Description
A nearly foolproof recipe for strawberry chia jam, that uses less sugar, but doesn’t sacrifice on peak-season berry flavor. Enjoy this healthier version on toast, swirled into yogurt or oatmeal, or any other way you love to eat jam!
Ingredients
1 cup strawberries,¹ roughly chopped
1 Tbsp organic cane sugar,² to taste
1 Tbsp chia seeds³
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)⁴
Instructions
Add the strawberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are soft and syrupy, about 5-10 minutes.
Use the back of a spoon to gently mash the berries until only small chunks remain. Stir in the vanilla, if using, and let simmer a few minutes more.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chia seeds. Transfer to jam jars and let cool to room-temperature. The jam will take a few hours to thicken completely. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Enjoy!!
Notes
¹ Fresh or (defrosted) frozen strawberries may be used interchangeably. Frozen berries may release more juice as they cook, so you may want to let the berry mash simmer slightly longer, or add another teaspoon or two of chia seeds to thicken the jam, as desired.
² Add more or less sugar, to taste, depending on the sweetness of your fruit. Peak season berries won’t need much at all. Honey can be used in place of the cane sugar.
³ Adjust the amount of chia seeds you use for a thicker or thinner jam.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled – but because it won’t last as long as high sugar or pectin-preserved jams, I prefer to make it in small batches, and it lasts us about a week. It’s easy enough – and makes the kitchen smell wonderful – so I don’t mind the small effort for just a jar or two of jam. Just keep tightly covered in the refrigerator.