Blueberry Chia Jam

Blueberries are everywhere, at least for the next week and then the season ends. Every trip to the farmers market ends in at least two quarts of organic blueberries that I use in recipes or just eat for a snack. There is something about blueberries that appeals to me more than strawberries sometimes; maybe it's how easy they are to eat and because they are never too sweet or sour but I just love taking a handful and munching on them.

Making my way home with a huge bag of veggies and fruit inevitably resulted in something being crushed (I had a few tomatoes and the blueberries in the bag along with potatoes and grains); sure enough some of my blueberries got squished which then gave me the idea to make this jam. The blueberries were still GOOD but this just goes to show that sometimes recipes can come to you at very odd times.

You can use pretty much any fruit for this recipe but I love using the softer fruits like berries and figs. For the sweetener, use dates or maple syrup. The chia seeds absorb the excess water and make it more jelly-like. It took me under 5 minutes to whip up the jam and the rest of the time is just refrigeration. 

Blueberry chia jam recipe:

1 1/2 cups of organic blueberries, washed well

1/4 cup of chia seeds

1/4 cup of maple syrup

Combine the blueberries and maple syrup in your food process until everything is smooth. Pour into a small mason jar and mix in the chia seeds. Put the lid on the jar and refrigerate. In a few hours, the mixture will be like jam. If it's still too watery for your taste, add more chia seeds to soak up the liquid.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this recipe later in the week; I'm planning on making overnight oats with this jam! Not a blueberry fan? Check out my strawberry jam recipe.