Hoosier Hill Farm Instant Clear Jel Thickening Powder, 1.5LB (Pack of 1)

This is my second purchase of the Hoosier Hill Farm Instant Clear Jel. I use it for a lot of baking projects. I also use the Hoosier Hill Farm heat activated Clear Jel for pies and gravys. That should tell you that I like Hoosier Hill Farm products. This clear jel works great, has no after taste and thickens liquids perfectly - much better then cornstarch, flour or tapioca.

I'd already been looking into this for the possibility of making homemade instant pudding mix, but what really put me over the edge was when my last mixed berry crisp came out way too watery. I use frozen berries, and cornstarch just doesn't have the thickening power needed to make them set up. Just yesterday I tried again after having ordered this wonderful stuff. I whisked together 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of instant clearjel, and then tossed my 1 lb. of frozen berries in that before adding them to the 9" round cake pan and covering with the crisp topping. The results were miraculous! My berry crisp set up perfectly, instead of the pan soaking in loose berry juices that were difficult to scoop up. The crisp mix I prefer is Concord Fresh Success apple crisp mix, and I like to use a pound of frozen mixed berries that includes blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries. That extra tartness makes for a wonderful holiday dessert, and the acidity didn't interfere with the clearjel's thickening power. One important tip: I read that you really do need to mix this with sugar to change how quickly the clearjel absorbs liquid, so it doesn't clump. Obviously for sugar-free recipes you'd use whatever sweetener you prefer.

Great for pie fillings when we can in The Kitchen Project+ classes.

Great product. I mix this with a little bit of sugar, & than making any mousse fillings for cakes. Works great.

Clear Jel®, a corn starch derivative, is a commercial thickening product used by bakeries and for frozen food. This product is used the same as flour or corn starch. There are two types of Clear Jel® available, “instant” and “regular”. “Instant” does not require heat to thicken. The product will thicken once the liquid is added. “Regular”, on the other hand, must be heated. This is generally the preferred type to use in products to be canned. To use Clear Jel® in a hot dish such as gravy, first mix a small amount in warm water, then add gradually to the hot liquid, mixing constantly. Or, mix everything together while cold, and then heat and stir to thicken. Pies and fillings which have been prepared with Clear Jel® and frozen need to be cooked or baked before serving. If the fillings become “thin” during baking, increase the oven temperature, and shorten the baking time to prevent what is called “oven boil out”. This usually is caused by excessive baking at a temperature too low. Advantages: • It is clear in color when cooked. • It has excellent stability. • It remains smooth. • It prevents liquid separation and curdling after foods have been frozen. • Cream sauces, custard, and puddings may be frozen with excellent results. Advantages: • It is less expensive than pectin. • The amount of sugar may be adjusted without losing the jelling capacity. • Recipes may be doubled, tripled or halved. • The jam may be frozen or processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Hints: • Using Clear Jel® in making jams and jellies is not an exact science. Many factors influence the quality of the product. It is best to try a small batch and make adjustments before making larger batches. • Use pint or 1/2 pint jars. • Any fruit jam or jelly recipe may be used as long as the product is processed for 10 minutes or frozen. Substitute 7 tbsp of Clear Jel® for the pectin in cooked jams and jellies and 3-4 tbsp of Clear Jel® for the pectin in freezer jam recipes. • Clear Jel® does not dissolve easily in liquid. To help dissolve the product mix the Clear Jel® with a little sugar before adding to the fruit or juice. Problem solving: Jam is too stiff: To make softer, heat the product and add a little more juice or water, then reprocess. Jam is too thin: To make stiffer, heat the product and add more Clear Jel® mixed with a few tbsp of sugar and dissolved in 1/2 cup of the product.

Makes good homemade instant pudding

This is the type that does not need heat to thicken, but that does not mean you cannot heat it. As long as it's only cooked or baked once, it holds up just fine. You can use it for a glaze over fresh strawberry pie, or you can heat it on the stove in a sauce, or use it for baking a fruit pie. This is very handy for thickening all kinds of things. I used it in my dairy-free pumpkin pie this year which has always been a little loose until now. Since I use coconut cream (canned) and not sweetened condensed milk, there is more moisture in my pies. I prefer to only use 2 eggs to avoid an eggy taste. I added 2 tablespoons, and was able to make a pie firm enough to slice the way normal pumpkin pie is. It works when making cream pies too out of melted chocolate and coconut cream. I even tried some in a coconut-pecan frosting, to emulate the German's chocolate cake type. Since I avoid dairy, and the original recipes call for sweetened condensed milk and/or yolks, I just played around with adding some clear jel. I'd advise going lightly. My first attempt seemed fine when I dressed the cake, but turned a hint of rubbery the next day instead of "creamy." Simply cutting back by a teaspoon gave a more natural result. I intend to try this in making non-dairy ice cream too. I make the kinds with a custard base. Somewhere I got a recipe that calls for substituting corn starch in place of eggs. I have been using a recipe where I use both eggs and corn starch, but this next season, I am going to use clear jel in place of the regular corn starch.

I love cooking and prefer to use restaurant-quality products. This fits the bill