SAFELY CANNING CHOCOLATE SAUCE ~ YES YOU CAN!

                                                

Who doesn't love chocolate sauce?  I know I do!  It's so good warmed up on ice cream.  Use it on fruit, like strawberries or mixed with milk to make chocolate milk.  YUM!

I've been searching and searching for a chocolate sauce that I could make that would safe to can also.  Most recipes that has chocolate in it is not safe to can due to the milk and oils in chocolate. 

Yet, I couldn't give up my search for a yummy chocolate sauce that would be shelf stable and I could can to put in gift baskets or give as a gift with some homemade ice cream in the summer.

I was thrilled when I found a recipe (that used coco powder rather then actual chocolate) to use while I was at one of my favorite canning blogs Canning Homemade.  If you have not been there, you should go visit.  She has some wonderful recipes and makes learning how to can easy.

Well, this recipe came from one of her readers, but, I don't know if she has a blog to link back to or not.  If she does and anyone knows what it is, please let me know so I can give her credit. 

Here is her recipe with her picture that was used on the blog Canning Homemade:


Homemade Chocolate Syrup/Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Cooking:

In a small pot, on medium heat bring water and sugar to a boil and whisk in cocoa, vanilla, salt, and corn syrup.

Whisk until all of the solids have dissolved. Reduce sauce for another 15 minutes until slightly thickened.

Filling the jars: On a dishtowel place your hot jars. Using your funnel in each jar ladle the mixture into the jars leaving 1/4” head space. Remove air bubbles and refill to the proper head space if necessary. Taking a clean paper towel wet it with warm water and wipe the rims of the jars removing any food particles that would interfere with a good seal. Using your magic wand to extract the lids from the hot water and place them on the now cleaned rims. Add your rings to the tops of each of the jars and turn to seal just "finger tight".

Processing: Make sure your rack is on the bottom of the canner and place the jars in the water bath making sure that the water covers each of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add hot water to the canner if it doesn't measure up. Cover the pot and turn up the heat under the canner and wait for the water to start boiling. Once the water has come to a boil start your timer for 15 minutes. When complete turn off the heat and remove the cover and let the jars sit for another few minutes. Remove the jars and place them back on the dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.

Sealing: Some time in the next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or "popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of the lids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may take overnight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal.

Makes 2- 3 half pints depending on how much you reduce the recipe.

As soon as I read the recipe I quickly ran out to my kitchen and got out all the supplies.  I had Ghiradeli coco powder, so, I used that. 

Let me tell you, when I tasted it from the pan (after all was placed into the jars and before cleaning the pan I let it cool off) it was super good.

I was excited.

I canned mine in 4 oz jars as I know we would use smaller amounts and I didn't want to open up larger cans that may go bad before we used all of it.

I got 8 jars by doing this. 

Tonight, I opened up a jar and poured it over some cut up strawberries.  The sauce was much thicker and creamy.  It was very good! 

I will be making more of this for sure.  I hope you give it a try too.  Let me know if you do.

** Other then using smaller jars, the only thing I did differently was I used a medium sized pan and I let it reduce for 20 mins. rather the 15 mins. listed.  I wanted a thicker sauce.