OMG homemade jam is so simple! And so delicious. Well at least this recipe is. I absolutely enjoyed making strawberry and because it’s so easy I now make it very last minute when I know I need some.
Jam in general can have a lot of sugar and be high in calories. One day I was really craving jam but wanted a healthier alternative, but they aren’t so easy to come by on the shelves or pocket friendly, so I searched for a recipe and this was basically the easiest I could fine. I really like it and tweaked it a bit. It was delicious, not to sweet and very easy to make.
When making this jam the chia seeds add in so much nutrition and make it more thick. When the chia seeds soak in the jam liquid they expand and make the jam nice and thick. Chia seeds contain all the essential amino acids and can be used in smoothies, cereal, baking and even as an egg replacement for vegans. Adding this to your jam will ensure extra nutrition with no effort.
You can crush the chia seeds into a powder or leave them whole and just mix them in. Both ways work just fine and it just comes down to your preference.
I enjoy strawberries and have only made this with strawberries but a friend of mine used blueberries and said it was delicious. This definitely gives me an idea for a delicious marmalade.
Ingredients
280 g strawberries chopped
2 tbs water
1 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 tsp sugar alternative *optional
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
In a pot over medium heat add your chopped strawberries and water and bring to a boil. The water just helps the strawberries not to stick to the pot. As the strawberries cook they will slowly break down and become more of a liquid and turn into a jam. When it starts to boil turn down the heat to medium low and stir often. You can use the back of your spoon to also break mash down the strawberries further.
The whole cooking process takes about 15 minutes. It will also start to get thick. When you drag your spoon through the jam and it slowly draws back to the center you can remove from the heat and add you chia seeds and stir through. Taste and see if you need to add in your sugar alternative. Add 1 tsp at a time and more if necessary. I used SWEETLY vanilla sugar substitute or coconut sugar. It’s not to sweet and doesn’t have that artificial sugar substitute taste.
The lemon juice is supposed to act as your preservative. But because it’s still a more natural product you cannot store it as long as you would store bought jam. So keep it in an airtight glass jar or container and in the fridge. This recipe doesn’t make a very big batch and generally lasts me about 10-12 days.
It’s very quick to make and not much of a sticky hassle at all.