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Berry Chia Seed Jam
Yield: 1 - 2 Cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chia seed jam has been my go-to quick-and-easy jam recipe for years.
While not a traditional jam by any means, I certainly don’t miss all the refined sugar of traditional versions when I enjoy this fresh, vibrant spread.
You can use any kind of berry you prefer, and have fun changing it up with different mix-ins like lemon juice or zest, orange juice or zest, vanilla bean seeds or extract, cinnamon, cardamom, and any other spices or extracts you enjoy.
Since berries vary in terms of sweetness, feel free to adjust the sweetener to suit your own taste with each batch.
You’ll be happy to know that chia seed jam also freezes well.
I like to portion individual servings into a silicone mini-muffin tray, freeze them until they’re solid, and then pop them out and store them in a freezer bag.
This way you can have chia seed jam ready anytime! Simply thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature.
If I’m making overnight oats, I will often thaw a cube of chia seed jam in the fridge overnight while the oats thicken.
Then it’s all ready for me to enjoy in the morning without any fuss. How’s that for easy?
Ingredients
3 to 4 cups (750 mL to 1 L/about 17 ounces/475 g) frozen strawberries, raspberries, pitted sweet cherries, or blueberries, or a mix
1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup, or to taste
Dash of fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (30 mL) chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pure vanilla bean powder, or 1 large vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Directions
In a medium pot, stir together the berries, maple syrup, and salt until combined.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the berries have softened (they will release a lot of liquid during this time).
Reduce the heat to medium and carefully mash the berries with a potato masher until mostly smooth.
The jam will still look very watery at this point, but this is normal!
Add the chia seeds and stir until combined.
Simmer over low-medium heat, stirring frequently (reducing heat if necessary to avoid sticking) for 8 to 15 minutes more, until a lot of the liquid has cooked off and the mixture has thickened slightly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, vanilla bean powder, and lemon juice (if using).
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, at least a couple of hours.
For quicker cooling, pop the jam into the freezer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
The chia seed jam will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It also freezes well for 1 to 2 months.
Tips
For the Strawberry-Vanilla Chia Seed Jam - Use 3 1/2 cups (875 mL/about 17 ounces/475 g) frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup, a dash of salt, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chia seeds, 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh lemon juice, and 2 seeded vanilla beans or 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pure vanilla bean powder.
For the Raspberry-Almond Chia Seed Jam - Use 2 1/2 cups (625 mL/10 ounces/300 g) frozen or fresh raspberries, 1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chia seeds, 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pure almond extract, and a pinch of fine sea salt.
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