I can’t believe I’ve kept this super easy jam recipe a secret from you, but it seems as though I did. I’ve always loved homemade jams, and would buy them often at farmer’s markets in the summer, but never made them myself because I felt like it would be too much work. A few months back, a friend of mine introduced me to chia seed jam, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Now I make homemade jam all the time.
I love how simple it is to prepare a fresh batch of my very own jam, adding as much, or as little, sweetener as I want. Store-bought jams are almost always way too sweet, aren’t they? I think so.
So far I’ve only made blueberry jam and this strawberry jam, but once I do some raspberry picking this summer, I’ll make a batch of raspberry jam, too. Blackberry would also be nice. And peach. And grape. Ahhh, there are so many options!
And all thanks to the goodness of chia seeds, which are amazing because they: Balance blood sugar Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet Make you feel more energized Cut your cravings Combat diseases Provide you with stronger teeth & bones Are a great source of protein Help fight belly fat and so much more! I love these little guys.
- Fruit of choice (I used 1 pound of strawberries)
- ¼ cup maple syrup or agave (I used maple syrup)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- Prepare your fruit. For my strawberries, I washed them, hulled them, and cut them into really small pieces. I've also made blueberry chia seed jam, and for those, I just washed the blueberries.
- Add your fruit and maple syrup or agave to a small pot, and heat on medium for about 10 minutes, or until the fruit starts to liquefy. Once this happens, start to gently smash your fruit. The smoother you want your jam, the more you'll have to mash up the fruit.
- Once the fruit has reached your desired consistency, bring it to a boil, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add in your chia seeds and stir to combine. Remove from heat and then walk away and come back in 10 minutes - voila, homemade jam!
- Allow the jam to cool completely before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
desmond says
January 8, 2016 at 1:58 AMhi cassie
greetings from Singapore !
i am a new vegan (almost i think) and right now are keen to try out new vegan recipes. I love chia seeds but has been spreading it on my oatmeals thus far. I love to try your fruit jam recipe soon. But may i know if i can omit the maple syrup as I am trying to cut down on sugar? Will honey be a good substitute? if yes, how many tbsp should i used?
thanks and keep up the good work!
Jenna says
June 18, 2016 at 3:34 PMIf you use honey it will no longer be vegan.
Jodie says
September 15, 2014 at 12:16 AMOops. I forgot to mention you can grind your chia seeds to a powder in a coffee grinder. If you ever wanted to have seedless jam 🙂 I jus t used some ground chia seeds the other day for French toast. I didn’t think they would grind being so tiny but they did!
Cassie says
September 15, 2014 at 4:34 PMThank you so much for this tip! I will try it the next time I make jam. 😀
Jodie says
September 15, 2014 at 12:13 AMHi there. I was just looking at an online site for grocery items and found a jam that said it had chia oil (??) in it. It got me thinking maybe there was a way to make jam with chia seeds! Perhaps they would thicken similar to pectin. So naturally I Googled “making jam with chia seeds” and found many recipes. I can’t wait to give it a try tomorrow! I’ll never have to buy jam again and I can control how much sweetener is used 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Cassie says
September 15, 2014 at 4:35 PMI really hope you like it! I love not having to buy jam at the store anymore. 🙂