Cooking with Clear Jel and Ultra Gel

When I first starting looking at Clear Jel, I was interested in canning fruit pie fillings.  There is a lot of confusing information out there.  I can purchase it readily at the Amish stores in Iowa, and I bought a little instant and cook-type to experiment with.  I was interested in using the cook-type in gravy as well.

So, how do I use these products?  I use the cook-type regular Clear Jel for canning and freezing.  I also use it for gravies and sauces, especially for meals I want to freeze.  I really don’t use the instant-type Clear Jel.

Myrna uses Ultra Gel for cooking as it is gluten-free.  It also mixes in with much less lumping.  You can add it to the hot liquid immediately.  The cook-type clear jel needs to be mixed with sugar in the recipe or added to cold liquid.  Have your whisk handy for any of these products to prevent lumps.

I also have some Ultra Gel on hand, but it is quite a bit more expensive.  Last month I purchased Cook-type Clear Jel for $3.39 a pound and Ultra Gel for $7.59 a pound at the Dutchman’s in Cantril, Iowa.  The best thing about the Ultra Gel is that I can add it at the last minute if my product isn’t thick enough to suit me.

Conversion Ratios:

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch = 1 ½ Tablespoon Ultra or Clear Jel         

1 Tablespoon Flour/Tapioca = 1 Tablespoon Ultra or Clear Jel

Here is more information from Frank Wideman, a Missouri extension expert.

“The jels are thickening agents for home food preparation based on corn starch. Cook type ClearJel must be heated or cooked in the liquid that you are wanting to thicken. Ultra Gel is an instant product for use in hot or cold food liquids. Clear Jel is derived from cornstarch. It tolerates higher temperatures and works well with all types of ingredients including acidic ones. Use as a thickener in pies, stews, sauces, gravies and pudding.

Ultra Gel is a brand name for a instant corn starch derived thickener. Here is its advertised claims.

"Ultra Gel is a gluten-free, non-GMO cornstarch that can be added directed to any liquid, hot or cold, for instant thickening. Ultra Gel can be used in baked applications to keep breads and cookies soft, or to add body to low calorie sauces and salad dressings. Products made with Ultra Gel can be refrigerated, canned or frozen without weeping, thinning, or breaking down. Since Ultra Gel is resistant to lumping and adds no flavor of its own, the delicate flavors of herbs and seasonings are preserved and there is no starchy after taste."

So there are two kinds of Clear Jel. One is Regular(often labeled “cook type”) and the other is Instant (labeled as such). For something like pie fillings, you want to use the Regular Clear Jel. If you are doing fresh pies or want to thicken other items like gravies or such, the Instant version or something like the Ultra Gel (a form of instant) you are seeing in stores works great. However, Instant clear jels are not recommended for canning processes because they tend to break down (not gel sufficiently) during the long processing times.

Cook type Clear Jel can be used for canned fruit pie fillings because it does not break down in the acid food mixtures and does not thicken enough during heat processing to interfere with the intended effect of the heat on killing bacteria during canning. It is preferred for thickening canned pie fillings as well as other foods over other corn starches because it has less or no aftertaste, the thickened juices are smooth and clear, and foods thickened with Clear Jel may be frozen.