Amish Corn Flour Jam Basics

Name: Traditional Low-Sugar Corn Flour Jam (Clear Jel)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 7 quarts
Cuisine: Amish
Ingredients: 7 quarts (28 cups) fresh fruit, chopped or mashed; 2 to 3 cups sugar, adjusted to taste; 1 cup lemon or lime juice; 1 1/3 cups corn flour (waxy maize cornstarch, such as Clear Jel); 1 1/3 cups cold water

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 23:36:32 -0600

Let the Fruit Shine!

Corn flour jam is an old-fashioned Amish jam recipe that creates a smooth, soft fruit spread without relying on commercial pectin. Unlike traditional homemade jams that depend on large amounts of sugar to gel, this recipe thickens with corn flour (cornstarch for our "English" readers), allowing the natural flavor of the fruit to shine. It spreads easily, even when cold, and works with almost any fresh or frozen fruit.

On our farm, we grow waxy maize and grind it into corn flour for making jams and other recipes. Most readers won't have access to waxy maize, so the closest commercial product is Clear Jel®, a modified waxy cornstarch commonly sold for home canning. It provides the same smooth, glossy texture we've relied on in Amish kitchens for generations.

If you're looking for a no-pectin jam recipe, a lower-sugar homemade fruit spread, or a traditional Amish way to preserve fruit, this family recipe lets the fruit—not the sugar—be the star.

Ingredients

7 quarts/28 cups of Fruit (chopped or mashed; use food processor if you have one)
2 - 3 cups Sugar (sweeten to your taste)
1 cup Lemon/Lime Juice (depends on the fruit, makes most taste better)
1 ⅓ cup Corn Flour (This cornstarch not corn meal) The best cornstarch for this is wax base cornstarch called Clear Jel. You can get it off Amazon or from Amish stores.
1 ⅓ cup Cold Water
7 quarts/14 pints/28 half pints/56 quarter pints.

Instructions

Put the fruit, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for about 10–15 minutes until the fruit is soft and has released its juices. You may need to add some water. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the mix until it coats your spoon without running.

In a small cup, mix the corn flour and cold water until it looks like smooth milk.

Bring the mix back up to a boil and slowly pour in the corn flour mixture. Let the jam boil for one full minute while stirring. Lower temp and simmer for up to 5 minutes. You will see the jam turn glossy and thick. Remove from heat. Pour into clean jars, wipe rim, add flats with rings.

This old-fashioned recipe has been passed through my family’s Amish heritage. — Blossom Frey

Canning

Water bath (WB) or Steam bath (SB) 25 min + plus altitude adjustment

📌 Modern water bath recommendations for jams are often 5–10 minutes depending on altitude, acidity, and recipe style. Many modern recipes rely on higher acid levels and large amounts of sugar or commercial pectin for preservation. Traditional Amish and homestead kitchens commonly processed jams longer — often around 25 minutes — using older preservation methods and less pectin, lemon juice and sugar.

Looking for More Canning Times?

My Canning Times & Altitude Guide is a handy kitchen reference that includes hundreds of water bath, steam bath, and pressure canning processing times, plus easy altitude adjustment charts and step-by-step instructions for determining the correct processing time based on your elevation. It's the same guide I keep in my own kitchen when preserving food throughout the year.