Oh how I love jam, a foodstuff I couldn’t stand as a kid, I love now! It’s pretty versatile if you think of it: spread it between two slices of bread with any variety of nut butter, top your breakfast quinoa (this idea came from my roommate, which honestly I’m bummed I didn’t think of sooner), or just eat it straight out the jar, because it’s fruit so it totally counts, no?
Well, here at Another Food Love, I love to make my own jam, and while the traditional method can usually be time-consuming, this recipe is the quick, no added sugar, raw version of that. Sound like all good things? It sure is! Plus, yay, take in some Omega 3s!
I’ve been on a chia seed kick in the last few weeks. I find myself looking for recipes to add it to, mainly in breakfast foods is where I’ve found it’s best uses. Think: chia pudding, overnight oats, on toast, and now JAM!
For this jam, the fruits and liquids used are interchangeable. For this particular recipe, I used blackberries and fresh squeezed orange juice, but honestly, any combination would work. I’m excited to try different combinations soon, maybe even add some fresh spices – mint or basil would add awesome layers to a jam. The possibilities are endless!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Blackberry Orange Chia Jam
8oz container of blackberries
2 medium navel oranges, juiced
2-3 tbsp of chia seeds
Let’s get to it:
Super simple steps: Add to a blender the blackberries and fresh squeezed orange juice, and blend together until smooth. It will be a bit thick in consistency, that’s perfect! At this point, I strained it into the mason jar*, to remove any blackberry seeds. Once all the mixture is strained into the mason jar, add the chia seeds. I stirred em in, but you can get a mini arm workout in, cover the jar and shake away! Leave in the fridge for at least a few hours, but it’s best left overnight. Once the chia seeds have absorbed the liquid, it’s ready for spreadin’.
It has a mild sweetness to it, that comes only from the fruits. If you prefer a sweeter jam, you can certainly add a bit of your preferred sweetener before blending.
The tools I used for this, an average blender, a strainer, and an 8oz mason jar (average size jam jar, or similar container). *If you’ve got a high speed blender, you can probably skip the straining step.
Be creative, and share some of your combinations for no-fuss summer jams! How do you use jam? What’s your favorite way to eat it?