chia jam

In recent years, I've tried to eliminate all added sugars from my diet. Traditional homemade and storebought jam calls for a sugar to fruit ratio of nearly 2:1. This chia jam relies on the natural sweetness of fruit and the thickening properties of chia seeds. The addition of chia seeds also transforms the once borderline dessert condiment into a health powerhouse of omega 3s, antioxidants, fiber, iron & calcium (perfectly suitable for eating out of the jar at all hours of the day).

In the winter when fresh fruit is harder to come by, I prefer to use frozen raspberries because the chia perfectly melds with the texture of the raspberry seeds. Any berries work well. In the summer, fresh figs are everything. Again, the chia blends right in with the seedy interior of the figs. Stonefruit is delicious though less of a textural match, so I would recommend blending the jam once it thickens.

This chia jam is perfect for swirling into cashew aquafaba ice cream, spreading on toast, drizzling over yogurt or oatmeal, topping smoothies, completing a cheese plate, and more. Comment with your favorite way to eat chia jam.

ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen fruit

1 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs chia seeds

prep:

1. cut fruit into bite size pieces

2. cook fruit in a saucepan over medium heat until it breaks down & looks syrupy (~5 minutes)

3. mash fruit with a fork or potato masher to your desired consistency

4. turn off the heat & stir in lemon juice & chia seeds

5. let stand 5-10 minutes until thickened. depending on the water content of your fruit, you may want to add more chia to thicken it more

6. if you don't like the texture of the seeds, blend the jam in a blender

7. store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks