Canning currant pie filling is a reliable way to ensure those tasty currant flavors linger in your home all year long. Don’t just enjoy currants in the summer months!
Our backyard currants are so prolific, and I’m always looking for new ways to preserve them. We grow black, red, and white currants, and all of them come ripe at the same time each summer.
This year, I tried my hand at canning currant pie filling, and it’s surprisingly delicious. The USDA has a tested recipe for canning currant pie filling, and their instructions have you follow the recipe for canning blueberry pie filling, so that’s what I’ve done here.
Currant pie filling isn’t just for pies and cobblers, it can be used to top ice cream, yogurt, or even breakfast delights like waffles and french toast!
These berries come in both red and black varieties and are delicious when made into preserves. Red currants are bright and tart and lovely when added to cobblers and baked goods or made into red currant jam.
Black currants have a variety of uses from being sprinkled into scones and muffins to being added to savory dishes like duck and venison. Besides black currant jam, they can be used to make black currant gin, black currant liqueur, or even black currant mead.
Among these delights, you’ll likely want to keep a few cans of currant pie filling so this bright berry can be enjoyed throughout the dark winter months as well.
Ingredients for Canning Currant Pie Filling
The ingredients have been given for both a 1-quart yield and a 7-quart yield. It is recommended you start with 1 quart to ensure any sugar and spices added are in the desired proportion. To make a larger batch, multiply the 1-quart recipe to achieve the desired number of quarts.
To yield 1 quart of currant pie filling, you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups fresh currants (or frozen currants)
- ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Clear Jel
- 1 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
To yield a full 7-quart canner batch, the ingredients, and measurements are as follows:
- 6 quarts fresh currants (or frozen currants)
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups Clear Jel
- 7 cups cold water
- ½ cup bottled lemon juice
This recipe can be used for either black currants or red currants. Both are sour, but black currants are slightly sweeter and muskier, while red currants have a more straightforward tart flavor. Look for currants that are firm and shiny and preferably still attached to the stem.
This recipe is also intended to be used with Clear Jel and bottled lemon juice. Substitutions are not recommended. Household starches other than Clear Jel can break down over time in the storage process. Clear Jel comes in two varieties (regular and instant). Be sure to use regular Clear Jel which only activates when heated, not instant.
Additionally, bottled lemon juice is preferable to fresh, as bottled lemon juice has a consistent and regulated acidity, ensuring canning safety. The acidity of fresh lemons can vary and be less reliable.
Altering the Canning Recipe for Currant Pie Filling
A few alterations to this recipe can be made without compromising the quality or safety of your canned pie filling.
There are two ingredients, however, that cannot be altered. You cannot lessen the amount of lemon juice used in this recipe – doing so can alter the safety of your canned goods. If desired, you may increase the lemon juice for a more tart pie filling.
Additionally, you cannot increase the amount of Clear Jel used in this recipe, although you can decrease it slightly for a looser pie filling. Simply adjust to 3 to 4 tablespoons per jar.
Some other additions to this recipe include using juice in place of cold water when creating your pie filling. You can either extract currant juice or add a complementary juice such as apple or cranberry. A mix of water and ½ to ¼ mixture juice will work perfectly well.
Additionally, some recipes recommend the addition of a ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
You can also mix in other fruits that follow the blueberry pie filling canning recipe template. Those include: Blackberry, Black Raspberry, Blueberry, Gooseberry, Huckleberry, Loganberry, and Red Raspberry.
Home Canned Pie fillings. From left to right: Blackcurrant, Gooseberry, and Black Raspberry.
How to Can Currant Pie Filling
Be sure to prepare lids, jars and a waterbath canner before beginning your pie filling.
Begin by washing and de-stemming your currants. Discard any currants that aren’t fresh and firm.
If using frozen currants, thaw in a colander with a bowl placed underneath – you can chill this collected liquid and use it in your pie filling mixture later. Simply measure the amount of collected juice and add the appropriate amount of cold water to achieve the correct measurement.
Next, you’ll need to blanch the berries for a minute. To do so, add berries in small batches to a few quarts of boiling water. Allow the berries to boil on medium-high heat for a full minute and then drain or remove with a slotted spoon, placing the hot berries in a covered pot or dish to keep them warm.
Now, you’ll begin your Clear Jel mixture. Combine sugar and Clear Jel in a large pot. Next, add in your cold water (or water/fruit juice mixture) and whisk to dissolve the Clear Jel. Don’t skip this! You want the Clear Jel to dissolve entirely before moving on to the next step.
After the Clear Jel and sugar have dissolved in the cold water, set to medium-high heat, stirring or whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Once bubbling, add in your lemon juice. Cook for an additional minute.
Remove from heat and fold in your drained, blanched currants. Immediately ladle the hot mixture into prepared canning jars, being sure to de-bubble and leave 1 inch headspace. Clean rims of any lingering residue to ensure a tight seal and apply 2-part canning lids.
Process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes, adjusting time for altitude.
To reduce the risk of siphoning, turn off your water bath canner after the full processing time has passed and allow jars to sit for another 10 minutes. Remove with a jar lifter and place on the countertop atop a towel.
Check seals after 12 to 24 hours.
Altitude Adjustments for Canning Currant Pie Filling
Altitude adjustments are as follows:
- 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation: 30 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 Feet in Elevation: 35 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 40 minutes
- Above 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 45 minutes
Juice or Water for Canning Liquid?
If you’ve found yourself up to your elbows in currants, you may wish to use some of these berries to extract juice from. This juice, when chilled, can be used in place of some of the water in the recipe to create a more flavorful pie filling.
Simply follow the steps outlined in either this red currant jelly or black currant jelly article. You’ll simmer and mash the berries stove top, then strain them through cheesecloth or a jelly bag.
Just be sure to extract this juice ahead of time and chill it. The liquid needs to be cold for the Clear Jel mixture to work.
You can also use a countertop juicer or bottled juice. Be aware that adding apple or other berry juices will alter the flavor of your pie filling, making it less of a pure currant flavor and more of a hybrid taste.
Using Currant Pie Filling
Currant pie filling can be added to a variety of pies from raspberry pies to apple cranberry pies. Yet pies aren’t your only option for this berry-laden filling.
Add to cakes for a fruity filling or use with stale bread to make a bread pudding. Feeling especially precocious? Try this meringue-topped delight made from brioche crumbs, lemon zest, and vanilla, by merely subbing pie filling for compote.
Too much work? Simply spoon over sliced shortbread or sponge cake with a dollop of ice cream. Pure perfection!
Canning Currant Pie Filling
Canning currant pie filling is a reliable way to ensure those tasty currant flavors linger in your home all year long.
Ingredients
For a Single Quart:
- 3 ½ cups fresh currants (or frozen currants)
- ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. Clear Jel
- 1 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
For a 7 Quart Canner Batch:
- 6 quarts fresh currants (or frozen currants)
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups Clear Jel
- 7 cups cold water
- ½ cup bottled lemon juice
Instructions
- First, prepare lids, jars, and a water bath canner.
- Wash, drain, and destem your currants. If frozen, thaw in a colander, placing a bowl below to collect the juice.
- Bring a few quarts to a boil so you can blanch the berries. Working in batches, add the currants to boiling water and boil for one minute. Remove and place in a covered pot or bowl to keep warm.
- Next, combine Clear Jel and sugar in a large pot. Add the cold water (or chilled juice and water) to this mixture and whisk to dissolve. You must completely dissolve the Clear Jel before moving to the next step.
- Once dissolved, heat on medium-high heat, whisking or stirring continually as the mixture thickens. Once bubbling, add the lemon juice and cook for an additional minute.
- Remove from heat and fold in your drained, blanched currants.
- Immediately ladle into prepared canning jars, being sure to de-bubble the thick mixture and allow 1 inch headspace.
- Clean the rims of any lingering residue and apply 2-part canning lids.
- Process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
- Once the full processing time has passed, turn off the heat and allow jars to sit for another 10 minutes in the water bath canner. This will reduce the chance of siphoning.
- Remove with a jar lifter, placing on a towel to cool. Allow to rest 12 to 24 hours before checking the seals. Move any unsealed jars to the refrigerator for immediate use.
- Jars of currant pie filling that are properly stored and sealed will maintain peak quality for 12 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
Measurements have been given for both a 1 quart yield and 7 quart yield. Looking for something in between? Simply multiply 1 quart batch to achieve desired quantity.
Be sure to completely dissolve the Clear Jel in cold water before heating the liquid. Skipping this step will result in the Clear Jel clumping and the mixture becoming unusable.
Altitude adjustments for canning are as follows:
- 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation: 30 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 Feet in Elevation: 35 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 40 minutes
- Above 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 45 minutes
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