Strawberry + Chia Seed Jam
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Jam is my mortal enemy. I don’t like making it. And I CRINGE whenever someone tells a new canner to start with jam when learning. Had I done that, I’d have brunt all my canning tools sacrilegiously in my yard the first or second time I tried! Pectin hates me and I hate it right back. I also don’t enjoy adding a half ton of sugar to make a jam. I want it to taste like fruit. Pomonas pectin is great, but not for me. It’s hard to get and quite expensive and I always mess up the instructions and add things at the wrong time (it’s a me thing, not a them).
This is what I did to make my “jam”
I will mention that this recipe is a first for me, and it tasted delightful, but I’m not entirely sure on how it will hold up on the shelf. So stay tuned because I will updated at it stores. You can freeze it if you make a bunch, or store in the fridge. Or you can can it like I did. Just know that this is obviously not a normal jam recipe and contains no sugar, which is a preservative unfortunately.
The recipe:
4 lbs strawberries, tops removed
1/2 cup chia seeds
Add strawberries to a stock pot, smashing to release some juices and then heat gently to a boil. Allow berries to boil about 15 minutes, or til softened. You can smush them with the back of a spoon or use a stick blender to blend til smooth. I like mine chonky!
Add in your 1/2 cup chia seeds and stir well.
Bring mixture back to a boil for 1-2 minutes.
Ladle into sterilized half-pint jars if you are canning. I left about 1/2” headspace in case the chia seeds swelled a bit.
Waterbath for 10 minutes at a full rolling boil. Or 15 minutes if you don’t want to sterilize your jars. Or I open kettle canned them. Or freeze them. Or toss in the fridge.
This gives you a nice, thick, spreadable, jammy consistency with no added sugar. If you would like to sweeten your berries, use whatever sweetener you would like. It actually tastes like the fruit without needing to add a dump truck load of sugar. I’m thrilled!
If you’re not a fan of chia seeds and their texture, you probably won’t like this. I found that the texture didn’t bother us at all, but rather, we really liked it. So, maybe make a small batch at first to test out before diving in head first if you are unsure. Plan on adding 2 TBS of chia seeds to every pound of berries.
Happy jamming!!
Below I’m linking my favorite tools I used making this jam from Amazon!
