A ripe blackberry nestled amidst thorns, basking in the warm sunshine. August and September is blackberry season here in WA state and there are few things as delicious as fresh blackberries right off vine, especially if you dare to pick them yourself! Today I am sharing Low Sugar Blackberry Chia Jam, one of my favorite ways to incorporate this sweet berry in to our menu, and the best part is that no canning is necessary!
A delicious Low Sugar Blackberry Chia Jam that the whole family will enjoy!
Yes, we can purchase blackberries at our local natural food market, but what fun is that when you can forage them yourself?! Warning: these branches are full of thorns and the sweetest berries are the ones deep in the vines. When we hike in our local mountains the berries are everywhere and we do eat as many as possible when we are on the trail. Unfortunately we can’t carry them back home so we drive to an area that we can get our supplies to and from there, we begin clipping branches. The branches come home and the berries get removed and washed. That’s the process!
Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are in the “superfood” or functional food category. A functional food is said to offer benefits beyond their nutritional value, such as lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Chia seeds are loaded with vitamins and are a good source of omega fatty acids and fiber, 11 grams per ounce. So if you are trying to add extra fiber to your diet, add 2 tbsp chia seeds to your smoothie or try this jam!
Traditional jams and jellies are high in sugar and the process requires equipment and takes a few hours. This recipe is delicious, easy to prepare, and contains less sugar than traditional jams and jelly making it a wonderful alternative to offer on toast in the morning as the kiddos head out to school. Last year I shared Blackberry Chia Jam over creamy brie cheese, and we also used it on sandwiches at our Blackberry Season Luncheon.
For this recipe I used these aqua, vintage 4 ounce Ball® canning jars. We aren’t canning, so the jam will need to be refrigerated and used within about 2 weeks. To keep my jam as fresh as possible, I like to store it in air tight containers.
Thank you so much for stopping by! This post contains affiliate links which means that if you were to make a purchase using one of my links I would receive a small amount of compensation. I only link to products that I personally own, or know and love.
Blackberry Chia Jam
Nutritious and delicious, this low sugar jam is one of our family favorites!
- 4 cups Blackberries (Try to purchase organic when possible.)
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- 4 -6 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 6 -8 tbsp chia seeds (Add more or less chia for desired thickness.)
-
Rinse your berries in a colander and allow to drain.
-
Place blackberrries in your stove top pot and gently simmer.
-
When your berries begin to bubble, use a potato masher or fork to mash your blackberries.
-
While the blackberries are cooking, add the lemon juice.
-
Allow to simmer until most of the fruit has broken down.
-
Add chia seeds and honey or maple syrup.
-
Stir for about a minute and then remove from the heat.
-
Allow to cool for about 2 minutes and spoon in to your canning jars.
-
Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Use this tasty and nutritious jam on pancakes, toast or on top of yogurt. When you remove your jam from the stove and it’s cooled slightly, taste it to see if additional sweetener is needed before spooning into containers. Depending on how sweet or ripe your berries are when you start will determine how much sweetener you’ll need.
2 Responses
Hi Leslie, I have made chia pudding before but not jam…it sounds delicious! When my husband and I were in Mendocino last August there were blackberries everywhere. We were staying at a vacation rental so I made a blackberry cobbler while we were there. I never thought of bringing the branches home. Maybe next time I will try the jam. : )
Linda
The jam is yummy! Adjust the sweetness to your preference:) xo