YES, you bought a couple of pints of strawberries on sale !
BUT, maybe you're like me: you usually store them in the fridge and forget to eat them up. More often than I'd like to admit, they're turning (or already gone) bad.
So, here's a quick nutrient-dense recipe I'll be doing to prevent food waste AND enjoy in as many ways as my heart desires.
(Did I mention they last an extra 1 to 2 weeks from the date of purchase?!?)
On another note, this jam recipe is free from artificial flavours, colours or additives. It's made from only whole food ingredients nature provides:
strawberries
chia seeds
lemon juice
water
maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar
Superfood spotlight:
Strawberries are the most well-known type of berry in the world. Fun fact: there are over 600 varieties of strawberries (Murray et al., 2005)! They range in flavour, size, and texture, but all have the distinct heart shape, red flesh with leafy green caps, and stems attached to their crowns. The bold red colour of strawberries reveals that they are a great source of antioxidants, specifically the anthocyanidin types. Simply, antioxidants slow down the aging process, soothe inflammation, ward off + neutralize toxic pollutants that enter the body, and overall promote good cell health.
Chia seeds are a great source of plant protein and an excellent source of fiber, specifically soluble fiber. The gel-like appearance of chia seeds when soaked in water is due to this soluble fiber. By weight, chia seeds are 6% water, 46% carbohydrates (of which 83% is fiber), 34% fat, and 19% protein. As a general goal for myself, I eat 2 tablespoons of chia seeds every day. Both white and black chia seeds offer the same nutrient profile. According to the USDA, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds provides about 69 calories, 2.3 grams of protein and 4.9 grams of fiber. To compare, the recommended fiber intake for women is 20-25 grams/day whereas for men it is 30-35 grams/day. However, white chia seeds are more costly (and maybe more difficult to find). I am guessing this is due to the aesthetic appeal of white chia seeds, making them suitable for light-coloured dishes, desserts, and drinks.
Hibiscus tea is one of those teas that you need to have for the coming spring-summer season. It's probably one you need to experience at least once in your lifetime. Most people associate hibiscus as a decorative home flower, but it is in fact edible. It is a cooling herb, which is why it grows abundantly in hot climate regions like Hawaii. Like strawberries, there are so many varieties of hibiscus flowers besides the red and pink colours we commonly see like at Home Depot. Also, the vibrant colours of hibiscus flowers reveal a high antioxidant profile. Generally, hibiscus teas brew a strong red colour.
A quick note before we get started . . .
You also have complete control over its consistency, sugar content, and the type of berries you can use - fresh or frozen.
You can eat this jam by the spoonful on its own or top on whatever you think matches the traditional strawberry jam. Could it be in crepes? Served with pancakes or waffles? Spread in the iconic PB & J sandwiches? Cheating your way to making a strawberry crumble?
Let me know in the comments how you would serve this strawberry chia jam :)
Still, I am sure you are going to love this homemade strawberry chia jam on its own!
Prep time: 3 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup water (more if needed)
4 Tbsp maple syrup (can also use coconut sugar or raw honey)
4 Tbsp chia seeds (I got mine from Amazon)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
***optional:
1 Hisbiscus tea bag (a natural food colouring to have a more vibrant red jam)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Wash and chop strawberries. Place into a small pot.
2) Heat strawberries with water and maple syrup over medium heat.
3) Once the strawberry mixture starts to bubble, let it continue to bubble for 3 minutes until strawberries become soft.
4) Remove from heat and mash the strawberry mixture with a fork or potato masher.
5) Let the strawberry mixture cool for 5 minutes before adding in chia seeds and lemon juice. (High heat can affect nutrients like vitamin C in lemon and essential fats in chia seeds.)
6) Mix in chia seeds and lemon juice.
7) Let the strawberry chia jam sit for 5 minutes so chia seeds can soak up the liquid and gel.
8) Serve on toast or eat as you please. Store in an air-tight container like a mason jar up to 10 days.
________________________________________________________________________
Darlene's Disclosure:
I only recommend products I would use and have used on myself. All opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that are at no additional cost to you, but I may earn a small commission. Feel free to use the links mentioned, but you do not need to use them if you do not want to. I appreciate every support and read on this blog 💚
________________________________________________________________________
Darlene's Notes & Tips:
⭐️ You can also use frozen strawberries. This saves you time prepping as you will not need to wash or chop them up before heating. I also notice the strawberries become very vibrant in colour as it thaws. A major plus in your jam's aesthetic.
⭐️ You can definitely use any other type of berry or fruit (fresh or frozen) for this recipe. I love peaches, mango, raspberries, cherry, blueberries, and dragon fruit.
⭐️ If using coconut sugar (like I did for this recipe), it will tint the jam colour brown. That is why I suggest adding hibiscus tea while heating up the strawberry mixture. Hibiscus tea is simply dried red hibiscus flowers. It has a tangy sour taste, so you may choose to remove the lemon juice or add a little more sugar. The red colour from hibiscus means more antioxidants!
⭐️ The more chia seeds you add, the thicker the jam becomes. If you want a thinner consistency, you can add more water (I suggest adding 1 Tbsp at a time) OR use less chia seeds.
⭐️ My favourite cost-friendly brands of chia seeds are from Amazon (click here) and Costco (click here)
⭐️ My favourite hibiscus tea brands are Traditional Medicinals (click here) and Celebration Herbals (click here)
References
Liu, H.-T., Ji, Y., Liu, Y., & Duan, K. (2022, February 5). Fig. 8 strawberry varieties develop fruits with different levels of... ResearchGate. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Strawberry-varieties-develop-fruits-with-different-levels-of-soluble-sugars-a-Eleven_fig2_343240836
Murray, M., Pizzorno, L., & Pizzorno, J. (2005). The Healing Power of Fruits. In Healing foods (pp. 313–315). essay, Atria Books.
Commenti