Thanks!

You may remember that I made jars of various preserves, etc. for my friend's wedding a couple of years ago (this is the friend who love chocolate, and really appreciates home canned things!).

I really liked that idea, and was thinking I would do the same for my own wedding, but so many people are flying here from out of town --- our families are far-flung --- and I found out (the hard way!) that a mason jar of jam is NOT allowed on carry-on airline luggage in this day and age, so it seemed not a kind thing to give them out!! So I am glad I got to do it for her.

Now my worry is that all the wedding stuff in the early fall (it's in September) will intefere with the tomato harvest! I may have to have U-pick tomatoes for favours....

;-)

Zabby

Zabby

I'll bet unsweetened chocolate is very low in fat and definitely a Sure-Jell recipe isn't anything to worry about.

I do have to say, though, I don't worry about Ferber's recipes either, even though she follows the European practice and doesn't BWB. I just can't imagine much of a problem, other than the scant possibility of mold. Hers would be definitely be lower in sugar and I assume more intensely flavored.

I've gotten fairly good at locating items in GardenWeb threads using their native search engine, but really Google is so much easier I don't know why I bother. (Except for the challenge, LOL.)

Carol

I'm glad you figured it out. I like the ferber recipe better and it has the added advantage of not using pectin. I did reduce the chocolate in her recipe a bit to keep the proportions in line with the sure-jell recipe. It is good stuff. Try it in a crepe sometime!

Zabby, those carry on rules changed my plans last christmas. I ended up mailing all the jars that I normally would have carried in my luggage.

Just a suggestion. Ever make a totally chocolate cake? If so, spread apricot preserves on the layers prior to frosting. Unbelieveable combination!

Zabby, I've not made that jam yet, but I'm going to, I was gifted a jar by (I think) RobinKate, who I miss around here. I'll have to email her and see how she's doing!

My true reason for logging onto this thread, though, was to tell you congratulations on the upcoming wedding and I'm wishing you lots of happily ever after.

Virtual hugs to the beautiful bride.

Annie

Annie, you're absolutely on target with both. I miss RobinKate too and a lot of others who've gone missing lately.

And Zabby, my very best on your upcoming wedding. A virtual toast to the bride!

Carol

I have made this before too- but a slightly different receipe using unsweetened coco powder. I got it from one of the following canning books (I just can't remember which one right now) Small Batch Preserving or the Complete Ball Book of canning- the big one.

and you are right- it is totally yum-o!

bluejean in ohio

I made the cherry chocolate preserves that Melly posted. It uses cocoa. And, truth be told, not that much for the amount of sugar and cherries called for. I was really surprised how little cocoa there is in the recipe...but it works..really well! It's wonderful!

HEy, guess what, this stuff seems to have set after alL! I know they alway say it's possible that sthg will set days or even weeks later if it doesn't at first, but I've only had it happen once before; usually if it's runny on day one, it stays runny! So I feel very lucky.

Oh, yeah, except for one half-cup jar, which still seems to be runny. Very weird. And the one that I didn't process but put right in the fridge. Maybe less weird.

margi,
I was so pleased with how a small amount of chocolate taste really worked well with those rasperries!

Annie and Carol, thanks for the good wishes. We had a lovely Jack & Jill pre-wedding party with all my old friends in Toronto tonight, and I brought the hosts a little basket of my garden harvest (sugar snap peas, purple snow peas, my first hot portugal pepepr and a nice deep green anaheim, a few precious early tomatoes, and three softball-sized zucchini, bwahaha!).

Zabby

Yes, cocoa will work well as it has no fat and will dissolve easy in a hot liquid.

Funny thing is I really didn't like the cherry preserves with the cocoa nearly as much as the ones with "just" amaretto.

OH, YEAH.... Runny chocolate raspberry jam on top of vanilla ice cream! MMMMMMM

I made the confiture version yesterday. It's so yummy! I licked the pot and spoons like it was frosting. I want to use it over ice cream and cheesecake and maybe as a filling between cake layers. And it would be killer on a heated croissant.

I have a question that came from reading the old thread. Marcia had mentioned making raspberry vinegar with the raspberry pulp. I wanted to know the proportions of ingredients and how to make it. I have the pulp waiting patiently in the fridge til I find out!

Thanks,
Gwen

Sorry to bring this up after so long! But, I can't get to the linked old post, it appears to have been removed now. Can anyone PLEASE, PLEASE post the confiture recipe? I would love to try it! Boy, I can't wait to order my Mes Confitures book! (I think I have devised a plan!)

Thank you!
Becki

I was feeling a little lazy this morning, LOL, and not wanting to type in that recipe. Fortunately, I'd saved that 2005 thread to my computer.

Here's Melly's post of the Ferber recipe with her comments:

I'd like to try the Mes Confitures version. I'm planning to make it this week. She uses extra bittersweet chocolate and less sugar. After I weigh the the raspberries, I'll measure them and compare it to the ball recipe. I think I will cut the chocolate back to match the level used in the ball recipe. I'll use the bottled lemon juice instead of fresh also. Of course this recipe does not use pectin.
Raspberry with Chocolate
2 3/4 lbs (1.2 kg) raspberries, or 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg) net
3 1/2 cups (750g) sugar
Juice of one lemon
9 oz (250g) extra bittersweet chocolate (68% cocoa)

Pick over the raspberries. Omit rinsing them so as to keep their fragrance. Put the raspberries through a food mill (fine disk). In a preserving pan, mis the raspberry pulp with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring gently and skimming carefully. Add the chocolate, grated. Mix and then pour into a ceramic bowl. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.
Next day return the mixture to a boil. Continue cooking on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and skimming if needed. Return to a boil. Check the set. Put the jam into jars immediatedly and seal.

I kind of like this method. I use a 2 quart glass measuring cup for the overnight rest. Then I know how many jars to prep the next the day. I'm planning to use a half teaspoon of butter for the help with foaming also. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Carol

Oh, Thank you so much, Carol! And thank you Melly for originally posting it! I am so excited to try it! Ugh - I fogot to buy bittersweet chocolate! I have loads of white, semisweet and unsweetened, and meant to buy some bittersweet, and forgot! Guess it's good I'll be going back to town later today! Thanks, ladies!! Sounds SO yummy!!!
Becki

Carol, thanks for posting Melly's comments on the recipe. Somehow I didn't save that thread even though I made the recipe and loved it. When you have time, would you mind checking whether Melly made any additional comments later down the thread? I thought I remembered that she posted exactly how much chocolate she used, and maybe that she used a different type (70% cacao maybe?). I made it the way she described, and I'd like to do it again (and save it this time). Thanks in advance, and if you can't find it, don't worry.

Melissa

I checked my copy of the thread. (And I have to tell you my files are not nearly as "well-organized" as I thought they were.) Melly's comment was the last entry on the thread. If she came back on another thread with comments about a different chocolate I don't have a record of it.

I'm wondering if you're remembering this comment from a different member instead?

 Posted by melva02 z7 VA (My Page) on
Sun, Jul 30, 06 at 22:51

Here ya go Zabby. I made it the way Melly describes, but since I could only get 60% cocoa for the bittersweet chocolate, I used a 4-oz bar of that (Ghirardelli) and one ounce of unsweetened chocolate. It's delicious. I think I used a mix of red & black raspberries.

Melissa

(And Carol)

Laughing out loud, for real. Wow. Just goes to show that even when you're sure you remember something a certain way, you still might be wrong. Thanks so much for taking the time to find that. :-)

Melissa (saving the thread this time)

I thought you'd like that. I was amazed when it turned up.

Memory is very fallible. (And don't I know it!)

Carol

Carol,
I have a little notation in my book that I used 150g of chocolate. It was probably 70%. The 68% called for in the recipe is a little precise don't you think? (And not very common.) I liked using that amount. I thought the chocolate didn't dominate the raspberry. It had a nice level of tartness so that it didn't become cloyingly sweet like the surejell recipe can be.
Melly

Hi Melly,

Glad to see you on the Forum. You know, I've never tried that particular recipe, but I can't imagine 70% v.s. 68% would make any difference to those eating it.

Interesting that you cut back to 150g. I'm going to make a note of that. Personally I think for my taste your measure sounds better; otherwise I'd be afraid the raspberries would be lost in the mixture.

I have some good Callebaut bittersweet; now I just have to see what kind of berry harvest we have. It's been such a wet cold spring with terrible late freezes that berry and cherry crops are likely going to be much diminished.

Carol

I made chocolate black raspberry jam two years ago. It was really yummy! As per usual I cut the amount of sugar WAY down, also did not add a heck of a lot of chocolate. I adore chocolate, but wanted the raspberries to be the main flavor. I used baker's chocolate, bittersweet I think. I was sure I had the recipe written down someplace, but can't find it right now. I only gave that jam to people who are really special!

As for raspberry vinegar, really use any amount of pulp you happen to have. Heat vinegar (I always do at least a quart), and pour it over the raspberry pulp in a jar. Cover, let sit for a couple weeks. Strain. If it seems more raspberry than you wanted, just add some more plain vinegar.

Marcia

Now I'm thinking maybe I did read Melly's comment on another thread. Cutting back from 250 g to 150 g means using 60% of the original amount. My reduction from 9 oz to 5 oz means I used 55% of the original amount. If you didn't know there was chocolate in it, you might not notice on the first taste, but it's definitely there. Really delicious. In any case, thanks Carol and Melly for helping reconstruct the discussion from 2 years ago. I am all set to make it when raspberries come in next month. Carol, I really hope your berries turn out ok! My opinion that the world is basically good depends on Oregon having good berries, and on the dream of visiting someday.

Melissa

LOL Zabby ... I started reading this thread without noticing the original date and I was astonished ...
she's getting married again????? Wasn't it only last year that she grew the tomatoes for her wedding??? By the way, I don't recall if you made the choc-rasp jam for THAT wedding.

LOL, Zabby, so how's married life going since you just keep on getting married? (grin)

I ran off and did it myself, May 10. No gifts or favors at all, not even jam or salsa for the eleven people present. Well, thirteen if you count Elery and I!

I'm glad this thread popped back up, though, I never did try this jam and I meant to....

Melly, I'm happy to see you again!

Annie

Big congratulations, Annie!

I did try this jam - it was very yummy! Now that I have my own copy of Mes Confitures, I am trying LOTS of Ferber recipes! I LOVE them!!!

Becki

Congratulations Annie! Very exciting. I'm sure you'll be making plenty of salsa for the most important two at the wedding.

Melissa

Congratulations Annie!! I'm so happy for you. Let us know if you make the chocolate raspberry. I'd love to get your opinion.

Melly

Fun to see this thread pop up again! We just finished the last of this jam the other day. Man, is it good. Just that little hint of chocolate intensifying the raspberry flavour.

But berry season is now upon us again---picked two strawberries in my own teeny patch today and saw a few for sale at the farm stand---so it won't be long before I can replenish! (Sheesh, I haven't even made rhubarb jam yet.)

Kayskats, I'm happy to report that I have not had a second wedding; my first and only marriage is still intact, as is my wonderful DH. ;-) We did serve the chocolate raspberry jam as one of several offerings at the Sunday brunch drop-in the day after the wedding. Though IIRC we put the jams away as soon as the croissants were gone because they were attracting yellowjackets like crazy!

And Annie, my dear, congratulations!!! Of all the news I missed while I've been off the list, your wedding is the biggest and bestest! I have been wondering if you'd done it, and am so glad you did. I know you and Ellery will (continue to )be SO happy. Sounds like you found the only man in creation who might BEGIN to deserve you.

Zabby

Sorry I'm coming in on this late (although not so late since it's second incarnation). I just received Mes Confiture yesterday and am already excited to try some of the recipes.

I remembered that her recipes have been discussed before and that I should BWB, so I'm okay with that. And this thread answered my question about chocolate in the raspberry/chocolate recipe - now I am standing outside willing my raspberries to ripen so I can make that.

I do have a couple more questions though. Carol, you said that you are comfortable with Ferber's recipes .... does that include essentially everything in that book? There are recipes for preserves such as zucchini, or carrot, or other items that I thought were low acid. I don't have it in front of me, but don't remember seeing the addition of anything that would make them acidic. Am I mistaken? Or are you really talking primarily about the fruit recipes that you are comfortable with?

In other words, should I feel free to try any of these so long as I BWB?

And a stupid question - are blackberries the same as black raspberries? And when she calls for "wild" raspberries or blueberries or other fruit, do you all just use regular old ordinary ones? For her green apple jelly, which forms the basis of many other preserves, does she mean "green" as in "unripe" or "green" as in "granny smith" type? And if, as I think, she means unripe, I need to thin the fruit off my apple trees - would I just use what I pull off?

Whew. I know I had a bunch more questions, but can't remember them now. It'll give me an excuse to post again I guess.

I've decided I like preserves. I like not adding pectin, I like that they often seem to use less sugar, and I like the challenge of getting them to the right jell. I have not become skilled at getting the fruit dispersed in the jar though. How do you do it? If I really shake and roll the jars as they set, I end up with jelly up on the lid. If I don't, the fruit all goes to the top.

Thanks all,
Ann

Whew! I come on and look at all these questions!

When I spoke of being comfortable with Ferber's recipes, I was thinking more generally of her sweet preserves, not such as carrot or zucchini. That's partly due to my disinterest in preserves that fall on the savory end of the spectrum. I'm not a zucchini preserves kind of person.

So to answer your question (allowing for a pretty cursory glance), the Carrot, Orange and Cardamom wouldn't concern me. You have sugar to bind the water plus a good measure of orange juice and lemon. On the other hand, the Celery and Apples with Mountain Honey and the Zucchini and Peppers with Spices I'd probably steer away from. I'm guessing with the sugar and honey acting as dessicants the risk is small but there are so many good preserves in the world I can skip those without any sense of deprivation.

If I were making them, I'd treat them as refrigerated preserves. Ferber's batches are small and those recipes aren't as "seasonal" as others, so if I were giving for gifts I'd probably make close to the time and pass on with a note to refrigerate and use within, say, three or four weeks.

Green apples means unripe apples. They have the most natural pectin. You can also make jelly from ripe green varieties but the pectin level will be somewhat lower.

Blackberries and black raspberries are not the same. Without getting technical, black raspberries separate from the central core when they're picked and blackberries don't. But you can use them interchangeably in recipes. The results will be different but still very good.

If I used only wild fruit or the varieties Ferber mentions, I wouldn't be able to make 95% of her recipes. Work with what you have that's good.

Fruit floats because the weight/densities of the fruit and the syrup haven't equalized. Before you bottle the jam let it rest 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Then bottle and BWB. That will eliminate (or greatly reduce) the float.

Gotta go. It's cherry season. I did a batch of Bing cherry-vanilla preserves and now I'm pitting pie cherries for the freezer. Then I'm picking some wild cherries for an experimental sweet balsamic syrup with star anise and hibiscus. It should be fabulous with cheesecake and panna cotta.

Carol

Yum Carol! I just bought some local VA Bing cherries today. Not as good as PNW cherries, but way cheaper around here.

Ann, if you look at the page where Ferber gives the green apple jelly recipe, she says more about the apples...basically she says to get the very first apples that are ready.

Also, I personally feel red raspberries are a better substitute for black raspberries. Blackberries just have a whole different feel to me. Still interchangeable in berry recipes, but I'd use any kind of raspberries where she says raspberries, if you want to get the essence of the recipe.

Have fun! I love looking through this book, even though I don't eat that much jam.

Melissa

Congratulations Annie!

Oh dear, I'm sorry Carol! I didn't mean that YOU had to answer ALL the questions :) But I'm glad you did!

I don't really know if I would do one of the vegetable preserves, although some do look tasty. If I start considering one, maybe I should ask questions specifically about that recipe at that time.

Sorry to be dense about the apples but...ok green means unripe. The apples on my trees right now are probably only 1/3 to 1/2 the size they will get when they are ripe. I want to thin the apples. Would these work even though they are so tiny or would that just be a waste of effort? Melissa, you say the very first that are ready, that would imply I should not use these but wait almost until harvestable. I need to go read that page again...

Melissa, it's actually the other way around I need to substitute. The recipes I'm interested in call for blackberries, which I do not have. But I do have both red and black raspberries. So I will sub black rasps for blackberries, I guess.

Ah! I've never tried letting the jam/preserve rest before canning! I will do that, hopefully it will help the floating problem.

We didn't eat any jam really until I started on this preserving hobby, now we eat some, but still not a lot. However, I still feel compelled to try all these luscious sounding recipes, partly for the challenge. Then we keep a jar or two and give the rest away!

Thank you!

Ann

Thanks for the h

Ann, I'm not at all bothered. I think "talking preserves" is fun!

I'd use the thinned apples. As long as you're willing to allow for a little more prep time with the little 'uns, you should get a good pectin base from them. You're just doing what thrifty pioneers would.

The black raspberries should work very well as long as you go by weight. By volume the raspberries would be a lot less than blackberries. The nice thing is raspberries tend to have more pectin, so odds are it will be a bit easier to achieve a good set.

Carol

I am loving this site and all the discussion. I wanted to say that I did add the small amount of butter to one batch of jam a few years ago to test it out. I found that after about 6 months, I could taste a slightly rancid taste in that jam. I've never used it since.

For a heavy foaming fruit, I let it sit for a while after I stir the pectin in, and this clumps the foam and it's easier to remove.

Irene

Welcome to Harvest, Irene. We hope you enjoy it.

I never add butter to jam. I don't use it in pie fillings either.

Carol

I use margerine (a soft type), and spread it on the inside of the bottom crust before filling. It helps to reduce any soggy issues.

In baking, 3 Tbps of cocoa plus one Tbsp of shortening is an acceptable substitute for one square of unsweetened cocoa. Given the concern about fat in canning, would this substitution be acceptable for the jam recipe above? Are the fat amount truly comparable?

Thanks,
Seedmama

Seedmama,

That does sound like a reasonable substitution, but because we're talking about fats in canning I wouldn't make it myself (and I'm considered a safety-ignoring cowboy by some on this forum). It's not hard to get a hold of actual chocolate, after all.

All,

Boy, I really am forgetful in my old age!

I made this chocolate-raspberry jam again yesterday with my two young visiting nieces (aged 9 and 11; one is my brother's youngest from Montreal and one is my sister's from Toronto, so they were having a visit with each other at their auntie's place in between). We had a lot of fun! We went raspberry picking the day before and they worked hard in the hot sun, and then in the hot kitchen, but were very proud to make labels and bring their creations home to their families.

We got a bigger yield than the recipe called for---more like 8 pints than 6 or 7 --- and we also found it very runny. This was no problem, as it gave me a chance to explain to my new young canner nieces that there is no such thing as a failed jam, only successful sauce!

But now I went looking for this old thread to reread, and I see that when I made this jam several years ago it ALSO came out runny, but then set up almost firm a few days later! So maybe that will happen again. I had to laugh at myself because I had the same thing with the boiling---we addded the sugar after a minute of what looked like a "full, roiling boil," but then when it heated back up again it boiled much harder and I thought we should have waited longer before adding it. Sigh! You'd think an editor would know to check her sources.

Anyway, we used the recipe Gardengrl had posted, calling for 3 ounces of chocolate---used a 100-gram bittersweet bar of a quality grocery house brand.

MMM is it good. If it doesn't set up to be spreadable it's going to end up getting stirred into oatmeal and poured on pancakes. We love to jazz up our winter breakfasts around here with home-canned jars from the happy harvest days....

Z, who enjoyed reliving her wedding and Annie's!

Zabby,
Thanks for responding. I wasn't inclined to do it, but still hopeful. You may get a chuckle out this, but I wrote because at the time it would actually have been hard to get a hold of some chocolate. I thought I had some in my pantry and didn't. I live rurally, and a trip to the grocery store, especially with small fry in tow, is a major planned excursion. It doesn't make sense to spend an hour and a half round trip, plus gas for one package of chocolate. It was 10 or 11 pm when I got ready to make the jam and posted my question. All of that to say I got a chuckle from your comment about it not being so hard to get chocolate. LOL! Thanks again for responding!

Seedmama

seedmama,

I hear you! What's easy for some sometimes is a crazy expedition for others.

I started canning and reading this forum when I was still living downtown in a largely immigrant neighbourhood in a big city, and even buying CANNING JARS was actually non-trivial, let alone pectin and pickling salt and other such "exotic" things. I would read people living in more rural areas, where canning is common, saying, "You can just pick up the Ball Blue Book in your grocery store next to the canning supplies," and laugh! (When I asked the stockboy at my grocery store if he had jars, he pointed confusedly at the rows of commercial spaghetti sauce. When I explained, no, I meant EMPTY jars, he looked at me like I had two heads. "Empty ones? Why do you want to buy empty jars?")

I expect your substitution would probably work fine. As you say, it's common in cooking, and we KNOW that chocolate has some fat in it anyway. It's not like canning with ANY fat is ALWAYS against the guidelines. But while I'll still eat tomatoes if I forgot to add extra acid once in a while, because I know there's a safety factor built into the guidelines, I don't know enough about how botulism might grow in something with a little fat in it so ... I follow recipes there!

Hope your little ones let you have some canning project time. I'm sure they benefit from it!

Zabby

I have a "thing" about chocolate and fruit together.
Just don't care for it. However, I use white chocolate for strawberries.
Wonder about using white chocolate?

busylizzy,

I'm not usually keen on chocolate + fruit either, but I do like this jam. The flavour has only a hint of chocolate; mostly it seems to emphasize the raspberries.

Alas, no idea if white chocolate wd be OK to substitute. I know it's a different substance than chocolate. (I love it, at least the good quality stuff.)

Z

I'm on day 1 of the process for Ferber's Chocolate with Raspberries today. Even though she doesn't BWB her jams, I've been doing so. I'm wondering if the BWB would separate the chocolate in this recipe though. What have the rest of you done?

Like a couple of other people who commented, I'm probably going to cut back on the amount of chocolate in this recipe next time. I made it with the full 9 oz today, and the chocolate is a more dominant flavor than the raspberries. Not a terrible problem I guess!

txtiger - I've been making this for a couple of years and I have yet to see separation, don't worry. I use 4 oz. bittersweet or extra bittersweet and 1 oz. unsweetened. It is important to use very good chocolate - not Baker's - that brand is OK for baked goods but not "rich" enough flavor for this jam - hard to describe, like "flat", I guess.

Be aware too that this jam gives a softer gel set than most jams, which is a good thing when you want it slathered over ice cream! I always BWB my jams, no matter what Ms. Ferber outlines in her book. I've just made her Chocolate with Orange using a wonderful and rare find of organic oranges cheaper than not-organic! It does not have quite enough orange flavor for me but it did set up more firmly than the raspberry and has thin slices of orange in it that are fun to eat at the bottom of the jar, even though the centers of the orange slices don't hold together quite right. I think I'll try making the same recipe with clementines or mandarins because they are a lot smaller and maybe won't as easily lose their middle. Wish I could find them as organic too!

I also make Chocolate Black Cherry that uses cocoa. Different flavor but much firmer than the raspberry, and with little chunks of fruit, which I like. I don't use Hershey's cocoa either - another brand that is great for baked goods but not for canned jam. The original recipe is called Black Forest Preserves, posted here by Deanna and ruthieg_tx, if you want to do a Search. I leave out the amaretto and don't add almond extract either as the recipe calls for, since I think they are competing flavors. People know what chocolate cherries taste like, not so much when called Black Forest.

I've also tried this raspberry recipe substituting strawberries and it was not very tasty. There is an "off" taste effect from the tartness of the strawberries that does not give you the enjoyment that chocolate covered fresh strawberries give - I think they have to be separated to be enjoyed.

Nancy

Thanks for the quick feedback. I'll definitely do a BWB.

I had read somewhere on the forum about this jam being soft setting. I boiled my raspberry/sugar/lemon mixture about 7-8 minutes today instead of 5 before adding the chocolate to combat this. I wanted to get it close to set today so I won't have to boil it a long time tomorrow; I was worried about scorching the chocolate. I just tasted a spoonful out of the ceramic bowl in the fridge, and I think it's going to be better than I expected. The raspberry flavor is stronger now that it has cooled.

I've been looking at that Orange with Chocolate recipe also. I'm going to wait on that one until this winter, when we can get South TX oranges on a visit to the in-laws. I love the flavor of orange with chocolate (Santa still leaves a Terry's Chocolate Orange in my stocking every year.). I'm just not sure about the slices of orange in the jam, since I'm not a fan of marmalade. Did you also reduce the amount of chocolate in this recipe?

txtiger - No, I used the whole 9 ounces for this first batch of Mes Confiture's Chocolate Orange. Reason being is that I like a hint of orange and more chocolate. You could try it anyway you like though. This does not give the taste of marmalade by any means! No bitter tang. Just the hint of orange. The chewy rind/pulp is like a burst - you know you are eating orange rind but heavily chocolaty, not tangy, if that describes it well enough?

Envy you having resources for fresh homegrown citrus!

Terry's Chocolate Orange is bland comparably to this jam!

Not sure that boiling the fruit and chocolate longer will give you a better flavor - I think it will be of lesser flavor because the inherent flavinoids will have evaporated because they are so delicate and ethereal. Would you have enough to do do two batches to compare?

Nancy

Nancy-

I don't plan to boil the fruit with the added chocolate very long. I did the longer boil today before I added the chocolate. I'm planning to just do a very brief boil tomorrow now that the chocolate is added.