Chia Seed Jam
My recent favorite condiment is chia seed jam. I mean, what a brilliant idea to make jam with chia seeds instead of pectin! You get added fiber, omega-3’s, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients in your jam.
And by making it with only a small amount of natural sugar, you can feel pretty good about topping it on anything that could use a little fruit-flavored sweetening. In addition to toast, this jam is delicious on oatmeal, with Greek yogurt and granola, as a pb&j sandwich, on pancakes, as a cake layer, on ice cream, on fruit pie, and in homemade popsicles.
Kid-Approved
This jam is a great way to get some chia seeds into your kid’s diet. My older son loves smoothies made with chia seeds, but when hidden in a jam it has even greater appeal. (That said, I think I may have to mix it into chocolate to get my non-jam eater to eat it!)
The Mighty Chia Seed
Chia seeds work well in jams because when put into a liquid, they absorb a lot of water and become gelatinous. As you can imagine, this also makes them a great friend of your digestive system.
Choose Your Fruit
I have been making chia jam with frozen organic raspberries because whenever we have fresh berries they are gone before I can do anything with them! (I haven’t gone berry picking yet this summer, but if you do, this would be a good use of some of those excess berries). I think a combination of peaches and raspberries would be lovely, so maybe I will try that next.
Sweeten to Taste
I sweeten the jam with just a bit of maple syrup or cane sugar. The end result is a fresh, mildly sweet product. Note that because it is not preserved like traditional jam, it is perishable but will keep in your refrigerator for 2 weeks. (Which seems to be just enough time for our family to finish it off!)
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam
Ingredients
- 2 12-ounce bags frozen, organic raspberries (about 3 cups)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or cane sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- Combine berries and maple syrup in a medium saucepan. While stirring, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, mashing the fruit with a fork or wooden spoon.
- Reduce the heat and stir in the chia seeds. Cook over low heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached. Taste test and add additional sweetener if desired.
- Cool and transfer to a container. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
Reconsidering my recent container of pectin purchase. This sounds fantastic!
Yes, it really is so easy and you get the bonus of chia seeds! I guess the only drawback is that it needs to be refrigerated and doesn’t have the extended shelf life of a canned jam.