Before every household had refrigerators or freezers, families made the most of the summer bounty of fruits by canning them so they would last up to the next harvest season. Back then, the large amount of sugar added was necessary to prevent bacterial or fungal growth. Those microorganisms only survived well when water in the food was accessible, but the sugar soaked up the water from the fruit. Add to that the acidity of fruit that prevented botulism, and the addition of pectin, which added a gel-like consistency that also prevented bacteria from being able to divide and grow. Finally, cooking the jam before adding it to the jar was key to killing off organisms that were in or on the fruit. Collectively, these steps added up to a great way to preserve and safely consume fruit many months after berries or other fruit had been harvested (1).
But times have changed. Most of us don’t have crates of fruit from our backyard that we have to figure out what to do with before they go bad. Thanks to international shipping and indoor vertical farms, many varieties of fresh or frozen fruit are available from our local grocer year round. And with the advent of water-bath canning – i.e. canning fruits by placing a heated fruit mixture in sterilized jars and then heating those jars in boiling water baths – sugar is no longer an absolute must for preservation. Still, the high-sugar content for some is what makes a jam a jam. For our family, though, the chia jam recipe below is a game changer. With standard store-bought jam, we’re careful to spread just enough on toast to get the fruit flavor, but not so much that it’s too sweet. But with the recipe below made at a level 2, say, you can slather on the fruit spread and it’s a whole different taste experience – in a positive way! Plus, the family is eating more fruit – that’s a win.
There’s a lot of flexibility with this recipe. You can use different types of fruit – berries, plums, and peaches, etc. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. For fruits with soft peels, such as apricots, you could cook and mash the fruit along with the peel if you wish. You can also cook the fruit or just mash it up fresh and combine it with other ingredients. And the lemon juice – added for tang and a little extra preservative power – is optional as well.
Again, this is not canned or store-bought jam with a high amount of sugar to preserve it for months. So, refrigerate the chia jam when storing it and return it to the refrigerator soon after you’ve used it. If you’ve had it for longer than a couple of weeks, just keep an eye out for spoilage like you would for other refrigerated sauces and spreads.
Enjoy!
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Chia Fruit Jam
We’ve set the highest sugar level to what you’ll get with typical store-bought reduced-sugar strawberry jam. Remember, you can make this recipe using the same weight of other berries or fruits, such as raspberries, blackberries, peaches and more. Lemon juice is optional, but it can help light-colored fruits from turning brown and helps preserve the jam for longer.
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups (280g) strawberries, fresh or frozen (or other fruit with soft flesh)
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
granulated sugar ( 0 | 1 tbsp | 1/4 cup | 1/2 cup | 1 1/4 cups )
2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Prepare fruit: For strawberries, remove leafy tops and optionally, the hulls. For other fruit, remove pits or core, and if peels are not soft, remove those as well.
- Thaw, if frozen: If fruit is frozen, microwave to thaw, typically 3 minutes at 50% power.
- Cook: To thicken up the flesh or if using ½ cup or more of sugar, add the fruit and lemon juice to a medium-sized pan and cook on medium-high heat. Mash the fruit to the desired level. Add in the sugar. You can start with a small amount if you wish and add more as needed to sweetening to taste. Mix occasionally.
- Add chia seeds: Once all the sugar has dissolved and mixture starts to bubble, remove it from the heat. Mix in the chia seeds and let cool.
- Allow the jam to gel: Add to a clean jar with a lid. You should have between 1 ½ to 2 cups of jam. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before consuming. This allows the chia seeds to fully gel.
- Store: Store for up to 3 weeks in the fridge; be sure to return the jam to the fridge after use rather than keeping it at room temperature for more than an hour; alternatively, take out just as much as needed.
Notes
- If it’s a strawberry jam you’re making, we highly recommend using organic strawberries. That’s because the Environmental Working Group has found conventional strawberries to be the fruit with the highest amount of pesticide added per weight (2).
- If you’re testing for desired sweetness, be careful not to double dip. This is not a jam that will be preserved in sterile jars with a high level of sugar, etc. Rather, it’s one that will need to be kept in the fridge and probably not longer than 3 weeks.
- The alternative fruits we have tried so far for this jam that have worked well include raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, fresh pineapple and fresh mango.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Vegan, Vegetarian
Nutrition Label: Level 5 is typical of store-bought reduced sugar jam. So, the sugar level of jams could potentially be even higher whether it’s store-bought jam or homemade jam recipes. To compare to other recipes, compare the weight of added sugar to the weight of fruit (where 1 cup granulated sugar = 200g). Level 5 here corresponds to a ratio of 0.86 to 1. Level 2 (using 1 tbsp sugar) corresponds to a ratio of 0.04 to 1!
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FAQs
Q: Can the jam be frozen?
A: Yes, absolutely. Feel free to make a larger batch and freeze away in containers that are freezer-safe, such as these Ball 16oz jars. Leave some space in the jar as the jam will expand when frozen. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Q: For fruits, such as raspberries and blackberries, do you recommend straining them to remove seeds?
A: We use them as is, but you can certainly remove the seeds for a smoother jam. Just remember, though, the chia are also seeds and while they will turn to a gel, they’ll have a texture similar to raspberry or blackberry seeds in a jam, so you won’t attain a completely smooth texture, even if you strain the berries.
References
- Why Does Jam Last So Long: Sugar, Acid & Pectin. Accessed May 26, 2006.
- The Dirty Dozen™. Accessed May 26, 2006.