Easy, Healthy Raspberry Chia Jam

raspberry-chia-jam

/ /

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (93 votes, average: 3.87 out of 5)
Loading...

Besides being one of the super nutritious superseeds full of fiber and protein, chia seeds also absorb liquid and then take on a jelly-like texture. Therefore, they are the perfect hack for an easy, healthy jam compared to the normal jam-making process—which usually requires lots of sugar, pectin, and boiling for thickening. In addition to it being a healthier hack, it is also much easier than preparing traditional jam and only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. We use honey for this recipe, but feel free to use maple syrup or agave, but we recommend not using regular granulated white sugar, as that often makes for a gritty-textured jam.

Recipe by Naomi Imatome-Yun for WonderHowTo, c 2014.

Ingredients

1½ cups raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, cook down the berries on medium heat until they break down, about 5 minutes.
  2. Mash the fruit gently in the saucepan and remove from heat.
  3. Add in honey (or other sweetener), stirring to combine.
  4. Pour in chia seeds and stir gently to combine.
  5. Let set for about 5 minutes to thicken.
  6. Let cool and transfer to a glass container and refrigerate.

Note: This jam will thicken nicely, but it won’t be very sticky like store-bought preserves. If you choose to use a more watery fruit, or if you want a thicker jam, then add some of the white part, or pith, of a lemon peel. The peel has a lot of naturally occurring pectin, but too much of the lemon peel/zest might overpower the other flavors in your jam.

Get the Newsletter

Sign up for the BLUE ZONES® free weekly email where we bring you exclusive interviews, cutting-edge longevity news, and fresh tips for living better, longer.