Lots of my recipes have some kind of story behind how they were created – this strawberry chia jam recipe includes one of those stories!
I was getting ready to fly to Iceland.
After going through the fridge the day of the flight, I saw that there was an untouched container of fresh strawberries we had forgotten about. I just wasn’t in the mood for strawberries.
But I’m Italian. I hate wasting food…
Earlier that week, I had tried chia seed pudding for the first time, LOVED it, felt inspired and went out to buy my own massive bag of black chia seeds. Once they made it to my cabinet, I realized what a huge commitment I had made: what does one do with a bag of chia seeds that big? How much chia pudding can one person eat?!
Where is this going? Well, now that I had committed to that massive bag of chia seeds, I needed to figure out what to do with them. I was browsing the internet for chia seed recipes and came across a recipe for blackberry chia jam.
Table of Contents
Benefits of chia seeds
Chia seeds have been around for a long time but they flew completely under the radar until pretty recently.
Chia seed nutritional value
They’re high in fiber, heart-healthy fats, and antioxidants.
Chia seeds for constipation
Soaking chia seeds in water for just a few minutes helps to activate the fiber, which adds bulk and roughage. The fiber in chia seeds also swells turns into a mucilagenous gel (lovely, I know) – and it helps the stools to pass more easily through the gut.
Chia seeds for diabetes
Chia seeds make a great functional food for diabetics: their fiber and essential fats help to reduce the glycemic index of a food by slowing down the time it takes for the sugars/carbohydrates to turn into blood glucose.
What does this mean? More stable blood sugar levels, satiety, and sustained energy.
Getting innovative
I may not have had any blackberries or peaches on-hand, but I did have LOTS of strawberries, chia seeds, and raw honey. I was feeling creative and decided to experiment before it was time to head to the airport. It seemed like a better alternative to throwing out a perfectly good container of strawberries!
Without further ado, here’s my impromptu strawberry chia jam recipe!
Strawberry Chia Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries (hulled)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp raw honey (or other liquid sweetener of choice, such as real maple syrup or coconut nectar)
- 1 tsp or 1 squeeze fresh lemon/lime juice
Instructions
- In a small pan over medium heat, combine the berries and citrus juice.
- As the fruit begins to bubble, mash with the back of a fork for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Sweeten the mashed fruit with 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey,to your liking.
- Add the chia seeds and stir, then remove from heat immediately.
- Let the jam set for about 5 minutes to thicken. Cool and transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Jam will last for 2 weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!
