5 Homemade Chia Jams

Never reach for store-bought jam again! These 5 Homemade Chia Jam recipes will prove to you that making jam can be quick and fun.  Get ready for healthy, refined-sugar-free jams that you can enjoy within 20 minutes!

By now, I think you might have figured out that jams are totally my...jam.

What’s not to love? They’re just an upgraded version of your favorite fruit… that you can wonderfully spread on a piece of toast or rice cake. But, jam is also so much more than that. I love adding it as a pancake topping and over greek yogurt, too.  Yep, jams are pretty great.

Tthe major downside to most store-bought jam is it's made with lots (and lots and lots...) of refined sugar. And when I say lots, I really do mean a lot.  If you've ever made homemade jam using granulated sugar, you know what I mean.

Luckily, there is a way around it!

You can still eat clean and enjoy your favorite fruit in the form of jam. But, how?  Well, instead of reaching for a jar of store-bought jam, make your own. As you’ll see, it’s actually pretty easy to make homemade jam without refined sugar and you can use pretty much any fruit you have on hand.

HOW TO MAKE JAM WITHOUT SUGAR

Staying away from processed sugar is the first step when switching to healthier, clean eating. If you want to skip the insane amount of sugar that’s needed in order to make jam, you can.  Trust me -- all that sugar is NOT needed and your jam will still taste amazing and sweet -- naturally!

So far, I’ve found that raw honey and pure maple syrup work best for me.   I add it once the fruit has been cooked and only as much as is absolutely "needed," to avoid unnecessary added sugar.  You could also use coconut sugar, though that will have an impact on the color of your jam.

HOW TO MAKE CHIA JAM

I love making chia jam because it’s so simple and easy. All you need to do to make a healthy version of your favorite jam is adding in chia seeds instead of making the jam with sugar and pectin.

The gelling power of chia seeds will turn your mashed fruit into a delicious spreadable jam in no time. Read more on the benefits of chia seeds.

To make jam with chia seeds, all you need to do is stir in chia seeds to the already cooked mixture of fruit and sweetener (raw honey or pure maple syrup work best, if needed) and let it stand for a few minutes until the mixture thickens.

If you’d like a thicker consistency, stir in more chia seeds, 1 teaspoon at the time until you’re happy with the final result.  That's it!  For realz.

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE JAM LAST?

Typical jams use lots of sugar to stay canned for months.  Since I prefer to stay away from refined sugar when making my jams, my homemade jams last about a week and a half in the fridge and I don't can them.  This is fine by me since I don't have to worry about the canning process and my homemade chia jam takes less than 30 minutes to have ready to use.

One great thing about jam is that even if you skip the sugar, you can still preserve your jam for later by freezing it. Make sure to use proper freezer-safe containers. You can keep jam in the freezer for a few months.

That all being said, you cannot can chia seeds, as they would spoil and don't play well with long-term storage. That means this is a purely fridge or freezer jam.

HOW TO PEEL PEACHES FOR JAM

Luckily, some tips will help you peel your peaches in record time. Peeling peaches with a knife often ends up pretty wasteful, as a lot of meat comes off with the skin. So, next time you’re peeling peaches for a recipe, instead of reaching out for a knife, set to peel the peaches using only your hands. Here’s how!

• Boil water in a large pot on your stove.
• Gently put the peaches in, one by one.
• Keep the peaches in for 20-30 seconds.
• Remove the peaches and put them in an ice bath (or just a pot of really cold water) and leave to rest for about 5 minutes.

After that, you should be able to pull off all the skin from your peaches in one swift motion. Peach perfect!

Homemade Chia Jam Recipes

Here are my 5 easy Homemade Chia Jam Recipes that are not only delicious, but are also good for you! Give them a try and let me know which one’s your favorite!

How To Make Blackberry Chia Jam

Check out my recent post on Blackberry Chia Jam.

How To Make Blueberry Chia Jam

Check out my recent post on Blueberry Chia Jam.

How To Make Peach Chia Jam

Check out my recent post on Peach Chia jam.

How To Make Raspberry Chia Jam

Check out my recent post on Raspberry Chia jam.

How To Make Strawberry Chia Jam

Check out my recent post on Homemade Strawberry Chia jam.

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