Recipe: Raw Blueberry-Blackberry Chia Jam
Summary: The fresh berry flavor bursts forward in this raw jam thickened by natural pectin in the blueberries and the jelling quality of chia seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 (6-ounce) container fresh blueberries
- 1 (6-ounce) container fresh blackberries (I used Driscoll’s blackberries [1])
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Heilala vanilla paste [2] (or use vanilla extract)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds (I used White Chia Seeds from Melissa’s Produce [3])
Instructions
- Puree the berries in a food processor. Whirl in the rest of the ingredients. Transfer to a jam jar or lidded container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before using. The jam will be semi-firm and set by then.
- Enjoy!
[4]Quick notes
Chef Scott Samuel of the Culinary Institute of America says, “Uncooked fresh and frozen blueberries in blended mixtures will gel within a few minutes of standing. The natural pectin in the blueberries causes that to occur, but is avoidable by allowing the mixture to stand until it gels, and then re-blend or stir it until the mixture has regained a smooth consistency. Add an acid, such as lemon juice, to blueberries and you get a beautiful pink-to-magenta color that happens naturally. In fact, if you have a blueberry mixture that’s gray or lavender, it means the pH of the environment is too basic. Add a bit of acid to brighten it up.”
Ingredients
Melissa’s Produce sent the chia seeds for recipe testing. Heilala sent the vanilla paste. Driscoll’s provided the blackberries.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Diet type: Vegetarian, vegan
Diet tags: Gluten free, Raw
Number of servings (yield): 10-12
Culinary tradition: USA (Nouveau)