Deliciously sweet Chia Seed Strawberry Jam is a must try, it's also a healthier alternative to store bought jams.
You can make it using 4 simple ingredients, it's ready to eat in under 10 minutes.
This is a great summer recipe, and definitely one to get the kids involved with helping to make. It's a really tasty and fun way to show them how to make healthier versions of everyday foods. We also have a section on how to make this a baby friendly recipe as well.
An added bonus to making homemade strawberry jam - your home will smell incredible for hours.
Some other healthier alternative recipes to make with the kids, are our no-bake peanut butter cookies, our black bean brownies, or some healthy edible cookie dough.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's great for kids! It's a low sugar alternative than regular jam.
- It's easy to make. You can whip up a batch of this in under 10 minutes, and it keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- This recipe contains chia seeds - an easily accessible superfood loaded with omega 3 fatty acids and plant based protein.
- You can enjoy it with most sweet breakfasts, such as overnight oats, spread over warm toast with butter, or in our healthy oatmeal crumble bars.
- It tastes much better than jams you get from the grocery store. Nothing quite beats making homemade jam.
- Making homemade jam is a delicious way to use up fresh berries that are looking a little past their best.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Chia Seeds - The addition of chia seeds is common in healthier alternative jams. This is because they not only thicken the jam, but they offer a great nutritional profile. Chia seeds are packed omega 3 fatty acids, a nutrient which is great for brain and heart health. They also contain a high amount of iron and plant based protein, along with other minerals like Vitamin C. For a full nutritional breakdown of our chia jam, see the bottom of the recipe card.
- Lemon Juice - We use this for flavour mostly, but it is commonly used in jams. This is because is works in unison with the pectin in the berries to thicken the cooked fruits.
- Maple Syrup - We use pure maple syrup to sweeten our strawberry jam. Maple Syrup is less refined than table sugar, and contains minerals - albeit a small amount. It's typically more cost effective when bought in larger quantities, we typically buy it by the kilo from places like Amazon.
- Strawberries - We chose to use fresh fruit, but you can easily use frozen strawberries instead. We like to go strawberry picking with our homeschooling group when it's strawberry season. In the UK, strawberries are in season from late May to Early September. Althouth last year we still had some growing in our garden in November! In the US, it depends on the state, but they are generally considered a spring time crop, which means they'll be in season from May to July.
- Vanilla Extract - You can use homemade or store bought.
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Jam jars for storing
- Potato Masher (optional)
- Medium Saucepan
- Sharp Knife
- Wooden Spoon
How to make it
Step 1 - Chop your strawberries in to approximately 2cm chunks.
Step 2 - Add to your saucepan and cook on a medium heat. Cook the strawberries for 5 minutes, until very juicy and fragrant. Stir regularly to ensure none stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 3 - Add the maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla extract, then give it a good stir.
Step 4 - Mash the strawberry mixture as much or as little as you like. The more you mash it, the smoother your jam will be. Or if you prefer a chunkier jam, keep the mashing to a minimum. By mashing the strawberries you help to release more of the juices, and breakdown the larger fruit pieces.
Hint:mNow is the time to taste your jam. If you prefer it sweeter, add more maple syrup. Add a tablespoon at a time, tasting between the additions, until you get the level of sweetness you like.
Step 5 - Add in the chia seeds and stir well until they're all well incorporated in to the cooked strawberries.
Step 6 - Cook the jam for 5 minutes on a low heat. The chia seeds will soak up some of those strawberry juices and begin to thicken. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before transferring to a jar for storage. The jam will continue to thicken and have a more jammy texture as it cools.
Serving suggestions for strawberry chia jam
- On oatmeal
- Spread over your morning toast
- In jam tarts
- In a classic pb&j sandwich
- With with greek yogurt & honey
How long does chia jam last?
You can keep this in the fridge for up to two weeks. Just make sure to use an airtight container such as a mason jar when storing.
You can also freeze your jam if you feel like you wont eat all of this within a week. Keep in the freezer, in freezer bags, for up to 3 months. Thaw fully before using, and then use within 3 days.
Recipe tip
When buying fresh strawberries, the more in season the are, the better and sweeter they taste. And where possible, buy local/grown in your country. We're lucky in the UK to supply all our own strawberries, but in the US it will vary by State.
FAQ's
Pectin in a carbohydrate found mostly in the skin of fruits, in varying quantities. It's essentially a compound that holds cell walls together inside the fruits, or in other words, it gives the fruit structure.
For low pectin fruits such as berries, more is added in the jam making process, to get the gelatinous jammy texture. An example of a high pectin fruits are plums, blackcurrants and oranges.
Yes and no. If you're using a traditional jam recipe, then yes. And that's why *Jam Sugar* is needed for such recipes. It contains the pectin needed to make a gel like consistency to the cooked fruit. Adding lemon juice to traditional recipes as well, is a must. It raises the acidity level of the jam, which in turns helps the pectin to create the gelatinous texture of jam.
In non-traditional/healthy jam recipes, instead of pectin and sugar, chia seeds are used to thicken the fruit, and therefore mimic the texture of regular sugar jam.
More chia recipes to try:
More homemade healthy recipes:
- Homemade Vegan Nutella
- Chocolate Orange Spread
- Vanilla Cashew Butter
Recipe
Healthy Homemade Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Mason /glass jar for storage
- Potato Masher optional
- Saucepan
- Sharp Knife
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cups Strawberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsps Chia Seeds
- 2 tbsps Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsps Lemon Juice approx half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Chop all of the strawberries in to approximately 2cm chunks. You don't have to be specific with this, as they will be mashed a little later on.3 cups Strawberries
- Add the chopped strawberries to your saucepan and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until very juicy and fragrant. Stir regularly to ensure none stick to the bottom of the pan. The strawberries will seem quite watery but don't worry about this, the chia seeds will be soaking up that yummy fruit juices in a few minutes.
- Add the maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla, then stir well.2 tbsps Maple Syrup, 1 tbsps Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Using the back of a wooden spoon, or a potato masher. Mash/squish the strawberry mixture as much or as little as you like. The more you mash it, the smoother your jam will be.
- Add the chia seeds and stir well until everything has mixed together thoroughly.2 tbsps Chia Seeds
- Turn the hob heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Turn the hob off and remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Leave to cool. The jam will thicken as it cools, resulting in the perfect consistency.
- Once the jam has cooled, transfer to an airtight jar and store in the fridge.
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