Ink jet recording ink, ink jet image forming method and ink jet recording apparatus

An ink jet recording ink comprising:

• (i) a self-dispersion pigment to a surface of which an anionic functional group represented by the following general formula (1) is bonded directly or through another atomic group,
• (ii) an ammonium salt of an organic carboxylic acid,
• (iii) water, and
• (iv) a water-soluble compound having a hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity coefficient of 0.26 or more as defined by the following equation (A), the ink having a surface tension of 34 mN/m or less,
• wherein M1 and M2 are, independently of each other, a hydrogen atom, alkali metal, ammonium or organic ammonium,
• hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity coefficient =[(Water activity of a 20% aqueous solution)−(Molar fraction of water in the 20% aqueous solution)]/ [1−(Molar fraction of water in the 20% aqueous solution)] (A),
• and
• wherein an amount of the ammonium salt of the organic carboxylic acid added into the ink is 0.05% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less.