Blueberry chia seeds Jam

 I have been wanting to go berry picking since like forever and we always miss it for some reason. By the time we decide to go for it, it becomes too late and most of the farms are closed for the season. Amma and appa were home here this month and they were already feeling bored. I desperately tried to find a farm that was open for picking and voila we just got lucky! I wanted to do strawberry picking with little A, but it was out for the season and we ended up picking blueberries. Me and amma picked a lot of berries, while the husband man and my dad kept the little one company! It was a fun family outing and the best part was we ended up with loads of sweet fresh juicy blueberries. They were so better than the packaged ones we get at the grocery stores.

Blueberries is one of my favorite berries and I would rather eat them on its own. But since we had a lot of them and I did not not want to waste it, I looked for recipes on the web and found a chia seeds jam recipe in The kitchen website. I adapted the recipe and made some changes to it. We ended up with this not so overly sweet, delicious jam that went very well with breads and crackers. Not only is it yumm, it is so very healthy. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and chia seeds are loaded with omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins and minerals and they are high in fiber too. Unlike traditional jams, this jam does not contain any extra sugar. I sweetened them with dates (which is optional). So they are a guilt free indulgence, perfect for the tiny ones at home as well!  I add spoonful of this jam to my smoothies for the blueberry flavor and it tastes Oh so good!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 11/2 pounds blueberry
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 6-7 dates finely chopped (or use other sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, sugar, coconut sugars)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste

Method:

Prepare the berries by washing them and removing the stems.

Add the berries, dates to a saucepan and cook until they breakdown and become syrupy. You can mash some berries with your ladle/spoon as it is cooking.

When done, switch off the heat and add the lemon juice and sweeteners (honey, agave or sugar- if adding). Adjust the proportion of lemon and sweetener as per your taste. It also depends on how sweet your berries are. My berries were sweet so I did not have to add lots of dates.

Stir in the chia seeds and let it rest. (You can add more/less chia seeds depending on how you want the jam to be. If you prefer a runny jam, reduce the amount of seeds, for a stiffer jam, throw in some more seeds. )

When it comes to room temperature, transfer to a jar and refrigerate it.

Note that the jam thickens much more on chilling it. If you prefer a smoother jam, you can just blend the whole thing with the blender. I liked my jam as such with some texture, so I did not blend mine.

You can use the jam for upto 2 weeks if refrigerated.