Assuming you used the recipe from this forum as discussed in the link below then I wouldn't worry about the small amount of butter fat in the chocolate - we add more than that to reduce the foam. You'll find in the same thread a discussions about the same question too - the fat in the chocolate.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1949773/about-that-chocolate-raspberry-jam

I'd be more concerned about the use of only 1 cup of sugar rather than the 4 cups called for. That will create setting problems as well as some borderline safety issues.

Dave

Hi Dave, can you say more about the safely issues with the reduced sugar? My understanding was that the reduced sugar means that we need to eat it pretty fast once open because it will mold faster than high sugar jams, but not that there were any safety issues with reducing the sugar in high acid fruit jams. Is it because of the combination of the addition of chocolate and the reduction of sugar that makes a difference?

Sugar and jams and jellies go hand-in-hand for a good reason. Sugar plays a safety role in jams and jellies in that it binds up free water that otherwise can lead to bacterial and mold growth. Just as low-sugar jams don't set as well and have a very different texture, there is much more free water in them and that water has a pH of 7+. In addition, this particular recipe has no added lemon juice, always a good addition if reducing sugar as it helps acidify the water.

So while reducing the sugar a bit is fine, reducing it by 75% as you did is a big difference. Yes it will have a very limited storage span on the shelf. NCHFP goes so far as to say, "They should be refrigerated and used within 4 weeks." Or you can freeze them.

Dave

I did add lemon juice to acidity the jam. In addition, I do not think there is much free water because I boiled the jam until it was ready to gel. It looks like the recipes you are referring on the NCHFP to are those that use gelatin in order to get the jam to set. I just used raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and chocolate chips. All of the jams I make have just fruit, lemon (or lime) juice and sugar, as long as I reduce them enough or include high pectin fruit, I always aget a good set. I always cut the sugar by a lot because the jams do not taste good to my family if they are too sweet. If there is no free water, is that issue solved?

Hi Dave, I really appreciate your patience with all of my questions...here is another. If I can can fruit in water without any sugar or lemon juice added (even in quarts!) why can't I can half pints of jam with berries, lemon juice, and sugar (but not very much)? Considering that you said the chocolate was not the issue...

Because of my confusion on this, I have opened and refrigerated all of the raspberry chocolate jars.

I am not yet ready to toss the rest of my jams that all include just fruit, lemon juice, and sugar. I am not sure where the risk lies if the fruit is acidic and even acidified with lemon juice. I know that once opened, they only last 4 weeks, but how would they mold or get bacteria after processing, unopened? In case it is relevant, I bwbed for 10 min for all of the half pints. I do not do any pints because they oftern take us more than 4 weeks to finish. Sometimes I do a 4oz jar, if there is a small amount left.

Thanks again for your help understanding this!

" If there is no free water, is that issue solved?"

IMO, probably since you use the lemon juice but I would be far more comfortable with it if you also used the lo-sugar pectin as it is what allows for safe freedom from sugar in jam making by adding even more acidity. With it you can safely eliminate all the sugar if you wish.

But there is no way to know for sure about your pectin-free method as no long term lab testing has been done on jams made that way. There is no research to show the bacterial/mold count in the mix before and after boiling. No research on the growth rate if any in the jars over time. And no pH testing to document the actual pH or the amount of rise in the pH over time.

Since molds and bacteria can't be seen with the naked eye and since none of the ingredients were "sterile" to begin with, and since boiling doesn't kill them all, in theory you could be ingesting them. So the method remains one of the do-at-you-own-risk issues for your personal comfort level.

An over-simplification but the underlying assumption in canning research on jams and jellies is that jams and jellies will always contain approximately equal amounts of fruit and sugar as that is what most people prefer, why most make it in the first place, and that is true historically. The extension of that assumption is that those who don't want sugar will not be canning jams and jellies anyway but will use plain pureed fruit spreads instead. An outdated assumption? Sure. But it explains the lack of focus on research on low sugar products. For example, Ball began the company research on what resulted in their Lo-No Sugar pectin just 3-4 years ago, Pomona just a year or so earlier.

So as with any time when we deviate from the guidelines, making yours with minimal sugar and without pectin is still in the unknown zone. But as always, it remains your choice. ;-)

Hope this helps.

Dave

Hi Dave,

In your opinion, what is the lowest proportion of sugar to fruit I can safely use when adding lemon juice, but no pectin, and processing for 10 minutes (or more, if you recommend that)?

I really can't say other than what the guidelines tell us.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/reduced_sugar_spread.html

If you look at the low-sugar tested and approved recipes then the standard minimum ratio is 4:2 cups fruit to sugar. The use of gelatin is optional, not required but the guidelines apply to any reduced sugar fruit spread recipe whether you use the gelatin or not - no processing and fridge storage only for up to 4 weeks. Plus all of them have additional added acid - as much as 1/2 cup lemon juice or pineapple, etc. The only approved alternative is to freeze them.

BWB processing time isn't relevant to the safety issue - thus the no processing guidelines. 212 degrees is the best a BWB gets you and it isn't enough to kill many molds/bacteria. All it does is create a vacuum and you do not want a vacuum environment when the pH is unknown as many molds and bacteria can grow even faster in a vacuum.

Think of it this way. You are not making "jam", not in the true sense of that label. You are making a fruit spread and fruit spreads have their own set of guidelines and limitations. So if you want reduced sugar then you have 2 tested and approved methods:

(a) lo-no sugar pectin for the acidity protection OR

(b) a ratio of 2:1 fruit to sugar with recommended amounts of added acid and no BWB processing, fridge storage, and 4 week life span.

If you deviate from either of those 2 guidelines then you are into risk areas and it is your choice.

I don't mean to sound blunt but when it comes to canning safety for shelf storage we can't always have everything we want so we have to compromise. We either adjust our recipe back to its approved norms or we find alternative ways to store the recipe the way we want it to be. In this case, make it the way you want, no BWB processing, and freeze it. When you take a jar out of the freezer just keep it in the fridge and throw it away within 4 weeks. OK?

Dave