Local strawberries are still available and when I asked Ann if they were coming to an end she said no. Ann thought another two weeks of picking. Great, I can freeze some more and make jam.
Cooking and baking has become a challenge in my household because I don’t have white or brown sugar in my cupboard. The challenge was to make jam without using the large quantity of sugar that the traditional recipe requires. I found a recipe that works using maple syrup or honey!!!
Chia Fruit Jam
If you have 20 minutes, you can make this jam, that will taste better than any store-bought jam. You can use fresh fruit or frozen or any combination you like. My first batch that I made I used strawberries and haskaps. I make small batches and the extra fruit I freeze for the next batch.
3 cups fresh or frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
4 Tbsp maple syrup or honey or agave syrup, to taste
3 Tbsp chia seeds or more if required
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the berries and the maple syrup and bring to a simmer over medium heat stirring frequently. Be careful it doesn’t stick and burn. Cook for about 5 minutes and then lightly mash the berries with a potato masher or fork, leaving some whole for texture. Add more sweetener if needed.
2. Stir in the chia seeds until thoroughly combined and cook for about another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Let it sit for 30 minutes and if not thick enough add some more chia seeds 1 tsp at a time. It will thicken even more overnight in the fridge.
3. Place in a container in the fridge for two weeks. Take the extra and place in small jars and store in the freezer.
