Health Resources Library

Strawberry Chia Jam

This jam recipe is a delicious alternative to most traditional jam recipes that call for pectin and refined sugar.
Refined sugar is an inflammatory food causing problems like joint pain, headaches and fatigue. It also wreaks havoc on the delicate balance of our microbiome. Consider replacing refined white sugar with sweet alternatives that don’t have as harmful effect on the body.
Commercial pectin products should be avoided because it is generally made with dextrose, fruit pectin and citric acid.

Dextrose is sugar derived primarily from corn. Many people can have sensitivities to corn and should also be aware that it is probably made from genetically modified corn.

Fruit pectin requires sugar to “gel” properly. In order for the pectin to set you need to use a ratio of 55-85% sugar to fruit. This turns your very nutritious fruit spread basically into fruit flavored frosting.

Citric Acid used to be made from fruit. Now it’s more commonly made from feeding sugars to black mold and processed using sulfuric acid.

Use these ingredients instead:

Pure Maple Syrup or honey as sweeteners, they contain some beneficial properties.
Chia Seeds to make your jam gel. Chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight, this is how they make the jam thick. Chia seeds are also a complete protein and slow down sugar absorption helping to maintain proper blood sugar levels.
Lemon Juice for pure citric acid to preserve color.
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Strawberry Chia Jam

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups fresh strawberries

1Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. Raw honey or pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp. chia seeds*

Instructions

Wash and hull strawberries and cut into quarters.

Add prepared strawberries to a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow strawberries to come to a boil, begin mashing with a potato masher or a fork.

Continue mashing and allow to boil for 10 minutes. Jam will be about the consistency of course apple sauce.

Remove pan from heat and stir in honey, lemon juice, and chia seeds. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Stir jam, it should have thickened a bit. Transfer into a pint jar. Allow to cool, secure lid and store in the refrigerator. You can also store in the freezer, allow to thaw in the refrigerator.

Notes

My family doesn’t like too many “seeds” in their jam so I like to grind 1 Tbsp. of chia seeds using a coffee grinder and leave 1 Tbsp. whole seeds.

This recipe is delicious on Grain Free Thumbprint Cookies

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