This chia blueberry jam is easy to make and can be canned. It’s made with half of the amount of sugar you’ll find in traditional jam and without any added pectin. It’s a perfect summer jam to make and have on the shelf year-round.
Blueberries are the perfect fruit if you ask me. They grow on bushes that often start producing in their second year. The bushes are low so you don’t have to climb anything to take care of them and you can even send your kids to do the harvesting.
You can freeze, can, or dehydrate blueberries; you can eat them fresh, add them to fruit shakes, bake with them (check out this strawberry bread recipe, you can easily switch the strawberries with blueberries!), and you can make and can blueberry jam. They are the perfect fruit!
Chia seed jam is more of a “short-term” jam that is best enjoyed within a week or two from your fridge. It can be stored in a jar or can of course, but because the jam is thickened with chia seeds rather than pectin and sugar, it does not preserve the same way those types of jam would.
How to Make Chia Blueberry Jam…
Step one – bring blueberries and sugar to a boil. Add the blueberries and sugar to a wide, deep pan and set on the stovetop. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil (stirring frequently). Let it boil for five minutes, then lower the heat to medium-low for the rest of the cooking.
Step two – mash the fruit. Let the fruit cook for an additional ten minutes, then use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash or blend the fruit. You can leave it in large chunks or blend it all the way, it’s up to you.
Step three – add lemon zest and juice. After 10 additional minutes of cooking add the zest of one lemon and its juice. Make sure you stir those in…
Step four – add the chia seeds. Now, here is the tricky part with chia jams… When you make jam without chia and just add pectin or lemon seeds as I do, you can keep cooking the jam until you see that it has thickened to your liking.
With chia jam, the process is not as clear. You want to still have quite a lot of juice in the pot before you add the chia seeds, and once we add them, we are only going to cook the jam for a couple more minutes before we turn the heat off. The seeds will keep absorbing the liquid and thicken the jam even after you turn the heat off and you don’t want to end up with a jam that is too thick.
So you might have to experiment with this a little bit and it’s a bit hard for me to direct you to the exact time you should add the chia seeds because each batch of fruit is going to have a different amount of juice in it… To give you an idea, to this 3 lb of fruit, I added 2 tablespoons of chia seeds about 30 minutes after I started cooking this jam.
Once your jam is ready, you can let it cool a bit, add it to jars, and store it in the fridge to enjoy right away. If you’d like to preserve it, or if you want to save some fridge space you can follow the instructions below and can it.
Using Chia Blueberry Jam…
- As a snack – we love spreading cream cheese on crackers (or a bagel) and adding some jam on top. It’s an awesome mid day snack for the whole family.
- On a toast – I always drink coffee in the morning and a toast with some jam on it is the perfect companion.
- In cookies – I make these thumbprint cookies and add jam in the center. They melt in your mouth and are absolutely addictive!
- On yogurt – homemade yogurt (made with either raw milk or store-bought) with homemade granola and a tablespoon or so of jam is my go-to meal when I have no energy to cook a “real” one.
- Add it to baked goods – if it’s a baked puff pastry (use jam instead of the sliced pears), a turnover, jam filled bars, or any other baked good, this jam will work great!
Yes, you can. Also, check my mixed berry jam recipe. I didn’t add chia to it but you can do that just as we did here.
If you opened a jar and noticed that your jam is too thick, you can add it to a small pot, add some water and cook it for a few minutes. I recommend that you store it in the fridge, don’t process it in the water bath canner again.
Yes, vanilla extract works best here. You can add just a couple of teaspoons when you add the chia seeds.
Usually, I’d say that you can replace the lid and process the jam in the water bath canner again, however, with this chia blueberry jam, because of the chia seeds, I think it will be better if you just store it in the fridge and not process it in the water bath canner again.
We love blueberries around here and this chia blueberry jam is a favorite summer jam for us. It’s not too sweet and the chia seeds add a little crunch and a different texture that we really like. I hope that you’ll give it a try!
Chia Seeds – 3 things that Chia Seeds are NOT
FAQ
Can chia seeds be used in canning?
What are the side effects of too much chia seeds?
Can chia seeds be used as pectin?
What not to mix with chia seeds?
Is Chia Jam Canning safe?
Chia jam isn’t meant for canning and should be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks in a sealed container (like a mason jar). Yes! Chia jam is packed with an additional nutritional punch from the chia seeds which are high in omeg-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber!
Is it safe to eat chia seeds that have been blended with liquids?
Yes, when mixed in water, chia seeds form a gel that is excellent for increasing satiety, decreasing hunger and cravings. There are no associated dangers.
Can chia seeds make jam?
Instead of cooking fruit down, relying on pectin, and adding sugar to help it set, like traditional jam, all we need to do is mash up some fruit and stir in a few tablespoons of chia seeds. Within a few minutes, the chia seeds will absorb the fruit juices and thicken it to a jammy consistency.
Can chia seed jam be frozen?
Keep in the fridge for up to a week. To Freeze: Freeze prepared chia smash in a freezer-safe container or jar for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or quick thaw placing the jar in hot water for a few minutes. This 10-minute Chia Seed Jam can be made with any type of berries or juicy fruit!