Strawberry Chia Jam

This jam recipe is a delicious alternative to most traditional jam recipes that call for pectin and refined sugar.
Refined sugar is an inflammatory food causing problems like joint pain, headaches and fatigue. It also wreaks havoc on the delicate balance of our microbiome. Consider replacing refined white sugar with sweet alternatives that don’t have as harmful effect on the body.
Commercial pectin products should be avoided because it is generally made with dextrose, fruit pectin and citric acid.

Dextrose is sugar derived primarily from corn. Many people can have sensitivities to corn and should also be aware that it is probably made from genetically modified corn.

Fruit pectin requires sugar to “gel” properly. In order for the pectin to set you need to use a ratio of 55-85% sugar to fruit. This turns your very nutritious fruit spread basically into fruit flavored frosting.

Citric Acid used to be made from fruit. Now it’s more commonly made from feeding sugars to black mold and processed using sulfuric acid.

Use these ingredients instead:

Pure Maple Syrup or honey as sweeteners, they contain some beneficial properties.
Chia Seeds to make your jam gel. Chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight, this is how they make the jam thick. Chia seeds are also a complete protein and slow down sugar absorption helping to maintain proper blood sugar levels.
Lemon Juice for pure citric acid to preserve color.
Print