Blueberry & Vanilla Chia Jam

 

I don’t know where this recipe originated but a lot of people I follow on Instagram have their own versions up of this recipe, and I have been making it for a few months now. I have tried using all sorts of fruits and I have to say that this one I made yesterday is my favourite!

I have never made a classic, sugar-filled jam before but I always imagined it to be a difficult thing to master, so when I saw how easy this recipe looked I figured I really should give it a go. And if you like jam then I urge you to try it out too. It takes 5-10 minutes to make it and is jam-packed (pun completely intended) full of nutrients.

Chia seeds are such an amazing source of protein, omega-3 and dietary fibre. Here are a few other health benefits you may not know about these little beauties –

• They have 2 times the amount of protein than any other seed or grain
• They have 5 times the calcium of milk
• Twice as much potassium as bananas
• Three times the antioxidant levels of blueberries
• Three times more iron than spinach

They are also wonderful for maintaining hydration and electrolytes, they give you a burst of energy – the list goes on. It is recommended that adults eat 1 tablespoon of chia seeds a day, so if you’re not getting any chia in your diet then this jam is a fantastic way to introduce them.

I bought a whole lot of frozen blueberries over the weekend as they were on special this week and the bargain was just too good, so I bought up big, meaning everything I eat over the next few weeks will no doubt contain blueberries in some form. So recipe number one is this blueberry chia jam with a bit of added vanilla, just because I adore vanilla so much. Let’s get to it –

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup fruit (fresh or frozen)
• 3 tbps water
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (you could also use rice malt syrup, raw honey or a few drops of stevia extract)
• a dash of vanilla
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

 

METHOD:

Place fruit into a saucepan with water and your favourite natural sweetener. Cook over a low heat for about 5 mins until it boils and the fruit is soft.

 

 

Remove from heat and mash the fruit. I use a potato masher to start with and then finish with a fork to give me nice, small fruity chunks, but if you prefer a smooth jam then use a stick blender.

 

 

Add the vanilla and chia seeds, stirring through after each addition.

 

 

Pour your jam into a clean glass jar and pop it in the fridge to set. It will be ready as soon as it cools.

 

 

I tend to make mine in the afternoon/evening and I leave it to set overnight so it ready for brekky time. It is such a gorgeous jam to spread on toast, but my hubby swirls a big dollop of it through his yoghurt and tops it with granola (the first recipe on this blog). It is also a great addition to smoothies, and you can be assured it is healthy – plus of course there are no nasty hidden ingredients you don’t know about, so enjoy it to your heart’s content. I sometimes eat it with a spoon straight out of the jar at night time when I just feel like I need something sweet, and it’s enough to get rid of those sugary cravings 😉

xx