Canning Gooseberry Pie Filling

Canning gooseberry pie filling is a great way to preserve a bumper crop of gooseberries for year-round use.  Once you’ve canned your fill of gooseberry jelly and jam, try out this unique gooseberry canning recipe!

Gooseberries are a unique fruit with an equally unique flavor. Tartness and sweetness differ by variety, but no matter the type, nearly all make a wonderful pie filling. Employ this tasty pie filling in tarts, crumbles, cobblers, and pies, or atop puddings and creamy desserts for flavorful food pairings.

There are still more ways to use and preserve gooseberries when you have an abundance of fruit. Gooseberry jam is a unique treat to keep on hand to slather on scones and bread from spring to winter. 

Gooseberries can also be implemented in making cordials and fruit wines to store along your pantry shelves. But don’t forget to can gooseberries for all those additional culinary applications, like adding to muffins, baked goods, or savory dishes like pork and chicken. 

Ingredients for Canning Gooseberry Pie Filling

To make 1 quart of gooseberries pie filling, you will need the following ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups fresh or frozen gooseberries
• ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Clear Jel
• 1 cup cold water (or juice)
• 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

To yield a full 7 quart canner batch, the ingredients and measurements are as follows:

• 6 quarts fresh or frozen gooseberries
• 6 cups granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ cups Clear Jel
• 7 cups cold water (or juice)
• ½ cup bottled lemon juice

Choose gooseberries that are large and ripe, discarding any berries that are discolored or damaged. If using frozen gooseberries, use unsweetened, otherwise you’ll have to adjust your added sugar.

Also, be sure you have regular Clear Jel, not instant Clear Jel. You want the Clear Jel that only activates when heated for this canning recipe. 

Altering the Canning Recipe for Gooseberry Pie Filling

This is a tested canning recipe from Washington State University, but they do provide some options for changing it up to suit your tastes (without impacting canning safety).

The recipe is based on their recipe for canning blueberry pie filling, and that same base recipe can be used for the following fruits: Blackberry, Blueberry, Currant, Gooseberry, Huckleberry, Loganberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry.

That also means you can use a mix of any of those fruits together.  Gooseberry raspberry and gooseberry strawberry are particularly tasty, in my opinion.

You may wish to make a few adjustments to this recipe such as adding in additional spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, or substituting juice for water. Yet there are a few measurements you cannot change. 

For one, you cannot decrease the amount of lemon juice used in this recipe – doing so may affect canning safety. However, you may increase the amount of lemon juice for a more tart pie filling. 

In addition, you cannot increase the amount of Clear Jel used in this recipe, but you can decrease it for a looser pie filling. To try this method, decrease the Clear Jel amount to 3 to 4 tablespoons per jar.

Do not use other thickeners (flour, corn starch, etc.) when canning.  The only canning-approved pie filling thickener is cook-type Clear Jel.

How to Can Gooseberry Pie Filling

Initially, you should start by preparing jars, lids, and a water bath canner.

First, you’ll want to wash and drain your gooseberries, followed by removing the tops and tails. If using frozen gooseberries, set in a colander to thaw with a bowl placed underneath to collect the liquid. You can substitute some of the water in this recipe with this drained juice.

Now, you’ll want to blanch your gooseberries. Fill a pot with a few quarts of water and bring it to a boil. Blanch the gooseberries in batches, boiling them for about a minute before removing them and placing them in a covered pot or bowl to keep them warm.

The blanching process makes sure the gooseberries are cooked through (for canning safety), but it also drives off air in the fruits and prevents them from floating in the jars.  If you fail to blanch, or under-blanch them, they will float in the jars…ask me how I know…

Once all your berries have been blanched, you can begin making your pie filling. Combine the sugar and Clear Jel in a large pot and add in the cold water (or water-juice mixture). Stir to make sure that the Clear Jel has completely dissolved.

Set to medium-high heat and whisk or stir continually until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add in the lemon juice and boil for one minute more, continuing to stir. 

Remove from heat and fold in your drained, warm gooseberries. Immediately ladle into prepared canning jars, leaving 1-inch head space. De-bubble the jars as the mixture will be thick. Clean the rims of any lingering residue, apply 2-part canning lids, and process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes, increasing processing time for higher elevation.

To reduce the chances of siphoning, turn off the heat in your water bath canner once processing time is complete, allowing jars to sit for another 10 minutes. Remove with a jar lifter and place on a towel-covered countertop to cool.

Check seals after 12 to 24 hours. Refrigerate any unsealed jars for immediate use. 

Altitude Adjustments for Canning Gooseberry 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?

To make a more flavorful pie filling, you may wish to substitute some of the cold water for juice. You can extract some gooseberry juice from a batch of gooseberries to chill ahead of time as outlined in this gooseberry jelly recipe, or simply substitute an additional fruit juice like apple.

Try replacing ½ to ¼ of the water needed with fruit juice to give your pie filling a more robust flavor.

Using Gooseberry Pie Filling

Gooseberries are a delicious treat and pair well with a variety of desserts. Gooseberry pie is a classic dish that can be further embellished with the addition of clove, elderflower, or other fruits like apple and strawberry. 

These berries pair spectacularly well with cream. Try adding this pie filling to yogurt, ice cream dishes, or layered between a sponge cake and custard for a decadent trifle.

Yield: Makes 1 quart or 7 quarts, see notes

Canning Gooseberry Pie Filling

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Canning Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Canning gooseberry pie filling is a clever way to preserve this sumptuous fruit for year-round use. It's perfect for pies and tarts as well as topping other desserts.

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Ingredients

For a Single Quart:

• 3 ½ cups fresh or frozen gooseberries
• ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Clear Jel
• 1 cup cold water (or juice)
• 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

For a 7 Quart Canner Batch:

• 6 quarts fresh or frozen gooseberries
• 6 cups granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ cups Clear Jel
• 7 cups cold water (or juice)
• ½ cup bottled lemon juice

Instructions

1. Prepare lids, jars and water bath canner.
2. Wash and drain gooseberries, topping and tailing the ends with scissors. If using frozen gooseberries, place in a colander to thaw and collect the liquid to substitute for cold water later when making your pie filling.
3. Blanch the berries – fill a large pot with a few quarts of water. Once boiling, cook berries for one minute, drain, and place in a covered dish to keep warm
4. Next, begin the pie filling mixture. Combine sugar and Clear Jel in a large pot. Add in the cold water (or cold juice and water). Stir to completely dissolve the Clear Jel.
5. Once Clear Jel has completely dissolved, set heat to medium-high and stir or whisk the mixture as it begins to thicken. 
6. When the mixture begins to bubble, add the lemon juice, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
7. Remove from heat and fold in your warm, drained gooseberries. 
8. Immediately ladle into prepared canning jars, de-bubbling the mixture, and leaving 1 inch headspace. Apply 2-part canning lids and process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes, adjusting for your altitude.
9. Once processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit for another 10 minutes. This will reduce the chance of siphoning. Remove with a jar lifter and place atop a towel to cool.
10. Check the seals after 12 to 24 hours. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator to be used promptly. Properly canned and sealed pie filling will maintain peak quality for 12 months. Refrigerate jars after opening.

Notes

Notes

These are the altitude adjustments for pints and quarts:

• 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

The measurements have been given for both a single quart and a full 7 quart canner batch. To yield any quantity in between, simply multiply the one quart recipe to achieve the desired number of quarts.

Home-Canned Pie Fillings

Looking for more recipes for home-canning pie filling?

• Canning Apple Pie Filling
• Canning Blackberry Pie Filling
• Canning Peach Pie Filling
• Canning Cherry Pie Filling

Fruit Canning Recipes

Gooseberries aren’t the only fruit you’ll want to stock up on this year! I have plenty more fruit canning recipes to keep you occupied!

• Canning Peaches
• Canning Blackberries
• Canning Plums
• Canning Blueberries
• Canning Cherries