The ratio the standard sets
Updated
On this page4
The numbers, and which fruits get the higher one
Two numbers govern and the higher one applies to a named list of fruits rather than to anything you judge by eye. This is the first thing to check about a recipe, because it decides what the finished jar may be called regardless of how it tastes.
| Product | Fruit to sweetener, by weight | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Preserves and jams, most fruits | not less than 45 to 55 | 21 CFR 150.160 |
| Preserves and jams, Group I fruits | not less than 47 to 55 | 21 CFR 150.160 |
| Jelly, on a juice basis | not less than 45 to 55 | 21 CFR 150.140 |
Group I is a named list in the regulation and it includes raspberries, boysenberries, strawberries and grapes. If you are making strawberry jam, the number that applies to you is 47, not 45.
What it means on the bench
A ratio by weight is not a cooking style and it does not survive being eyeballed. In practice it means a set of scales is the first piece of equipment rather than a refinement.
Weigh the fruit and weigh the sugar. A ratio by weight cannot be hit by measuring cups, because a cup of crushed berries and a cup of whole ones are different weights of fruit and the regulation is counting weight.
If you miss it
Missing the ratio does not make a bad product, it makes a differently named one. That is a commercial decision and it is better taken deliberately than discovered at the label stage.
A product that does not meet the standard is not illegal to sell. It is illegal to call a jam, and it has to be named for what it is. FDA has a compliance policy guide covering nonstandardized jellies for exactly this case. What you may call it instead is on jam, jelly or preserve.