Simple Chia Seed Berry Jam
We love having this jam around because it takes very little time and effort to make, it’s filled with superhero berry nutrients, and it tastes like summer in a jar.
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Ingredients
4 Cups Raspberries. Fresh or frozen
2 Cups Blueberries
2 TBSP Coconut Sugar or Maple Syrup. This will depend on your sweetness preference, but start low and add it in 1 tbsp at a time.
1 TBSP Fresh Orange Juice or 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
2 TBSP chia seeds quickly blended. The blending part is optional but I like to do it so I don’t get chia seed teeth!
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Instructions
Put berries, coconut sugar, and citrus juice into a pot and bring to a low simmer over medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Stirring every now and then.
Blend chia seeds while berries are simmering.
Stir chia seeds into the warm berries and let simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. The jam will thicken as it cools.
Scoop jam into clean jam jars and keep in fridge for a week or so. Freeze any extra. If you freeze in glass containers please remember to leave a solid inch of extra space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion. Otherwise the jar can crack, and that’s a total bummer! (To be honest, I always think I will have extra to put in the freezer but my kids love it so dang much we get through it very fast!)
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Tips and Thoughts
Feel Free to use any berries you have around! Or try with apricots, plums, or anything you like! Let me know how it goes for you and what blend of fruit you used.
This jam is incredibly versatile, the kids love it, and it’s low sugar and high in berry blaster nutrients. Yay!
Most store bought jam is full of sugar so I found that making my own QUICK jam is a great way to lessen the sugar load. Remember that if your family is used to the store bought jam it might take them a few times to get accustomed to this. If that is the case start out making it a bit sweeter and cut back on the sweetness as your tastes change.
Get your kids to stir it on the stove and they will be so excited about what a beautiful colour it is they will just want to spoon it right into their mouth!
ALSO! If cutting back on sugar isn’t a priority to you, this jam is STILL worth making. It takes no time, you can’t mess it up, and it’s hella yummy.
Serving Suggestions:
One of our favourite ways to enjoy this jam is spooned over plain yogurt, coconut or regular. I send it in school lunches that way, or serve it as a simple dessert.
Because flavoured yogurt is packed with sugar this is another great option for cutting down on our kids sugar intake!
Serve this spooned over my Orange Raspberry Creamsicle cake for a seriously DELICIOUS and truly beautiful dessert.
Spread on toast or crackers business as usual. It’s great on a crispy cracker with soft goat cheese or almond butter.
Also I once sent the jam jar in my daughters lunch box thinking it was her yogurt and jam jar… she came home PUMPED because she got to eat berry goodness for her snack.
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Let me know how it goes and what fruit combo you use! Now head over to my Orange Raspberry Creamsicle cake recipe and test the two together. Also, not to worry, the cake is so healthy it makes a great breakfast option!
Get into the jam.
