Skip-the-Stove Chia Fruit Jam

Whole Grain English Muffin with Almond Butter and
Skip-the-Stove Chia Fruit Jam makes a great snack.

Makes approximately 1 cup

Recipe from Food52

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We are ever trying to eat more healthfully by cutting out processed foods as much as possible.  Who knew that you could make a terrific jam using no processed sugar?  And, it can be done without heating up the house with the stove. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I made this.  I was pleasantly surprised that I could really taste the fruit much more than with sugar-laden jam.

1 cup fruit (any kind of berries or chopped stone-fruit like peaches, plums, etc.)

4 teaspoons (or more) chia seeds*

1 Tablespoon real maple syrup, local honey, agave syrup or sorghum (Add or subtract to taste.)

2 teaspoons citrus juice (lemon, lime, or grapefruit juice)

1 pinch Kosher salt or sea salt (This will make the fruit taste fruitier.)

Place all the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix it all together well.  Chill for at least half-hour or until thickened.  (After ½-hour, check the jam. If your fruit is juicy and you like your jam thick, add more chia seeds.  If you want your jam a bit looser, add more fruit.) When you are satisfied with the thickness of the jam, place it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate.  This jam will keep for several days.  You can also freeze the jam to serve later in the winter.

Tips: 

If the berries are large, you can use a chopper to chop them up into smaller bits.  This will help with spreading the jam on your toast.

Reviewers have said they’ve made this jam with frozen fruit, however, I haven’t tried it with frozen fruit yet. mapel

This jam can be frozen and then thawed in the fridge overnight so that they could have summer fruit jam in the winter months.

**Chia Seed Information:  Chia is an edible seed that comes from a desert plant.  Chia seeds are a concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.  Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole-grain food that can be absorbed by the body.  One ounce (about 2 Tablespoons) contains 139 calories, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, 12 rams carbohydrates, and 11 grams of fiber, plus vitamins and minerals.