You may have seen this concept circling around facebook and other places: using chia seeds to help gel a fresh fruit jam. I loved the idea and had to try it. We grow raspberries in our yard so I always have plenty. This summer I was busy taking care of my newborn and didn’t get out picking at all, but my sweet mother in law showed up at my door several times with buckets full of raspberries (we are next door neighbors). One day we ate our fill and I had lots left over, so I decided to try out this simple jam.

Fresh Fruit Chia Seed Jam

4 c fresh berries
2-4 T raw honey – depending on the fruit you choose, I used about 4 T for tart raspberries
2 T chia seeds
4 T water
splash of lemon juice

Place the chia seeds in the water and soak for 10 minutes. Place fruit, chia seed mixture, honey, and lemon juice in blender (or nutribullet) and blend for 3-4 minutes.

That’s it! Store in jars in the fridge or freezer. Makes about 4 cups.

Thoughts:

This jam was good. I make a lot of jam, both freezer and cooked, so I am pretty picky. I didn’t mind the chia seeds in there at all, probably because it was raspberry jam so there were already plenty of seeds. I have seen several variations on this recipe, and how long it lasts. Mine was in the fridge for a week and was fine, but after that it started to separate, so I wouldn’t recommend keeping much longer than a week in the fridge. If frozen, this should last several months. My oldest daughter LOVED it and slathered it on hot scones, toast, and whatever else she could think of. I love the addition of chia seeds and all of the extra goodness they bring. This is a great recipe to throw together last-minute when you want to impress some company with fresh jam!