Jam thickened with chia!
I am so glad, glad, glad to find this recipe!
Pam O’Brien’s recipe (Thankful Expressions) and photo went viral last week and no wonder! I (and everybody else it seems) have been looking for ways to stay away from white sugar and pectin and still make a delicious jam. We want to do it more naturally!
Chia is a perfect pectin substitute!
Chia Seed Thickened
The reason I was looking for a no-pectin recipe is because:
1.) I have a LOT of fruit I want to keep raw but stable…
2.) As I researched about food additives that can be harmful in a post last week, I learned that pectin is highly refined and an ingredient that (often) contains or produces processed free glutamic acid during processing.
So, do you have ripe berries on hand?
Ideal Fruit Combinations include:
• strawberry-rhubarb (cook the rhubarb to soften before adding to the fresh strawberries)
• blueberry-apple (apples also contain natural pectin, so experiment with using slightly less chia)
• mixed berry (blueberry, red raspberry, blackberry)
• cherry
• strawberry-kiwi
• pear – cinnamon
I tweaked Pam’s recipe a little with a bit more honey and a TBSP more chia so it was not at all runny. Also, I added several pinches of sea salt for trace minerals and electrolytes.
Refrigerator Chia Jam (that freezes well!)
• 2 cups fruit (any berry)
• 2-3 TBSP raw honey (or none – to your taste), your favorite sweetener or stevia
• 2-3 TBSP chia seeds (2 for looser set, 3 for thicker set)
• juice of 1/2 orange (optional)
• several pinches Himalayan pink salt
Add all ingredients to a blender and process to desired texture (chunky or smoother), spoon into your jars with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate. The chia seeds will gel and thickening the fruit puree.
This will last for 10 days to 2 weeks refrigerated! You can also FREEZE chia jam if there is enough headroom in the jar for expansion.
The Chia Seed is one of the richest plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, an anti-inflammatory agent that is good for healthy skin and involved in cholesterol metabolism. It is an excellent source of natural antioxidants, protein, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, zinc, copper, and iron. In fact, Chia contains six times more iron than spinach for those of you are anemic. It’s gluten free and helpful for digestion and regular elimination.
You can find chia seed at Amazon and at almost any good health food store.
So Many Ways To Enjoy Chia Jam
I like the jam as a mid-afternoon snack topping on plain organic yogurt to keep my body running efficiently and my blood-sugar stabilized. Yummmy!
Just think of all the raw antioxidant goodness of the berries, enzymes of the raw honey, the omega-3s of the chia, and probiotic effect of plain organic yogurt! Chia jam would be a healthy and truly natural afternoon snack or easy-peasy after dinner dessert.
What about “PB & Chia Jam” on toast?
Stir Chia Jam into yogurt~
Make Jam Drop Cookies~
With breakfast granola?
Right off the spoon after a workout?
We think Chia Jam would be delicious served as a sweet sauce or compote to compliment lamb, duck or pork roast.
Mmmm!
Bon appétit!
“When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.”
~Psalm 104: 28
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Pam O
Jacqueline, what a beautiful write up about the refrigerator jam! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it and that it inspired you to try it other ways (my blueberries are presently abundant… that will be next, for me!). I appreciate the link-love, too! Blessings to you.
Jacqueline
You are welcome!!! I love your recipe and am so glad it has helped so many know what to do to use up all the berries 🙂 Blessings!!!
Toni
Jam without pectin…that IS exciting, no wonder the recipe went viral. I have quarts and quarts of blackberries so I’ll be in the city tomorrow tracking down some chia seeds. 😉
Thanks for the heads-up!
Jacqueline
I’m so glad this is helpful!! Remember, it only lasts 2 weeks in the fridge, but if you left air gap at top, could freeze it possibly?
Toni
If this works well. I’ll just take out a pint of berries from the freezer at a time to make up a fresh batch of jam. I did get my chia seeds today. Wow, were they expensive, but if the jam is good it’s worth it. Thanks, again!
Pam O
Yes, I did just that with my second jar. Thawed beautifully.
Dolly Madison Designs
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES!
Oh, this is so exciting. I can’t have sugar (and I’m very limited fruit intake too), but this is BRILLIANT! I’m totally trying this. 😀
Linda
Thanks for posting about the refrigerator jam. I also made a blueberry jam without pectin and without sugar also (I used honey). I just boiled it down a little and then it isn’t really a stiff jam.. it’s more like a compote. Anyway, I like the combinations you made also. Best wishes, Linda
http://www.craftsalamode.com/2013/07/what-to-do-weekends-29.html
SallyAnn
Wow! This is Great! I finally have a way to make jam at home without pectin. So easy and healthy and it fits in with the Raw way of eating too. Thanks so much for posting this here. Have a wonderful day.
Sue
I can think of nothing better for a hot summer day than jam and bread.
Blessings!
Sue
Jacqueline
I agree…we just had a breakfast of English muffins, butter and the refrigerator jam and scrambled eggs! Have a beautiful mild summer’s day!
Michelle T
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Have you tried freezing any of it? I have loads of berries and would love to be able to save some jam for use through out the year! Thanks!
Jacqueline
No, Michelle, I have not but will try it with a jar and keep the level on the jars about an inch lower than if not frozen. Let me know if you do it 🙂 Thanks!
Pam O
It freezes well! 🙂
Jacqueline
Thank you!!! How much headroom should one leave in the jar?
Michelle T
Thank you! I will be make and freezing a bunch then!
[email protected]
O my yum! Love it!
I am visiting from The Homemaking Party Blog Hop! I look forward to your visit at http://www.homemaker-mom.com/the-homemakers-journey-blog.html
Happy Homemaking!
Jaclyn
I am interested in trying this out with peaches! My tree was loaded this year and I am anxious to make peach jam. Have you ever tried to can this jam instead of freeze or refrigerate? I am running out of freezer space. Thanks.
Jaclyn
I am anxious to make this with peaches! My tree was loaded this year. 🙂 Has anyone tried to can this jam & not refrigerate or freeze it? I am running out of freezer space. God Bless.
Jacqueline
Jaclyn,
I haven’t done it, but am pretty sure it would work…wonder if you could try one jar. 🙂
Leah
Oh MY! I just bought some chia seeds and was trying to decide how to use them. Sine I am new to sprouting, I was going to attempt to use my broccoli sprouting seeds first and figure out something else to do with my chia seeds!
This is amazing! Thank you so much:)
Ann
I have been making low sugar and often no pectin jam for many years. When I do use pectin it is Pomona’s fruit pectin (http://www.pomonapectin.com/), which can be used with no sugar, fruit juice, honey, sugar or any other type of sweetener you like. When not using pectin there are other ways of thickening your jam, such as using cranberries, tart apples, or citrus. Usually this does mean cooking it down for at least half an hour, and it will not gel hard like store bought jam but it is good stuff! I like to mix up my fruit when making jam, maybe using raspberries, huckleberries and cranberries or raspberries and rhubarb. Yesterday I made some blueberry and apricot jam, it turned out well. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little, the worst thing that can happen is you end up with fruit syrup (great on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, etc) instead of jam.
Jacqueline
Oh, that is encouraging and makes me want to experiment and create more and more!! Loving the fruit this year! Thanks, sweet Ann! I appreciate your practical advice!
Ann
You are very welcome. We are enjoying a good fruit harvest this year also and it is fun to find some new flavour combinations.
Michelle
Thank you so much for this! My husband was just asking me how I could make jam without pectin! (we are moving toward an all natural lifestyle) I love this! I can’t wait to try this for him!!!
Jacqueline
I am so glad it is helpful!! I also made it with peaches and with blackberries! Everyone loves it, and you won’t taste or see the chia unless you use light colored fruit like peaches 🙂
Blessings!
Momma Jo
Made a 5c. batch of Peach Chia Jam this morning.
I am single (for life) and so I freeze (have a big freezer) things in single serve amounts.
I put it in glass jars and in the fridge for 24hrs then I will put it into single serving w/lid plastic cups (like the ones you get your side dish for coleslaw if you order out.
This way when I bring fresh clean eating breads home from the FM or pull one out of the freezer (I don’t eat bread often, it’s a mood comfort food) I will have my single serve frozen jam.
BTW as a careprovider for my Quad son around the clock time does not allow for kitchen projects ect. Hence I enjoy eating raw foods/raw juice easy prep, easy clean up and not slimey like cooked food. I do order part of a local grass fed heffer and have it cut and wrapped in small quanties most ground beef as it is very versatile..but a patty quick grilled on my Cruesenart Griddler is da best.
Jacqueline
Momma Jo that sounds the best!! I am so glad this recipe has been helpful. I also made peach jam, and we like it very much!
Like you, we prefer grass fed beef and pastured chicken and eggs.
I am praying for you and your son. May the dear Lord give you strength and peace as you go. God bless you both.
Shelli
Have you ever used apricots? If so, how would you change or keep the recipe?
Jacqueline
Ohh! I love apricots and we had some just today 🙂 I think I would add a couple tsp. of water to the recipe as I think they are a fairly dry fruit. The chia need moisture to swell and gel. Experiment, but let the consistency be your guide before you spoon into your storage jars. Let me know how it turns out 🙂 Blessings!
Penny
I am going to try making the strawberry jam with Truvia for sweetener. I am eating according to THM and don’t eat honey but not sugar either. I hope it works. I really miss my freezer jam!
Jacqueline
Penny, I have a feeling it will work! Would you please let me know after you taste?? I’d love that b/c I would do that, too, in a heartbeat!
Blessings, Mother Hubbard 🙂
Penny
It worked! I love it! I used 3 Tablespoons of Truvia in place of the honey and used white chia seeds. I made a double batch to use up some fresh strawberries. I plan to freeze the other jars of jam but used some this morning on homemade sprouted whole wheat toast and it was perfect. It’s not “jelled” like store-bought stuff but was perfect to me. Not super sweet but that is okay too. Thanks for sharing with everyone!
Jacqueline
Yay!! THANK YOU!! I will be trying this too…love the idea of the chia seeds…which I have on hand 🙂 God bless your homemaking (and you and yours!) 🙂
Kristen Tenney
I want to make the strawberry rhubarb jam. Do you process the rhubarb raw or do you cook the rhubarb first? Rhubarb can be tough and don’t want to ruin a whole batch of jam if I need to cook the rhubarb first. Please advise! Thanks!
Jacqueline
I did not make that specific recipe, Kristen, but if it was me, I would gently cook down the rhubarb portion but not the strawberries. Then mix them together. Mind you, I have not done this, but it makes sense that to use raw rhubarb would be less than ideal. I think it would not only work, but be very yummy!! I would love to make some today with all the rhubarb just so perfectly ready in the garden!!
Have fun, sweet friend!
Michelle Breau
Hey! I just wanted to say I LOVE your post about chia seed jam! I am doing a blog post on my newest blog all about different uses for mason jars and I am going to share a link to this page so others can see what you’re doing 🙂 I LOVE sharing blogs that inspire me 🙂
Jacqueline
Thank you, Michelle. That is great and so thoughtful! I needed that encouragement today 🙂
I’ll stop by soon. Blessings to you.
Sue
Here’s a recipe for making your own pectin, but I think that I would rather use the Chia…much easier.
Wash, but don’t peel, about seven large tart ORGANIC apples. Granny Smith or crabapples work well.
Cut the apples into pieces and add four cups of water and two tablespoons of organic lemon juice (fresh squeezed is ideal as it is higher in pectin than store bought).
Boil the mixture for 40 minutes, then strain it through an unbleached cheesecloth.
Boil the juice for another 20 minutes, pour it into sterilized jars, and seal.
To test the pectin content of the concentrated juice, stir one tablespoon of grain or wood alcohol into one teaspoon of fruit juice. DO NOT TASTE! Juices that are high in natural pectin will form a lot of chunky gel. Those with an average pectin content will form a few pieces of the jelly-like substance. Low pectin juice that are low in pectin content will form only small, flaky pieces of sediment.
Knowing the pectin content of the final product will help you judge how much pectin to add to your homemade jam and jelly recipes which will vary with each batch of homemade pectin you produce.
Jacqueline
Sue, thank you for this unique recipe!
I never heard of that, but I am intrigued! I have not bought pectin since I found out that it is usually highly processed. I may have to do this for fun one day!!
Blessings!
JoeandJulia
Has anyone tried to water bathe like in regular canning and leave out of fridge and freezer?
Jacqueline
Yes! It is also good for regular canning. I haven’t done it with this recipe, but the recipe taste and consistency is excellent and should can just like a more traditional jam! Glad you asked! Hope that helps, friend!
Jene'
If using grapes with seeds, do I process the grape seeds as well or should I remove?
Jacqueline
If it were me, Jene’, I would remove the seeds unless they are tiny. Some grape seeds are not noticeable. Your call 🙂
Mary
Hi Jacqueline. I use a tablespoon of chia every morning in a protein smoothie. I grind my chia seeds in a grinder beforehand. Would it be okay to grind my chia seeds before adding them to this jam recipe?
Jacqueline
Sure, Mary, I think that would be fine! It would also be a bit smoother! 😀 ~J