I often hear people mentioning they’ve always wanted to make their own jam but are scared of it. My answer to this is: Don’t be! In fact, I highly recommend starting canning by making a jam, and this chia jam is as simple as can be. Although the canning process can be lengthy (you want to set aside a few hours), it’s so simple to make, you’ll be wondering why you took so long to make it! It’s pretty much the same as my strawberry-rhubarb jam, but this one combines different fruits and berries. A real treat!
There is something incredibly empowering when you make your own food. A connection with nature, an appreciation for food and the hard work put into it. A true connection with humanity. Give it a try!
Because we use chia seeds, there is no need for added pectin or gelatin to ‘hold’ the jam (but make sure to add lemon juice for added acidity in order to can it). It’s a great alternative for vegans too since most gelatin available on the market is derived from cow/beef products, which also makes it safer in my point of view, rather than risking eating gross commercially-grown meat products (i.e., not grass-fed/organic). I remember several years ago when someone got sick from mad cow disease-related illness because they ate gummy bears. At the time, most people had no idea that candies and all kinds of products (even some yogurt) use beef-derived gelatin.
Chia seeds on the other hand are a whole-food ingredient that contain a great amount of plant-based proteins and essential fats that we need to function properly. What a great way to start your winter breakfast when you enjoy this delicious homemade jam on your toasts! 🙂
Hopefully you can still get your hands on some local organic fruits and berries to make this jam! It doesn’t require a lot, this is for a small batch, which makes it perfect to try canning your own jam! 😉
Enjoy!
ECP xo
Weekend Project: Easy Summer Jam with Chia Seeds | Vegan, Pectin-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
A simple recipe to make your own jam with your local fruits! Made with stone fruits, organic berries and chia seeds. No refined sugar, no pectin.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pint organic or wild raspberries washed, dried
- 1/2 pint organic or wild blackberries washed, dried
- 1 pint organic or wild blueberries washed, dried
- 4 plums peeled, stone removed, sliced
- 3 organic peaches (large) peeled, core removed, sliced
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Put all the fruits and berries into a large pot, on medium-low heat. Mix, and cover. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring once in a while.
- With a potato masher, carefully mash all the fruits and berries as much as you can.
- Add the maple syrup, stir, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chia seeds, stir, lower the temperature to low, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- CANNING:
- In the meantime, get 6 or 7 x 250 ml pre-cleaned mason jars ready. Bring a very large pot of water (and the jars and lids in it) to a boil, let it boil for 8-10 minutes.
- When the jam mixture is ready, carefully but quickly remove the hot jars and lids from the boiling water, reduce the temperature to medium heat. If you do not have special tongs for canning, use regular cooking tongs and a perforated spatula to do the job.
- BE CAREFUL, it’ll be really hot!!! You want to remove the jars empty (leave the hot water in the pot). Then using a small ladle, fill up the mason jars, but not all the way to the top, you want to leave a bit of room (about ½"). Then place the lids on top and tighten as much as you can without forcing too much.
- Put the jars back in the boiling water (you may need to remove some water). Make sure you have water covering all jars, by at least 1" or so of water.
- Increase the temperature to high and bring to a boil.
- Keep boiling for 10 minutes.
- Then, carefully remove the jars from the water and wait to hear a little “pop” from each jar (it might take 10 minutes or so). That sound means that it’s sealed and air-tight, ready to cool down for several hours and be stored away for later use!
- You can tighten the lid, every so often, as it cools down.
- That's it! Enjoy these little jars for many months to come!
Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 219kcal | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 489mg | Carbohydrates: 48g | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 33g | Protein: 3g | Vitamin A: 535% | Vitamin C: 45% | Calcium: 102% | Iron: 1.7%
Hi tx for recipes but some say you cannot use chia seeds in waterbath canning, or has it been approved?
Thanks for mentioning that Francien, I had never heard of that. I did a quick research online and although some say it could be an issue because of the chia seeds’ low pH, it seems like there are no conclusive answer. I think it’s fine because I add lemon juice, which increases the acidity on top of the fruits. I’ve made my own jam with chia seeds for several years and never had an issue, but if you don’t feel comfortable, don’t do it. You can still make it and store in the fridge and enjoy right away. 🙂
I agree with the first commenter, the chia seeds are not recommended by any safe canning resource groups, and while they may be safe, as a small amount of nuts are safe in some conserves, without testing there’s no way to know. The canning instructions are odd as well. There’s no mention of a rack in the bottom of the canner which is needed to diffuse the heat of the burner and let water circulate all around the jars, the lids should just be finger tip tight going in to the canner and then not tightened again after removal, and if you’re processing for 10 minutes or more there is no need to preboil the jars, they just need to be clean and warm.
Thanks for all the extra info