingredients

9 quarts’ fresh blackberries
2 1/2 cups clear-jel
10 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
13 1/2 cups water
3/4 cups fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Wash and dry 9 quarts of fresh picked blackberries and set aside. In a heavy duty large 20 quart canning kettle combine clear-jel, sugar, cinnamon and water and mix well. Heat while stirring constantly until it first starts to boil. Quickly add fresh lemon juice and cook for one more minute, mixture will start to thicken quickly. Remove from heat and fold in fresh blackberries.
In 10 hot clean jars ladle pie filling in, leave a one inch head space in each jar and secure hot lids.
Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes.

By Tracy @ Our Simple Homestead

Our Simple Homestead https://oursimplehomestead.com/

Happy blackberry picking!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tracy Lynn

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Kristina & Millieon June 29, 2014 at 10:12 pm
I love blackberries! I haven’t tried canning them, thanks for this recipe!
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon July 1, 2014 at 12:49 am
  If you love blackberry pie you will love this recipe!
  Reply
  - chrison August 11, 2015 at 12:49 am
    There are 2 types of clear jel-instant and cook. I don’t understand why so few people choose to specify which they are using in their recipes. As a home preservation instructer & 40 year canner I think it’s important to give newbies the correct info. Just my thoughts.
    BTW we grow 13 varieties of fruit=blackberries among them and I put up 50-70 qts a year into a ready to use pie filling. We love it.
    Chris in IN
    Reply
    - Chrison August 11, 2015 at 12:51 am
      I forgot to mention I also use a product from the AMISH called Therm-flo which gives a superior canned pie filling and is MUCH cheaper then Clear Jel etc.
      Reply
      See Also
      DIY Beard Balm Recipe Pineapple Delight Recipe Basic Salve Recipe With Dried Flowers - Organic Palace Queen Spicy Pickled Banana Peppers Recipe
    - Amyon July 25, 2016 at 2:28 am
      So… is this recipe using cook type or instant??? I’m a newbie!
      Reply
      - Tracy Fredrychowskion July 25, 2016 at 1:15 pm
        Amy once it’s been canned all you have to do is pour it in a pie shell and bake it until the pie shell is baked. So I would consider it instant.
      - nANCY Kleinon November 14, 2016 at 10:38 pm
        Hi Amy,
        I’m a few months late for you, but I have actually used this recipe. A good way to tell is by reading the recipe. This one tells you to add the Clear-Jel to the other ingredients and cook it. That means you will need the cooking type. I canned 20 quarts each of blackberry, peach, and apple pie fillings with it. When my son got married, I made 190 thank you gifts with them. Mini pies made in canning jar lids. Not only were they adorable, but delicious as well. I still hear from people how wonderful they were and my brother in law just asked for a blackberry pie for Thanksgiving. Bottom line is, you can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Lindsey@CultivateNourishingon June 30, 2014 at 1:26 pm
This looks delicious! I just started a new series called Eating Inside the Box it would be awesome if you would share this with us! Please linkup any other recipes to any fruit/veggie category you’d like!
http://www.cultivatenourishing.com/raspberries-black-raspberries-blackberries/
Enjoy the Harvest!
Lindsey
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon July 1, 2014 at 12:51 am
  I added it to your series and I was glad to contribute!
  Reply
Vickieon June 30, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Thanks for this recipe – I am adding it to my canning notebook! I have blackberries just now starting to get color on them, so I guess I had better hurry up and order that Clear-jel! The thought of a warm blackberry cobbler on a cold winter day warms my heart – even though it’s 100 degrees outside right now! :0
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- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon July 1, 2014 at 12:52 am
  I love this canned pie filling and it sure is a taste of summer during the long months of winter! I know you will love it!
  Reply
Sherryon July 1, 2014 at 1:37 am
Would love to try. Blackberries are my favorite!
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Kelly-Anneon July 1, 2014 at 9:50 am
Oh, I do love blackberries! And this pie filling looks delicious! Visiting from Strangers and Pilgrims today! Blessings, Kelly-Anne
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Melissa French, The More With Less Momon July 1, 2014 at 10:12 pm
Mmm we have bushes in the backyard. I should try this this year. I might get a pie’s worth after the kids are done eating them. Thanks for sharing. Hello from Mostly Homemade Mondays!
Reply
Gentle Joyon July 3, 2014 at 11:38 pm
This looks great…. and so many possibilities for using it… Thank you for posting this. 🙂
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JESon July 5, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Hello there! This post has been featured on The Art of Home-Making Mondays for our “Preserving the Harvest ~ Link Up Love”. You will find it here:
http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2014/07/preserving-harvest-link-up-love.html
Thank you so much for sharing and we hope you join us again next week 🙂
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon July 5, 2014 at 11:26 pm
  Thank you for the feature! It is a great recipe and I am glad I could share it.
  Reply
Andreaon July 13, 2014 at 12:25 pm
I’m so glad that I found this recipe! I picked a ton of black raspberries yesterday, but there’s still an abundance left to be picked yet. This recipe looks great! I’m wondering if I can cut it in half? Also, the ingredients lists 10 quarts of berries, but the instructions list 9 quarts. How many quarts do you need for this recipe? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to have black raspberry cobbler this winter!
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon July 14, 2014 at 1:04 am
  Andrea,
  Whoops! Thanks for catching that…it should be 9 quarts of fresh blackberries and yes you can cut this in half, I have made half batches many times. You will love this recipe it is one of my all time favorites!
  Reply
jeanetteon July 17, 2014 at 2:19 am
I have never canned anything before so what does it mean hot jars and hot bath? Thanks
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon July 17, 2014 at 8:49 pm
  Jeanette,
  See Also
  Creamy Homemade Yogurt Recipe
  the easiest way I can explain it is for you to go watch some YouTube videos they are the easiest way to learn how to can. I am a very visual person so watching someone do it is the best way to learn. I found this video that explains it good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1jpyXPdCRE
  Reply
Sandraon July 17, 2014 at 11:30 am
This looks so good!
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Visiting from the HomeAcre Hop 🙂
Reply
Abbyon August 31, 2014 at 1:05 am
Sooo I’m not sure, just how many quarts of filling does this recipe make ? and yes I’m drooling !
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- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon August 31, 2014 at 11:37 am
  Abby this recipe makes 10 quarts of pie filling. It is really a wonderful recipe. I made a pie yesterday and shhhh don’t tell anyone but I just had a small slice for breakfast with my coffee!
  Reply
Abbyon August 31, 2014 at 1:18 am
If I can not get the clear-jel…..what can you suggest that I use ?
I really want to make this next week
Thanks for the help
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon August 31, 2014 at 11:42 am
  Abby,
  I have never tried making it with any thing else…I love clear-jel! It keeps things nice and clear and does not make it cloudy like corn starch does. Cornstarch is the closest thing to clear-jel, but again I never used anything but the cler-jel.
  Reply
Abbyon August 31, 2014 at 3:29 pm
HI, thank you for the help, I guess the 2 1/2 cups of clearjel surprised me… then I remembered that it was for a lot of pies. I also found it at King Arthur. I really like that it keeps your filling pretty and clear.
Pie for breakfast ? Count me in !
Have a wonderful day and thanks again.
Reply
- Tracy at Our Simple Lifeon September 1, 2014 at 6:00 pm
  I am so glad you found it. Enjoy and the pie for breakfast was wonderful!
  Reply
Stephon March 15, 2015 at 12:26 am
Thanks! Do you have a good pie or cobbler recipe to use with these once they’re done?
Reply
- Tracy Fredrychowskion March 16, 2015 at 1:24 pm
  Steph,
  For the pie all you have to do is pour the pie filling in a pie shell and bake it. I love this recipe since it is no work at all to make a pie. Find a good pie crust recipe…pour the pie filling in the shell, add a top pie crust…crimp the edges and bake until you see the blackberry juices bubble out the edges. I do have a blackberry bar recipe I make with this pie filling and will work it into a blog post real soon!
  Reply
Billon April 18, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Recipe alternations?
1. Well I have 15 quarts of Black Raspberries in my Freezer, and I am afraid of a power outage. If I let them thaw, will they work with this recipe?
2. I’m not a fan of lemon juice, so I try to pressure can everything, instead of using a water bath. Do you think pressure canning would be too harsh for this recipe? Do you have a recommended time for quarts if I pressure can?
3. I’ve been using my grandma’s recipe for many years to make Black Raspberry FREEZER pies, but again I’m afraid of a big loss if our power goes out for too long. Her recipe is basically equal parts raspberries and sugar, with a small amount of thickener (like corn starch). Put the filling in unbaked, double, pie shells and freeze. Take out and bake when wanted. It works flawlessly, but I’m not sure how to convert her recipe to a canned pie filling without changing the end result… and it gets EXPENSIVE to experiment with Black Raspberries! I welcome any suggestions. Especially if I can do away with all of the water and sure-gel in your recipe.
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- Tracy Fredrychowskion April 20, 2015 at 8:44 pm
  Bill I cannot see why this recipe wouldn’t work for frozen berries. If you have not added any sugar before you put them in the freezer I think it should work just fine. I have never tried pressure cooking fruit…I was always afraid it would get mushy?
  Reply
  - Billon April 22, 2015 at 11:50 pm
    Thanks Tracy,
    I think I am going to try using my Grandma’s recipe of just berries and sugar, and then pressure can it. I’ll then stir is the small amount of Corn Starch to the mix, when I fill the pie shells. I have found other internet comments that say you have to use clear gel because corn starch will cook/set in the jars, but falls apart when it rebakes in the pie. I think adding the corn starch only when you fill the pie shell might solve this problem.
    I am basically making Jam (berries and sugar) for canning, that I don’t want to set in the jar, but instead, when the pie bakes.
    Factory made pie filling is pressure canned, isn’t it?
    Reply
Carleeon June 11, 2015 at 1:18 pm
What a great idea! We have some thornless berries, so that helps with the picking! 😉 There are a mess of berries on them this year, and they are starting to turn pink. It won’t be long before we start picking! I never thought to can them. I have been just freezing them for use in sauces etc. during the winter. This is a great idea!
Reply
Marieon May 25, 2016 at 9:21 pm
Hi!
I have never made canned filling but we have more berries this summer than we know what to do with and it all sounds delicious! I am wondering– what does the filling look like when it’s all done? I am trying to avoid the really thick almost gelatinous texture that I see sometimes with canned strawberry or cherry fillings. I like when the berries shine through!
Reply
- Tracy Fredrychowskion June 1, 2016 at 12:17 am
  Marie not sure how I missed your question… sorry about that! I am not sure how to describe the consistency..its more like apple pie filling and not a gelatin texture.
  Reply
Margyon June 2, 2016 at 6:41 pm
We have wild blackberries all around where we live. I’ve made jam and canned the berries, but never as a pie filling. – Margy
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Jamieon June 2, 2016 at 10:09 pm
Looks yummy! I can’t wait until the blackberries here are ready to pick!
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Jay-FOon July 7, 2016 at 5:49 pm
Thank you for the recipe. So yes, it is blackberry season (again) and I just picked 3 pounds of these yummies. I came across your site and now I have 2 questions: 1) You do not mentioned removing the seeds via cheesecloth or other means – Do you leave the seeds in your cobbler/pie? 2) You mention that this recipe “yields 10” but I was wondering 10 what? I only have pint and quart sized jars for canning – nothing bigger than that. And the since the recipe starts with 9 quarts of berries and adds 13 cups of water, 10 cups of sugar and several other large volumes of ingredients, it seems as though the yield is going to be much higher than 10 quart jars! I have read the recipe a few more times just to make sure I did not miss where you put what size jars you are using and I still do not see. So what size are the jars that you are filling? Thanks for your help. P.S. – I type this message with blue/red stained fingers – I’m sure you are familiar with my predicament. 🙂
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- Tracy Fredrychowskion July 8, 2016 at 8:28 pm
  Jay…I always leave the seeds in and it makes 10 quarts of pie filling. Once you add the sugar mixture to the berries it compacts some. It sounds like a lot of water and sugar but it compresses the berries some. It taste really good and I hope your family likes it as much as mine.
  Reply
  - Jay-FOon July 9, 2016 at 11:21 pm
    Ok Thank you. That makes sense now. Thanks for your help. I will post after I eat some. ….
    Reply
Sandieon August 16, 2016 at 7:47 pm
I am very excited to try this recipe!! We have SOOO many blackberries this summer that I’m finding it difficult to try and come up with more ways to preserve them. I’ve done a ton of freezer and canned jams and now came across your recipe for pie filling. The question I have is the same one already brought up by Chris and Amy, but it looks like there may have been a misunderstanding of the question. It regarded the clear gel being cook or instant form. I have a lot of clear gel, but it is the “Instant” version and not the “cook” one. It’s the only kind I could find locally. So wondering if it would come out the same or if I would have to alter the recipe in anyway to accommodate the version of clear gel I have. Thanks
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Margyon August 24, 2017 at 4:20 pm
I’m away from home during prime blackberry picking time. If they are still in picking condition I plan to can some in heavy syrup for future use. This year has been very good with lots of spring rain even though the summer has but hot and dry.
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- Tracy Fredrychowskion August 24, 2017 at 4:23 pm
  Margy if you haven’t tried this recipe you’ll love it. It makes wonderful winter pies when it’s cold and snowy outside. It’s like a breath of summer in the middle of winter. Enjoy!
  Reply
Gentle Joy Homemakeron August 26, 2017 at 12:50 pm
Your jars of filling are beautiful! They look so rich in color. What a blessing to have those stored away for winter! 🙂
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Miz Helenon August 28, 2017 at 7:41 pm
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful post with us at Full Plate Thursday this week. Please keep our great state of Texas in your thoughts and prayers as we are struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Hope you have a good week.
Miz Helen
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Jamieon August 28, 2017 at 10:12 pm
That sounds amazing! Now if only my berries would grow! They get flowers on them and start to produce and then dead. 🙁 I need to color my thumb better, I think. 🙂
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- Tracy Fredrychowskion September 2, 2017 at 11:15 pm
  We had so many berries this year I couldn’t pick them fast enough. I wish I could have shared some with you until your thumb turns the right color:)
  Reply
April j harrison August 31, 2017 at 9:24 pm
Scheduled to pin! Blackberries are so popular in England. They grow wild and everyone picks them if they can (in safe places where there is not a lot of pollution and high up so they haven’t been ‘watered’ by passing pets!). This is such a great way to enjoy this lovely fruit all year round. Thank you so much for sharing with us at the Hearth and Soul Link Party.
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Leslieon September 1, 2017 at 6:54 pm
You know, I’ve never put cinnamon with blackberries…and I’ll put cinnamon (and cloves) in just about any baked good. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
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lizon September 3, 2017 at 2:25 am
Yum!! I love blackberries! Thanks for sharing on Homestead Blog Hop!
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Angieon October 6, 2017 at 11:33 pm
This wonderful post is a GARDEN feature on the October You’re the STAR blog hop: http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/2017/10/youre-star-week-1-garden-october-2017.html
Thanks
Angie
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Jayne Hofereron July 31, 2019 at 3:33 pm
Hi there. I’m using Hooaier Hill farm clear -jel
(Cook type).
So to clarify, I use 2 and 1/2 cups of the powedered clear jel?
Just seemed like alot to me, but I’m new to canning pie filling.
Thank you!
Jayne
Reply