Recipe: Blackberry Chia Jam

updated May 2, 2019
summer
Blackberry Chia Jam
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(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

A low-sugar, all-natural jam that takes only minutes to prepare? Yes, there is such a thing! All you need is fresh fruit, lemon juice, chia seeds, and honey, and you can have a batch of homemade jam that is not only quick but quite low in sugar, too.

(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

Chia Seeds & Jam

Besides being rich in antioxidants, chia seeds are special because of their gelatinous properties: once immersed in liquid, the seeds inflate and give off a jelly-like texture. This means that instead of loading up the jam with refined sugar to make sure it thickens, we can rely on chia seeds to thicken the fruit and sweeten the blackberries with just a touch of honey instead.

(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

Treat this recipe as you would any other jam — slather it generously on a piece of toast with almond butter, stir it into your morning oatmeal, or fold it into a yogurt parfait. Later this week, I’ll share a recipe for how I use this jam to sweeten a bowl of overnight oats!

(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

Blackberry Chia Jam

Makesabout 1 cup

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 cup

    blackberries

  • 1

    nectarine or peach, peeled, cored and cut into cubes

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons

    lemon juice, from half a lemon

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons

    honey

  • 2 tablespoons

    chia seeds

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blackberries, cubed nectarine, and lemon juice. As the fruit heats up and the juices bubble and boil, smash the fruit using the back of a fork until they break down. This should take 3 to 5 minutes.

  2. Sweeten the mashed fruit with 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey, to your liking. Add the chia seeds and stir once. Remove from the heat and let the jam set for about 5 minutes to thicken. Cool and transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Recipe Notes

This jam will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.