Last weekend our local farm’s “Pick Your Own” finally opened and we came home with an abundance of this summer’s first red, sweet, juicy strawberries! We froze about half the batch and I’ve been having fun finding new ways to use the other half. Today, I’m sharing a super easy recipe for a quick, raw strawberry jam that needs no cooking and no refined sugar!
The secret ingredient to this raw jam is the super nutritious chia seed. I’ve written about the health benefits of chia seeds before and I’ve been using them almost every morning on my yogurt, granola, even my salads. What makes chia seeds perfect for this raw jam is their ability to absorb almost 10 times their weight in water and create a kind of gel-like consistency (it’s also what makes them a great substitue for eggs in lots of recipes!).
I first found this idea at this neat blog, Eating Bird Food, and I immediately thought, “Umm, duhh! Chia seeds are perfect for this!” And they really are. If you’re looking for a way to make jam in about 5 minutes without worrying about added sugar, cooking times, pectin, and all the other things that go into making a traditional jam, you’ve got to try this out!
Start with about a cup of the best berries you can find. Berries tend to be very high in pesticide residue so I always make sure to buy organic, if not from a local farm. You can use either fresh or frozen, but if they’re frozen you’ll want to leave them out to thaw out a bit before using.
Mash the berries to the consistency you like. Since my berries were literally picked that day, I just used a fork to mash them because they were already so soft. You can also use a potato masher or throw them into the blender or food processor. Just be careful not to over-blend them, otherwise you’ll end up with more of a jelly than a jam. Of course, if you’re more into jellies, then blend away! 🙂
Once you’ve got your berries to the right consistency, add a tablespoon of water, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and a sweetener of your choice. I added a little less than a tablespoon of raw honey, but you could use maple syrup, stevia, or any liquid sweetener. Mix it all very well, making sure the chia seeds are all covered with the liquid and everything is well incorporated.
NOTE: Since my berries were pretty juicy on their own, I skipped adding the water and the jam turned out fine. So I would adjust the water based on how juicy or liquid-y your berries happen to be.
Transfer the jam to a glass jar, cover it, and place it in the fridge for at least an hour to help it “set up.”
That’s it! You now have a jar of homemade, raw jam that’s healthy, nutritious, and refined sugar free! Use it as you would any other jam – on toast, in a PB & J sandwich, spread it on pancakes, waffles, muffins, or just eat it right off the spoon! Hey, it’s super healthy so go ahead and live a little. 😉
If strawberries aren’t your thing, you can use almost any other berry for this jam. Blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all great for this easy homemade jam! And don’t worry about the chia seeds, you don’t even notice them in the jam since the berries already have seeds as well.
This is by far my favorite, most innovative way to use chia seeds yet!
Have you ever tried making chia seed jam? What’s your favorite jam flavor?
Raw Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1 tablespoon water or less, depending on how "juicy" your berries are
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- liquid sweetener honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Mash strawberries using either a fork, potato masher, blender or food processor until desired consistency.
- Add water, chia seeds, and sweetener, if using, and mix very well until everything is incorporated.
- Transfer jam to a glass jar, cover, and place in fridge for at least 1 hour to set up.
- Enjoy as you would regular jam.
Loved this. Will make again and again. Takes 5 minutes. Will never purchase jam or jelly from the store again. Could probably use dehydrated powdered fruit also, or other fresh fruits. Dehydrate at less than 119° F to preserve life-force enzymes.
can this be done with blueberries ?
Yes! I would cook them first to get them nice and soft, since they have thicker skin than strawberries. Just add the blueberries and honey to a pot and cook on medium heat until the berries are falling apart. Then you can add the chia seeds and mash it all up.
Don’t cook your fruit. Heat destroys the enzymes that are the fountain of youth. If you are going to cook your fruits you may as well purchase store bought. Don’t heat fruits or vegetables over 119° F. Just blend well so the skin will be such small pieces it won’t matter.
I like the blueberry or raspberry chia jam…..is so fresh….sweetened only by the fruit. So yummy.
I just made this, but put it in an ice cube tray and then plan to put them in freezer bags and use then like the little packets you get in restaurants.
Oh that sounds very cool! Please let us know how it works out!
Freezing lessens the nutrient value and destroys the enzymes. If you put an onion in the freezer and then planted it it would rot. If it is frozen, it is no longer raw.
Great , save this one for my wife. Thanks again
can you please tell me how much stevia I would use? Thank you
I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with using stevia so I wouldn’t know. The sweetener amount is to taste, and depends on the sweetness of your berries. So I would start with a small amount and taste it, and keep adding more until you feel it’s to your liking.
I buy “Stevia for Cooking” in a package from WalMart. Instructions say 1X1 to replace sugar. Works for me.
Just found this and have a question – the “1 cup strawberries,” is that measured before or after they’re mashed up? And if it’s before… how in the world do you measure 1 cup of whole berries?? There’s going to be a lot of empty space in that measure! I’ve never understood how to do that the right way :-/ Help??
Hi Also Sarah! Haha, I know what you mean! I just measure them before they’re mashed up. If they’re particularly large berries, I just eyeball it and do a “heaping cup” so it’s kind of overflowing a little.
I can’t eat an entire container of jam in a week…How long would you think this could last in the freezer?
I’m really not sure as I haven’t tried freezing it. I’m sure it would freeze quite well and probably for a good long while, but just not sure for how long.
Has anyone tried making this with chia seed powder?
Hi Amber, I’ve actually heard of others making it with chia powder, although I haven’t tried it myself. If you try it, please let us know how it works out!
Love this recipe I had been looking for something fast, simple, & delicious. I found it.
Thank you for sharing.
I loved it! I made some with blueberries and coconut nectar! yum!
Beyond brilliant! Will try this week while farmer’s markets are still roaring!
I’m not Muslim, but I wanted to wish you and your family a Ramadan Kareem!
Thanks for this lovely blog.
Aww, thank you Silvia! That’s very sweet of you. 🙂
I just made this following your recipe. I’m doing a no added sugar kind of lifestyle and was really wanting some jam with my spelt toast. This is perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m going to try it with raspberries next!
I’m a raspberry and blackcurrant jam person 😀 thank you for that easy recipe
How long would you imagine this will last in the fridge?
I have a ton of very ripe raspberries that need to get used up. I remembered seeing this on Instagram today so I stopped by to check it out. I’m going to give it a try … I Love Chia!!! Thanks 🙂