Clear Jel - or Gel, is a modified corn starch used for thickening. It comes in two forms, cook and non-cook, and you pick what you prefer according to how it will be used. The cook form is added to liquids already at boiling temperature, the non-cook form is added either after cooking, or in the case of a cold prep, it doesn't have to be heated at all to thicken. It's the only thickener approved for use in canning, and it will hold up to processing without breaking down. It's great to use with pies, because it won't cloud up the filling. You can use it to make fillings ahead of time as well, let them cool, and then make the pie later without worrying about it breaking down. The non-cook product is great for things like refrigerator pies, and stabilizing whipping cream so it holds up longer.
Interesting, thanks. Amazing the things they're using corn for nowadays- I've even seen an herbicide with "corn gluten" (not really gluten, but a corn product) as the active ingredient.
I've made a 9 inch no bake cream cheese pie by using 2 tablespoons of instant Clear Gel, and that works just fine. Just be sure to mix it with the sugar first, and then beat it into the cream cheese, so it is distributed evenly. The amount of gelatin in those envelopes can tend to vary slightly from package to package, so I can't tell you an exact ratio to substitute.
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