Preserve the vibrant flavours of summer with this naturally sweet strawberry jam enriched with trendy chia seeds for a nutrition boost. You can savour the fresh taste of strawberries even as summer fades or cook and bake with them year-round by looking for strawberries from California at the grocery store.
Strawberry Chia Jam
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Makes: 1 cup (250 ml)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (400 g) California strawberries, chopped into quarters
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
- 1 – 3 tbsp (15 – 45 ml) maple syrup, depending on how sweet you want your jam
- 2 tbsp (40 g) chia seeds
Directions:
- Rinse your strawberries, pat them dry and remove stems.
- Place chopped strawberries into a small pot with water and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the fruit starts to break down and look syrupy. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat. Using a potato masher, mash strawberries into smaller pieces until the mixture is as smooth (or lumpy) as you’d like.
- Stir in lemon juice, maple syrup and chia seeds. Try starting with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and tasting before adding more.
- Optional: If you want to get rid of visible chia seeds and strawberry lumps, blend the mixture before placing into jars for storage.
- Allow the mixture to thicken for at least 10 minutes before transferring into jars. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
Recipe note: There are no added preservatives in this recipe. If you do a full hot-water bath canning process, the jam is safe to store at room temperature. If you choose to skip the canning process, store the jam in the fridge and use it for two to three weeks. You can also freeze the jam for several months and thaw it in the fridge before using it.
Find more delicious recipes at californiastrawberries.com.
Source & Photo. (NC) Newscanada.com