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Elderberry pie filling is the first thing I can once the berries are on in the summer! It is soooooo good.

Fresh elderberries (sambucus nigra) ain’t just for making elderberry syrup and medicinal purposes, okkkkkkaayyyyyy.  They is goooood eatin’!  There is just something about a good elderberry pie that really rounds out summer for me.  This year has been a real banger with my elderberry bushes and they have been cranking the berries out and oddly enough, the birds have been sharing and playing nice!  I think I’ve picked nearly 50 pounds this year which I’m amazingly thankful for.  

First up was to make a double batch of this elderberry pie filling to slap into a canning jar and then pack the pantry shelf with this summery goodness to enjoy later.  This is a delicious recipe that really brightens and brings out the lovely flavor of these wonderful wild berries.  While everyone else is obsessed with making the syrup for immune support during cold and flu season (which doesn’t actually seem to be a season anymore but a constant), I’m saying we slap that medicine in between two homemade pie crusts made with lard and enjoy it! :D  

I’m rather known for my pie recipes round these parts so nobody is surprised.  This is also my Dad’s favorite pie, so it’s nice having the filling on the shelf to surprise him with an elderberry pie for his birthday or some other special time when elderberries aren’t in season.

Harvesting Elderberries

Harvest only elderberries that are ripe and are dark purple/black in appearance.  I look for umbels that have been visited by the birds because they know what’s up.  A few green berries here and there won’t kill ya.  I cut the smaller clusters off the big umbel and fill a freezer bag with them as I work.  I then take them inside and pop them directly into my chest freezer to be dealt with later.  Could be tomorrow, could be in 2 weeks.  

By freezing the elderberries, it makes it easier to work with them and get them off the stems without having to use a fork and look like a crime scene to get the berries off.  When you remove the bags from the freezer, give them a really good shaking to shake the frozen berries off the stems.  Pour the contents of the bag into a bowl and pick the stems and any leaves and bugs out of the berries.  I then place the berries into a colander and give them a good wash, rinse, and drain.  

Any tiny stems left behind are getting cooked into the pie because I’m not that meticulous and again, it ain’t gonna kill me.  They cook to pretty tender and undetectable after canning.  I know, I know.  You’ll read that the stems of the elderberry plant are inedible and poisonous, but I’m telling you, not in small amounts and after cooking.  Now, if you’re crunching on raw stems as you pick the berries, you may find yourself running to the toilet with your cheeks clenched as your tail end erupts.

What On Earth is Clear Jel?!

Clear jel is the ApPrOvEd thickener for canning.  Some person that decided to lobby for their fancy cornstarch paid some people off to make this the only thickener recommended for canning to which a lot of folks take as a law meaning they can’t use anything else or they’ll die of botulism.  Clear jel is really just a processed cornstarch that produces a gel…. that is clear.  Cornstarch gets a bit cloudy after canning; same with thermflo.  

I recommend doing some research and finding what you’re comfortable with doing and using and go from there.  I will link a clear jel product I personally have used and recommend.  Be sure whatever thickener you do choose to use is COOK TYPE and not instant, as instant thickeners will…. instantly thicken and then become water again after the canning process completely negating what you did.  Ask me how I know… you know what, don’t ask.  It’s a sore spot and a hard lesson.  

Equipment You Might Want:

• ​Medium Stock Pot
• Pint or Quart Canning Jars
• Canning Lids & Screw Bands
• Steam Canner
• Water Bath Canning Pot

Ingredients

• 10 cups elderberries
• 2 cups raw unrefined sugar
• 2 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup cook type clear jel
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Let’s get to canning some elderberry pie filling!

Step 1:  Prep

​If you need help with processing the elderberries or what to do to get them off the stems, see part of the post above where I walk you through from picking to washing.

Rinse fresh berries under cool water and allow to drain thoroughly.

Measure out 10 cups of berries and set aside.

Step 2:  Cook

In a large pot, combine water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and clear jel.  Whisk together to combine.

Place pot over medium-high heat and heat to a gently simmer, whisking constantly.

Once mixture has thickened, add in lemon juice and continue whisking and cooking until the filling is to the thickness of your liking.  Remember, the filling will thicken further after the canning process, so I normally go to about a pudding thick consistency.

​Add elderberries to pot and gently fold in to combine.

Step 3:  Canning

Ladle hot pie filling into a prepared pint or quart jar to 1 1/2″ headspace.  REMEMBER to leave generous headspace with pie fillings as clear jel grows during canning.  Failure to leave extra headspace may result in siphoning (an unholy messssss), seal failure, and possibly even lids blowing off.  Pie fillings are the greatest to reprocess, so just leave the extra headspace and don’t be stupid and forget to like meeeeeee.

Wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean cloth.

Add lids and secure with a screw band.

Process pints and quart jars in a boiling water bath canner or steam canner for 30 minutes, adjusting process times for higher altitudes if needed.

Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and allow jars to cool in the canner for 10 minutes, then cock the lid off to allow some steam to escape for another 10 minutes before removing the lid and placing the jars on a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.  Allowing jars of pie filling to cool a bit slower really helps with the siphoning it likes to do!

Step 4:  Storing

Once jars are cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight.  Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures.

Shelf life is ’til you eat it.  Aim to use canned foods within 2 years for best flavor and nutritional value, but they will last far longer if needed. 

Step 5:  Preparing

Aside from pies, we like to use this pie filling in oatmeal, yogurt, cheesecake topping, and more!

To make a pie:  prepare homemade pie crust for a double crust pie.  Roll out and line a pie pan with the bottom crust.  For a general sized pie pan (9 inch or so), I use 1-2 quarts of this pie filling.  Dump the pie filling directly from the jar into the pie crust and smooth out evenly.  Top with a top crust and add some slits for venting steam (or do a fancy design like a lattice crust).  Bake the pie at 375 for about 45 minutes, or til crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.  Remove from the oven and cool.

Notes:

To use this as a fresh elderberry pie recipe, make the filling as instructed and then just dump it into your prepared pie crust and bake for about 45 minutes at 375F, til crust is golden brown and the pie filling is bubbling.  This will give you that old fashioned elderberry pie recipe you’ve been looking for!

Feel free to adjust the sugar to the right amount of sweetness for your taste.  I don’t have experience using sweetener substitutes in pie fillings, so I don’t have recommendations.

Use fresh fruit, not dried elderberries for this canning recipe. You will not get the same results using dried.

And that’s how you make and can your very own elderberry pie filling.

Old Fashioned Elderberry Pie Filling Canning Recipe

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Canning Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 pints

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

• Medium stock pot
• Pint or Quart Canning Jars
• Canning lids & screw bands
• steam canner
• Water bath canning pot

Ingredients

• 10 cups elderberries
• 2 cups raw unrefined sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cook type clear jel
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Rinse fresh berries under cool water and allow to drain thoroughly.
• Measure out 10 cups of berries and set aside.
• In a large pot, combine water, sugar, cinnamon, and clear jel.  Whisk together to combine.
• Place pot over medium-high heat and heat to a gently simmer, whisking constantly.
• Once mixture has thickened, add in lemon juice and continue whisking and cooking until the filling is to the thickness of your liking.  Remember, the filling will thicken further after the canning process, so I normally go to about a pudding thick consistency.
• Add elderberries to pot and gently fold in to combine.
• Ladle hot pie filling into a prepared pint or quart jar to 1 1/2" headspace.
• Wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean cloth.
• Add lids and secure with a screw band.
• Process pints and quart jars in a boiling water bath canner or steam canner for 30 minutes, adjusting process times for higher altitudes if needed.
• Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and allow jars to cool in the canner for 10 minutes, then cock the lid off to allow some steam to escape for another 10 minutes before removing the lid and placing the jars on a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.  Allowing jars of pie filling to cool a bit slower really helps with the siphoning it likes to do!
• Once jars are cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight.  Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Shelf life is 'til you eat it.  Aim to use canned foods within 2 years for best flavor and nutritional value, but they will last far longer if needed. 

Preparing

• Prepare homemade pie crust for a double crust pie.  Roll out and line a pie pan with the bottom crust.  For a general sized pie pan (9 inch or so), I use 1-2 quarts of this pie filling.  Dump the pie filling directly from the jar into the pie crust and smooth out evenly.  Top with a top crust and add some slits for venting steam (or do a fancy design like a lattice crust).  Bake the pie at 375 for about 45 minutes, or til crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.  Remove from the oven and cool.

Notes

Aside from pies, we like to use this pie filling in oatmeal, yogurt, cheesecake topping, and more!

To use this as a fresh elderberry pie recipe, make the filling as instructed and then just dump it into your prepared pie crust and bake for about 45 minutes at 375F, til crust is golden brown and the pie filling is bubbling.  This will give you that old fashioned elderberry pie recipe you’ve been looking for!

Feel free to adjust the sugar to the right amount of sweetness for your taste.  I don’t have experience using sweetener substitutes in pie fillings, so I don’t have recommendations.

Use fresh fruit, not dried elderberries for this canning recipe.