My son recently declared “I just love jam”. It made us all laugh as we hadn’t actually been talking about jam at the time, it was just a random statement that came from nowhere. Of course!
Mind you, he does have a point. I particularly like a rustic homemade conserve jam-packed (excuse the pun!) with ripe fruit. Of course, the problem with jam is it’s high sugar content, the key ingredient for preserving the fruit. Once a jar is open, how to resist eating it all at once?
According to food trend pundits, ‘low sugar’ is going to be a key feature in 2017. Eating a mainly whole food plant based diet, my sugar tends to come in it’s natural form; I try to avoid highly refined sugars partly because of the strain it puts on the body, but mainly because I seem to be particularly susceptible to sugar lows if I eat anything with high levels of the white stuff. I become more ‘panicgry’ than ‘hangry”, not a pleasant experience!
And being the beginning of the year with many people resolving to eat better and/or lose weight, I figured some healthy ‘jam’ would be just the thing to keep the spirits up.
If you haven’t co
me across chia seeds yet, then this is a good recipe to start with as it’s so simple. Chia seeds are tiny nutrient dense seeds that are a fabulous source of healthy omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fibre and and other nutrients like manganese, magnesium and various vitamins. You only need a small amount as they swell in fluid, softening and releasing all the goodness hidden within. This swelling thickens up the fruit purée, creating the jammy consistency you want in a fruit conserve. Chia seed jam works best with berries as they contain their own seeds – apricot jam might look a bit odd with lots of swollen seeds in it.
I like to use frozen mixed berries for my jam, but raspberries by themselves are also lovely. And that’s it, no sweetener or other flavours. This can make it a bit tart, but you can really taste the real fruit flavour.
Once made, you can use it wherever you would use jam; on porridge, toast, rice pudding, ice cream, yoghurt (all dairy free versions of course!), in cake fillings, on meringues, scones or rice cakes – on whatever you like really!
Of course, the thing to bear in mind is that without the added sugar, chia jam doesn’t have the same
shelf life as a normal jar. It keeps fresh in the fridge for 5 days or so, that’s if a resident jam lover doesn’t finish it all in one go.
So give this a go; one of my key rules of eating well is never to feel deprived. So it you’re on a New Year health kick, this will definitely hit the jam spot!
Chia seed jam
150g frozen berries of choice ***
1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
30-45ml water
Place the frozen fruit into a saucepan, add the water and simmer until fully defrosted and soft. Mash any remaining whole fruit into a pulp. Add a little more water if needed, Stir in the chia seeds, simmer for a minute, then turn off the heat. Leave to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a small bowl to cool completely. Once cool, it
should be thick and gloopy. Transfer to the fridge, or eat straight away. Enjoy!
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