This easy hot pack method for canning raspberry pie filling is the perfect way to preserve your Summer raspberries (or frozen ones). Whether it's your first time or you're a seasoned pro, you'll love this simple water bath canning recipe for its detailed instructions and fresh taste.
To make things even better you get 8 recipes in one - since you can substitute the raspberries for blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, loganberries, currants, huckleberries, or even gooseberries.
Whether you're new to canning or you've been doing it for decades, you're going to love this easy recipe for canning raspberry pie filling.
Made with just 5 simple ingredients, this is the perfect way to preserve a smaller amount of fruit, and makes for an easy grab-and-go dessert long after the berry season has ended.
Why Make Your Own Pie Filling?
- It's easy. Most fruit pie filling recipes call for just a few simple ingredients, and a little work now means big rewards later.
- Perfect for Winter storage. There is nothing better than pulling out a jar of this red raspberry pie filling in the middle of Winter when everything is beige.
- Great way to preserve fruit. If you have an abundance of fruit from your own garden or a U-pick, this can be a fun and creative way to preserve some of that for later.
- Versatile. You're not limited to just pie. Use your canned raspberry pie filling in crisps, cobblers, cheesecakes, homemade pop tarts, and more! It's also delicious with homemade yogurt.
You Will Need:
- Raspberries: These can be fresh OR frozen. I actually prefer frozen berries for this recipe for several reasons. The first is that they are generally more affordable at the grocery store, so unless you're growing your own, this tends to be the best option. Another is that they are frozen at peak ripeness and tend to have a deeper red color. This reduces the needed for added coloring, which is always a win in my book.
- Sugar: You'll want to use either regular white granulated sugar or organic sugar for this recipe. Since it's a canning recipe, you cannot make substitutions (like honey, maple syrup, or sweeteners) without compromising the safety of the finished product.
- Instant Clear Jel (cook-type): ClearJel is a type of modified food starch that is tested and safe for canning recipes. It helps to thicken foods, while still making them penetrable by heat. Do not substitute this for corn starch or flour - these ingredients are not safe for canning. You can reduce the amount of Clear jel by about 1-2 tablespoons if you prefer a looser set pie filling.
- Lemon juice: Use bottled lemon juice instead of freshly squeezed. Bottled lemon juice has to meet certain criteria for acidity, while freshly squeezed juice varies in acidity. Acidity is an important component of safe canning.
- Water: If you have leftover liquid from straining the raspberries, you can use that in place of some of the water. Use cold water for your recipe.
Equipment
- Water bath canner
- Canning jars, lids, and rings (I recommend wide-mouth pints, but regular-mouth can be used without issue)
- Large pot
- Wide-mouth funnel
- Ladle
- Kitchen towel
- Canning tools
- Jar lifter
- Magnetic lid lifter
- Headspace checker
- Debubbling tool/chop stick/butter knife
Before You Get Started: Canning Prep
- Wash all the jars, lids, rings, and canning equipment with hot, soapy water. Rinse well.
- Fill the water bath canner with water and bring to a boil.
- Add the canning jars to the boiling water and sterilize for at least 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and allow the jars to rest in the hot water until you're ready to use them.
- Sterilize the rings (optional) in boiling water for 5. Then lower the heat and allow to rest in hot water until needed.
- Warm the canning lids in hot water (not boiling) until needed. I recommend adding them to the pot you used to sterilize the rings, only after the boiling time is up.
Home Canning Raspberry Pie Filling
- Prepare your raspberries. If you're using fresh raspberries, you can simply wash and measure them into a large bowl. If using frozen raspberries, thaw them first (using a sieve or slotted spoon), then strain and reserve any liquid for the canning process.
- Whisk together the ClearJel and sugar, then add it to a large heavy-bottomed pot (or Dutch oven), along with the water (and reserved raspberry liquid - if using).
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly to prevent clumping.
- Once a boil is reached, add the lemon juice and stir well to combine. Return to a boil, then cook for 1 minute, whisking often to prevent sticking.
- After the mixture has cooked for 1 additional minute, remove it from the heat.
- Add in the raspberries, and fold them in gently until they are well incorporated.
Processing the Jars
- Remove the hot jars from the canner, and fit one with a wide-mouth canning funnel. Ladle in the hot pie filling, leaving a 1 inch headspace (generous; up to 1 ½ inches for a regular-mouth jar). Use a debubbling tool (or clean chopstick/butter knife) to remove any air bubbles. Adjust the headspace as needed.
- Wipe rims of the jars with a damp paper towel (or a clean kitchen towel). Use the magnetic lid lifter to place a lid on the jar, then secure a canning ring just until fingertip tight.
- Place the filled jar in the water bath canner, and repeat until all of the jars are filled. Once all of the jars are filled, place the lid on the canner and bring it to a full boil over high heat.
- As soon as a boil is reached, you can start your processing time. Process the jars for 30 minutes (or adjust according to your altitude - see the recipe card for notes).
Once the processing time is up:
- Turn off the heat.
- Remove the canner from the heat source, and leave the lid on.
- Allow the canner to rest (with the jars inside) for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, then carefully remove the jars using a jar lifter.
- Place the jars on a thick kitchen towel (or a wire rack). Leave them in a place where they can go undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Check the seals. As the jars seal you will hear a loud POP and the center will indent slightly. Most of the jars will seal in the first 1-2 hours, but some may take longer.
- Tip: a good way to check for a proper seal is to remove the canning ring and lift the jar up by the metal lid.
What if the Jars don't seal?
- If any of your jars fail to seal, it may be for a variety of reasons (inadequate headspace, imperfections around the rim of the glass jar, imperfections in the lid seal, etc).
- It's very common to have a failed seal occasionally, so as long as the vast majority of your jars sealed you can be fairly sure you did everything correctly.
- Jars that did not seal do not need to go to waste. Transfer them to the fridge, where they can be stored for up to a week.
Storing Canned Food
- The USDA states that home-canned food (with a true seal) is good for at least 1 year, while most jar manufacturers say the seal is good for at least 18 months.
- Many experienced canners maintain that canned foods are good for many years, but the quality will begin to degrade after 1 year.
- Keep in a cool, dark place (like a basement) for the best results.
- Never store your home-canned goods with the outer ring in place, and discard if the seal is compromised or there is any off smell or growth in the jar.
- ALWAYS inspect your canned foods for signs of spoilage and for a secure seal before consuming. Lift the jar up by the lid; if the lid falls off - discard immediately as the seal has been compromised.
Ways to Use Raspberry Pie Filling
- Added to your favorite pie crust (no need for a raspberry pie recipe - just pour and bake!)
- As a base for fruit cobbler
- To make raspberry crisp
- As a cheesecake topping
- Added to ice cream
- For making hand pies
- Homemade pop tart filling
- As a crepe filling
- Spooned on top of yogurt (try my easy Instant Pot Yogurt recipe!)
Can I Use Different Fruits?
The following fruits can be use in this fruit pie filling recipe, so long as they are substituted for the same quantities.
- Blackberry
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
- Loganberry
- Huckleberry
- Gooseberry
- Currant
- Raspberry (black or red)
Source: Let's Preserve Fruit Pie Fillings - Washington State Extension
Recipe FAQs
If desired, you can reduce the amount of sugar used. Keep in mind that the sugar is spread out over 5 jars, and so the amount per serving may be more modest than you would expect. Home canned goods that use the full amount of sugar called for tend to store longer and keep their color better.
ClearJel is a type of cooking starch that has been tested and approved for canning. It cannot be substituted with cornstarch or flour, as both of those ingredients are not approved for safe canning. ClearJel thickens the food, while still allowing the heat to penetrate the contents of the jar. Flour and cornstarch do not, and should never be used in place of ClearJel in canning recipes.
If you prefer to use black raspberries (or even blackberries) instead of red raspberries in this recipe, you absolutely may do so. The Washington State Extension's information on fruit pie fillings allows for the following fruits to be substituted using the same recipe and quantities listed: blackberry, blueberry, currant, gooseberry, huckleberry, loganberry, raspberry, and strawberry.
Since canned pie filling has already been cooked, it does not need to be baked in order to be safe to consume. You can serve it cold (like on ice cream), or baked in a homemade pie, crisp, or cobbler - the choice is yours!
Home canned food is considered good for at least one year, as long as the jar is sealed tightly and there are no signs of spoilage (failed seal, bulging lid, growth, mold, smell, changes in appearance, etc).
Many canners store and enjoy their food for several years, but note that the quality will begin to degrade after 1 year. You should do whatever you're comfortable with based on your own research and consulting food preservation authorities like the NCHFP and canning jar manufacturers like Ball, Kerr, and Bernardin.
When canning you should never reduce the amount of lemon juice a recipe calls for. This provides acidity, which is one of the factors when considering the safety of a canned food product. You should also be sure to use bottled lemon juice (versus freshly squeezed), as it has a consistent acidity that has been tested with canning recipes via the NCHFP.
High Altitude Adjustments
If you're canning at a high altitude, you are probably aware that you need to adjust water bath canning times according to your elevation.
Here are the processing times based on elevation:
- >1,001 feet: 30 minutes
- 1,001-3,000 feet: 35 minutes
- 3,001-6,000 feet: 40 minutes
- 6,001-8,000 feet: 45 minutes
- 8,001-10,000 feet: 50 minutes
If you loved this recipe for canning raspberry pie filling, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @littlehomeinthemaking.
📖 Recipe
Canning Raspberry Pie Filling
Equipment
- Canning jars lids, and rings (pints (500ml); wide mouth preferred)
- Headspace checker and de-bubbler
- Wide mouth funnel
- Whisk
- Thick kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 cup ClearJel cook type, scant
- 3 cups cool water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice bottled
- 10 ½ cups raspberries fresh or frozen* (thawed if frozen)
Instructions
- Prepare equipment. Wash all canning supplies, jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water. Sterilize if needed.
- Prepare the jars and lids. Fill the canner about ⅔ of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add 6 pint jars (500ml) and bring to a boil, holding the boil for at least 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in the canner until needed. Add the jar lids to a pot of gently simmering water and keep warm over low heat during the canning process.
- Once the jars have been sterilized, add the sugar and ClearJel to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk well, then add in the water and whisk until smooth. If needed, add coloring*** to help improve the appearance of the finished pie filling.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure to stir constantly (it’s very important that you watch this carefully and whisk/stir throughout the process).
- Once a boil is reached, add the lemon juice and whisk well. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the raspberries, folding them in gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
- Increase the heat to medium-high heat and bring to a boil once again, gently stirring the raspberries to prevent clumping or scorching.
- Once a boil is reached, remove from the heat.
- Remove a jar from the hot water (empty any water remaining in the jar) and turn the heat back to “high” to begin the boiling process for the canner once again.
- Fit the jar with a canning funnel, and ladle the pie filling into the jar, leaving a generous 1” headspace (up to 1 ½ inches if using a regular mouth jar****). Remove any air bubbles with a clean butter knife or debubbler tool. Adjust headspace if necessary.
- Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp kitchen towel (or paper towels). Using a magnetic lid lifter, center a warm lid on the jar, then secure a canning ring until it is fingertip tight.
- Place the filled jar in the canner, then repeat with the remaining jars until all of the pie filling has been used up. You should get 5-6 pints.
- Place the lid on the canner and bring it back up to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Once a boil has been reached, process for 30 minutes.
- When the 30 minutes are up, turn off the heat and remove the canner from the element. Remove the lid, and wait 5 minutes.
- After the 5 minutes are up, remove the jars with a jar lifter and place them on a thick kitchen towel. Leave them completely undisturbed for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, check the seals and remove the canning rings. Wipe down the jars and label them. Any jars that have not been sealed should be moved to the fridge to be eaten right away.
Notes
- 1,001-3,000 feet: 35 minutes
- 3,001-6,000 feet: 40 minutes
- 6,001-8,000 feet: 45 minutes
- 8,001-10,000 feet: 50 minutes
Nutrition
The majority of the canning recipes here at Little Home in the Making are adapted from tested recipes from the USDA, National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), and other trusted sources. Check the recipe card for listed sources and relevant links.
Please note that some of my blog posts here at Little Home in the Making may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. See our disclaimer for more information.
