Chia jams became all the rage last year and I still think they are a great way to whip up a quick and easy jam using up what’s in the kitchen in small quantities that you’ll use up quickly. My sugar free blueberry chia jam has basil for extra depth and flavour, think you’ll like it.
So what the hell is chia jam and how is it different from ‘normal’ jam? Well it’s all in those magical little chia seeds. Chia seeds are packed with protein and other goodies and when they hit liquid they expand and become all jelly like. You can make puddings with them (I have) and they do have just a wee tendency to look a little like frog spawn which can be a tad off-putting, but when they pull a jam together chia seeds are a marvel.
I call this a sugar free jam because I use a little honey as my sweetening agent, okay so it is a sweetener but it is just slightly better for you than good old refined white sugar.
You can make all sorts of jams using chia seeds (see my sugar free apricot and almond chia jam and my sugar free plum chia jam recipes) but I’ve made this sugar free blueberry chia jam just because I happened to have a punnet of blueberries about to expire in the fridge. You can use raspberries, strawberries almost anything you like really.
All you’ll need to make your sugar free blueberry chia jam are blueberries, chia seeds (available from all big supermarkets nowadays), a little water, runny honey, a lime and some fresh basil leaves.
Making chia style jam is super easy too, you will just blitz those blueberries in a food processor then heat them up with all other ingredients (apart from the basil) for 20 minutes, add the minced basil and spoon into a small sterilised jar. You are not boiling for ages waiting for that magical setting point with chia jam as the seeds set up themselves as the jam cools in the jar.
Your sugar free blueberry chia jam will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
K x
SUGAR FREE BLUEBERRY CHIA JAM
Ingredients
- 250 g/1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Blitz berries in food processor
- Heat together with the chia seeds, water, honey, lime juice and zest
- Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
- Stir in the minced basil leaves
- Spoon into a sterilised jar and set aside for 30 minutes to set
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