Whip up a batch of fresh, bright chia jam whenever the craving hits - no canning needed, make it in minutes with only 4 ingredients, and you control the sweetness. Use your favourite fruit or berry to make this tangy, flavourful jam.
In the mood for something sweet? Got some berries or fruit you need to use up? Whip up a batch of this delectable fresh chia jam, and you'll feel like a kitchen hero. Homemade jam that's this easy to make, and healthy, too? Yup! You got this!
I love making big batches of jam (haskap or strawberry) and jelly (saskatoon or fireweed) from the produce in our garden to enjoy in the winter or to gift to friends, but that kind of traditional jam needs to be canned, and it contains a lot of sugar to preserve it. Chia jam is a much healthier and quicker option. You can even omit the sugar entirely if your fruits are naturally sweet.
I also really love the texture of chia jam - the seeds soften and release their gel. Their texture gets silky, but still retains a light crunch along with the slightly chunky texture of the fruit - just perfect.
How to Use Chia Jam
Use it like any jam, but because it's less sweet and has that beautiful texture, you can also use it:
- on toast (of course) or with a peanut butter sandwich
- to stir into plain yogurt for a less-sweet, flavoured version
- on ice cream
- to top pancakes
- in crepes
- layered in a yogurt parfait
- as a filling for layer cakes - delicious!
- stirred into whipped cream to make a 'fool' for dessert
- rolled into a jelly roll or roulade
- with scones or muffins
- to fill the layers in a crepe cake
- to add on top of a pavlova, under the whipped cream layer
- to top a cheesecake, yogurt cake, or cheesecake cupcakes
- to make quick jam tarts (fill prebaked tart shells with chia jam and top with a dollop of whipped cream)
About Chia Seeds
These tiny seeds (Salvia hispanica L) originate in South America and pack a powerful nutritional punch. Because they are relatively flavourless, but can absorb liquid and swell up to 9 times their size to form a silky gel, they make a fantastic thickener for foods. Chia seeds are high in protein, fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and various minerals that promote health and support body systems.
Chia seeds come in black or white - they are interchangeable in recipes. Aesthetically, the white seeds look less noticeable when used in light-coloured or red-toned jams and the black seeds blend in better with dark chia jams (like blueberry or blackberry), but you can use either.
Use chia seeds to make Chia Pudding with Strawberries, healthy Blueberry Breakfast Pudding, or even a delicious, hydrating summer lemon or lime drink - Agua Fresca de Chia.
Ingredients You'll Need
Only 4!
- berries - fresh or frozen, any kind (like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, haskaps, saskatoons, red or black currants). Or any soft, juicy fruits - like rhubarb (thinly sliced), stone fruits (cherries, peaches, apricots, plums), kiwis, mangoes, etc. Hard fruits like apples or pears are better to cook on their own into applesauce or apple butter. Firm berries, like saskatoons, need to be chopped and may need an extra splash of water added.
- sugar - this is to taste. You can use as little or as much as you like, even omit it altogether for sweet fruits. I use more sugar (4 tablespoons) for a spreading-on-toast or stirring-into-yogurt chia jam, but use less (2 tablespoons) for a cake filling or if it's to be used with a sweet dessert. Use any sweetener of choice - honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or sugar substitute. If you use less sugar, or use a sugar-free sweetener, your cooked jam may not be as syrupy, so you may need more chia seeds, since sugar also helps jam to set (and more chia seeds make it even healthier).
- lemon juice - from half of a juicy fresh lemon. This is to balance the sweetness and also to help the jam set, but you can omit it, if desired.
- chia seeds - use black ones or white ones - they taste the same and have the same gelling properties. I like to use white chia seeds with lighter fruits so they don't darken the jam - purely aesthetic. You may need less or more chia seeds, depending on how juicy your fruits are.
Let's Make Chia Jam
If using firm berries (like strawberries or gooseberries) or larger fruits (like kiwis, mangoes, or stone fruits), chop them coarsely into about pea-sized chunks first.
If using small, soft berries (like raspberries, blueberries, etc.), leave them whole and put them into a small saucepan.
Then cook the fruit for a few minutes, until the juices become syrupy.
Leave the jam to cool and thicken for a few hours (but it's fine to use right away, too, if you can't wait). The chia seeds will soften and thicken the fruit to a silky set. Voilà - you've got a beautiful, fresh, tangy, fruitilicious, chia jam!
Adjust the Sugar and Chia Seeds
Berries and fruits all have different amounts of natural sugars and varying levels of juiciness. Adjust the sweetness to your taste - even omit the sugar altogether, if desired. (If you make the chia jam without sugar, note that it will only last 1 week in the fridge.)
For the green grape chia jam on the left in the photo below, I had to add 2 more teaspoons of chia seeds, as it was so juicy. For the mango chia jam on the right, I only needed to use 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in total, as it was much firmer when cooked.
Try Some Add-Ins
Get creative and personalize your chia jam with all kinds of flavourings to make it really pop. Try lime juice instead of lemon. Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla, spices (a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom), finely grated citrus zest or fresh ginger, or different liqueurs (about 1 tablespoon). Add spices, citrus zest or ginger at the beginning of the cooking time, and add vanilla or liqueurs at the end of the cooking time.
How Does Chia Jam Keep?
Put your chia jam into a sealable food container (cleaned jam jars work beautifully). It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months - so handy to have a jar or two tucked away there.
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Guten Appetit!
Chia Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250-300 g) berries or diced juicy fruits
- juice of half a lemon (about 1½-2 tablespoons, to taste)
- 2-4 tablespoons sugar, to taste, or 1-2 tablespoons of honey or other favourite sweetener
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds (white or black)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the berries or fruit. Leave soft berries (like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries) whole, coarsely chop firm berries (like strawberries or gooseberries) and fruits into roughly pea-sized chunks.
- Put the fruits into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the lemon juice and 1-2 tablespoons of the sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the fruits at a low boil, uncovered and stirring often, for 6-8 minutes or until the fruits are tender and the liquid is slightly thickened and syrupy. If the fruits are too chunky, mash them lightly with a potato masher.
- Taste and add more sugar, if needed. If adding more sugar, cook for a further 30 seconds until it has dissolved.
- Pour the jam into a bowl or jar and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chia seeds, and leave it to set and cool completely, stirring occasionally.
- Scrape the jam into a sealable jar and refrigerate. It will keep for up to two weeks.
- Once cooled, if the jam is too soft, stir in another 1 or 2 teaspoons of chia seeds and let them soften for at least an hour before using. If the jam is too stiff, stir in water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it is loosened to your liking. *Note that the jam will get slightly firmer after chilling.
- Makes about 1 cup, depending on the type of berry or fruit used.
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