Chocolate Raspberry Sundae Topper

I found this recipe during the summer while I was working as a food preservation specialist in Salt Lake. Its something different and fun that you can preserve and eat throughout the year. It is also super tasty. NOTE**Due to their low acidity, most homemade chocolate sauces are not suitable for safe home canning. This recipe has been tested by the USDA and it is safe as long as you follow the directions.*


Ingredients:
1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
1 package powdered fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups crushed red raspberries (I used strawberries)
4 TBSP lemon juice
6 3/4 cups sugar

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids. I just keep my warm in the hot water bath or in the sink with hot water.

2. In a medium glass bowl, combine cocoa powder and pectin, stirring until evenly blended. Set aside.

3. In a large sauce pan, placed crushed raspberries and lemon juice. Whisk in pectin mixture until dissolved. (If you used a Teflon coated pan, don't whisk too hard or you will have flakes of Teflon in your topper). Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full roiling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam.



4. Ladle hot sundae topper into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until fingertip tight.

5. Place jars in boiling water bath. Make sure your jars are covered with 1 1/2 inch to 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process for 14 minutes. (This time is for altitudes 4000 feet above sea level. You would only need to process it for 10 minutes at sea level. Add an additional minute for each 1000 ft above sea level).

6. After the required processing time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid; wait 5 minutes. Remove jars and allow to cool for 12-24 hours. Remove screw bands, wash well and store. *Don't store with the screw bands on jars. This will prevent mold from getting into your food. It also helps you to know if a jar has gone bad if the food is spilling out of the edges.



This recipe makes about six 8-oz jars. They are best used within a year, but will last for longer than that. Just remember to rotate your canned goods and you should be fine.