Tropical Blueberry Cranberry Chia Jam

Have you opened your freezer only to move aside that bag of cranberries you may have forgotten you opened only to have little frozen cranberries spill all over the freezer shelf??  Did you happen to be in a rush so you decided you would remember they were there and promised yourself you'd clean them up as soon as you had a moment?  Did you then forget and next time you opened the freezer find those same frozen cranberries still sitting loose in your freezer shelf?

Don't be like me... always place opened bags of berries in a zip top bag.  And, don't let those nutritious berries sit there taking up freezer space till next Thanksgiving only to realize there are fresh ones in the store so you end up throwing them away.  Cranberries aren't just for the holidays anymore.

With cancer fighting properties cranberries can be slipped into smoothies or quick breads. Or, how about pairing them with another antioxidant filled super food - blueberries - and simmering together a sweet/tart chia jam perfect for topping a crispy slice of toast or slathering over freshly ground almond butter?

Combining blueberries with cranberries brings a virtual powerhouse of nutrition only enhanced by a few tablespoonfuls of protein-filled chia seed.  Sweetened naturally with pure maple syrup you can feel good serving a jam with no artificial sweeteners or processed sugars.

So what are you waiting for?  Blueberry Cranberry Chia Jam = Antioxidant Super Food.  Don't wait for the holidays.... Bring it now!

Shout out to my new favorite bread, that just happens to be vegan, gluten-free and Non-GMO.  Have you tried BFree?!  This Brown Seeded Bread toasted to perfection and became even a bit more heavenly when slathered with our Tropical Chia Jam!

Strawberry Blueberry Mango Chia Jam... Homemade and Pectin Free!

I'm hereby proclaiming 2015 my "year of the chia seed".  That tiny little seed is finding its way into all sorts of my recipes from smoothies to pancakes, but one of my favorite uses is in jam.

A good homemade jam brings the farmer's market to your table, but I've always struggled with the huge amounts of sugar and the use of pectin in many homemade and commercial versions.  I'm not sure why the pectin bothers me so much, heck, it's in apples, right?   But for some reason, pouring that powder from a box into my beautiful freshly chopped strawberries is a no go for me.

Hence, we've switched to chia for our gelling needs, and I have beautiful jam (though not as "set" as a pectin gelled jam) with only fresh ingredients.  Adding seasonal fruits (or in winter frozen varieties) we can save nature's goodness in a bottle and bring amazing nutritional benefits to a simple PBJ.

Did you know chia brings 70% more protein than soybeans, 25% more fiber than flaxseed, more calcium than milk and more potassium than a banana?

Soaked in liquid, chia seeds (filled with soluble fiber) swell up to 10 times their weight and form a gel-like outer layer which, in the digestive system, actually slows down the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar and in turn helps stabilize blood sugar.  In addition, the seeds high soluble fiber content also helps to control cholesterol levels.  And in addition again, the gelled seeds work to "gel" our jam!

So today we bring our latest jam featuring some of the best local California strawberries of the season.  Plump, juicy and sweet, these berries mixed beautifully with farmer's market blueberries and a handful of chopped mango (we actually used frozen from Trader Joes).  Simple, sweet and good for you, feel free to slather this jam without any of the guilt from store bought, sugar-laden varieties.  Enjoy this spring in a bottle!

Cranberry Vanilla Chia Jam

Certain foods have become associated with the holiday season, but in reality there is no reason we shouldn't eat them all year.  Cranberries, for instance.  How often do you see a cranberry dish in summer?

With the super health benefits of these brilliantly hued berries, it's unfortunate we don't keep them around all year.  The high nutrient and antioxidant qualities of cranberries launch them to "Super Food" status and brings an array of immunity and disease fighting phytonutrients (along with a healthy dose of fiber).

Mix those berries together with chia and fresh orange and you get even more health benefits.  Maple syrup adds a lovely sweetness to balance the tartness of the berries, vanilla rounds out the flavors with its ethereal flavors and a splash of Grand Marnier is simply for pure pleasure (purely optional, of course...).  All put together, this jam is up there with the best I've ever had.

Extraordinarily tart on their own, cranberries are not to everyone's taste, but the rich maple syrup in this jam had even my ultra-sweet loving Liv asking for more.  Whether slathered on an almond butter sandwich or topping as a dollop on goat cheese on a slice of bread, cranberries are good for more than just sauce on Thanksgiving.

Easier than getting in the car and running the the store, this jam goes together with no pectin and is done from start to finish in about 20 minutes.  So next trip to the store stock up on a few extra bags of cranberries and stash them in the freezer for a summertime cranberry fix.

Strawberry Blueberry Chia Jam

I may be somewhat repeating myself with this recipe... but as I explained it to a girlfriend and described it as "You know... just like the blueberry one I made only you add strawberry?" she exclaimed, "But I never would have thought of that!!  You have to post it!!"  So... usually one to follow directions, here we go!

This season I've become somewhat obsessed with chia jam.  Simply put, it's fruit, a little pure maple syrup and chia.  Just real food, nothing else.

We've always purchased jam, and while I've become familiar with the store-bought sweetness, the different varieties we've made this summer have allowed the actual fruit flavors to shine.  Sort of like storing the farmer's market in a jar, the flavors simply tantalize with realness.

Gelled with chia in place of the usual packaged pectin, Strawberry Blueberry Chia Jam brings a nice dose of calcium and protein along with its incredibly fresh flavors.  

Chia Seed, yes the seed of the the Chia Pet era, is everywhere these days.  Once a staple in the Inca, Maya and Aztec cultures, chia is actually the Mayan word for "Strength".  Filled with protein, calcium, potassium, iron, and Omega 3 and 6, chia takes on the title of a true super food and can help maintain energy and endurance.
Soaked in liquid, chia seeds (filled with soluble fiber) swell up to 10 times their weight and form a gel-like outer layer which, in the digestive system, actually slows down the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar and in turn helps stabilize blood sugar.  In addition, the seeds high soluble fiber content also helps to control cholesterol levels.

But back to our jam... maple syrup in place of granulated sugar gives a lovely depth and has me happy we've kept the entire recipe real and healthy.

With strawberry season in full swing here in San Diego, our markets are flooded with fresh, juicy, bright red berries for good prices and purchasing more than you actually need is easy to do.

Just an hour after our last market and some 24 hours since picking our strawberries simmered along with a basket of blueberries into this fabulous, sweet Strawberry Blueberry Chia Jam.

If your markets are bursting with berries you'll love this version... bursting with strawberry flavors you'll be searching for new ways to use jam.

Blueberry Chia Jam

Life changing moments are few and far between.  Hence, when even a small thing moves you, it must be embraced.  And as of last week?  I'm embracing Blueberry Chia Jam.

Can jam actually be life changing you ask??  In this case... yes.  You see, for some 35+ years I've eaten my beloved PBJ with apricot jam multiple times a week.  This luscious combo has stood the test of time and has become something I truly crave.  Until, this happened.

A visit to a local organic U-Pick Blueberry Farm (Fairfield Farms - Pauma Valley) found me with some 20 pounds of fresh, perfectly ripe, pop in your mouth blueberries.  Our successful (and most heavenly) Blueberry Maple Syrup had my daughter eating the syrup with a spoon and musing how the syrup would taste perfectly fabulous on a PBJ.  Hmmm... why not turn the syrup into jam?

With the well known health benefits of the antioxidant-rich, deeply hued berries, my goal with this jam became keeping the fabulous taste without filling my jam with granulated sugars or boxed pectin powders.  An easy answer brought rich maple syrup (containing polyphenols, zinc and maganese) as a sweetener and protein-packed, calcium-filled chia seed to thicken.

Simmering the ingredients for a mere 20 minutes, the berries softened, then popped and the chia swelled into a fabulously thick jam.  Aromas of summer wafted through our kitchen as we jarred our jam to chill.

The next day I took a chance.  Forgoing my usual store bought apricot jam, I slathered almond butter and the fresh blueberry chia version on top of my freshly baked, warm pita and after one bite, my life has been forever changed.

Bursting with a rich blueberry flavor, this jam doesn't bring the cloying sweetness of store-bought versions, but instead the satisfying flavors of real fruit.  The maple syrup sweetens gently while giving the jam a rich layer of depth, and the chia brings a lovely texture along with its multiple health benefits.  I'm sorry apricot, it's been a wonderful 35 years, but there's a new jam in town.  Blueberry Chia is here to stay.

Small Batch Plum Jam - no pectin and lower sugar

I know I'm supposed to eat fruits and veggies year round, but it's really these gorgeous, juicy, ripe summer fruits that steal my heart.  And living where I do, I not only enjoy a plethora of farmer's markets, but I also have Dad and Capt. Greg.  While Dad keeps my bowls filled with peaches, lemons (no limes anymore... he cut down the tree... but we are back on speaking terms ;), tomatoes and fresh scallions, it's my neighbor, Capt. Greg, who brings these beautifully plump and brilliantly purple plums that we simply can't get our fill of (you may remember Catp. Greg's Plum Perfect Gelato).

For about two weeks in mid-July our neighborhood is filled with more plums than we know what to do with and everyone fervently works on inventive recipes incorporating the fruits.  I've seen tarts, breads, stewed plums for ice cream, salad dressings and even a plum chicken marinade.  My use, Plum Jam, may not be the most inventive, but I've been loving it for weeks in the early afternoons on almond butter sandwiches or stirred into Greek yogurt with granola.

Our Plum Jam is on the tart side, just like I like it, and uses no pectin and lower sugar than other versions to let the fruit itself shine through.  Used on a sweet breakfast scone, on top of that almond butter sandwich or as a swirl into creamy vanilla ice cream, Plum Jam is a treat in its own right.  Next season can't come fast enough.

Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam... Fresh from the California fields.

She's coming home. She's coming home. Tell the world, she's coming home...  with Diddy and Skylar Grey's tune coursing through my head, I see the Flight Radar showing the Boeing 757 at some 33,000 feet and winging its way my direction.  Some 6 hours to go and my girl will be home!

Lucky Liv spent her spring break touring the East Coast with tour-filled stops in DC, NYC, Philly and Boston.  Visions of monuments, the White House, Broadway, the Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty texted their way to my phone, but I'm eager to hear first hand the adventures my girl along with her 8th grade class have experienced over this week.

While her days have been filled touring some of our country's finest sights, I've been a bit lonely.  My husband spent a good part of the week out of town, my son headed for the beach and with Liv "living life" thousands of miles away, it's been me and the pups.

I did OK for the first day or two (once the plane landed...), but then my heart went out to her as I woke up on the 3rd day to a text saying she had a stomach bug and had thrown up some 4 times that morning.  As the tour had checked out of their hotel, my poor sweetie spent the day hugging a waste basket on the bus while the rest of the class visited the Capitol Building and the Newseum.

Talking to her briefly I could hear her tears as she struggled to remain strong, but my heart broke being so far away.  As stomach bugs do, this one ran its course and left her weak but feeling much better just about the time the bus pulled in to NYC.  A good night's rest had her back on her feet and the next day photos of Broadway filled my phone.

Home alone with anxious energy I headed out with camera in hand, something that always brings me peace.  A long walk on the beach took my mind off the miles and a stop at the local farmer's market had me loading up on fresh organic California Strawberries.  The road home led past one of our local strawberry fields and I couldn't resist jumping out and snapping a few shots of the beautiful red berries as I watched a family from Utah pick their own.  The squealing of the little girls lifted my heart, and I headed home with my fragrant, red treasures.

My personal favorite jam has always been apricot, one that my mother used to make for me with the fruits from a backyard tree as I was growing up.  Last summer, however, Liv tried strawberry jam while on our vacation and begged the question, "Why don't we ever have strawberry jam at home?".  Good question.  My next trip to Trader Joe's brought a lovely jar of organic strawberry jam which I found good, but it wasn't my beloved apricot.  Liv and my son were happy though, so strawberry it's been for the last few months.

Wanting to have something special for her arrival home, I set to chopping my sweet, freshly picked market berries, adding sugar and setting the mixture to simmer for about an hour.  Knowing how she loves vanilla, the seeds from a plump vanilla bean found their way into the mixture just as the jam made its way into the waiting jar.

Having not been successful with canning in the past, this small batch of jam produced just about two cups of sweet, bursting with strawberry flavor, jam which I simply placed in a jar in the fridge without all of the hassle of the canning process.  I've read that the refrigerated jam will last a couple of weeks, but I have a feeling ours won't be around that long.

She's coming home, she's coming home... tell the world, she's coming home.

My leisurely breakfasts this week have been a simple bowl of Greek yogurt sweetened with a touch of Strawberry Jam topped with Vanilla Bean Granola.