Superfood Strawberry Vanilla Chia Jam

Jam. That amazing fruity burst of sweetness. Pity the sugar level is so high that it could give you diabetes just by looking at it!

So we wonder if we could make our own...and decide it's just too time-consuming. But what if...it only took twenty minutes to make? And it was low in sugar, had loads of magnesium, Omega 3's, protein, fiber and calcium? Heck, and it tasted fantastic! Are you reconsidering now? I hope so - because I'm going to show you how to do it!

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For this instructable, I'm doing strawberry jam.

You will need:

• 3.5 cups fresh or frozen/thawed berries
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup, or preferred sweetener
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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The equipment you will need:

• A small saucepan
• A paring knife
• A stirring spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• A blender of some sort (I used a food processor)

First, prepare your ingredients. Wash and hull the strawberries.

Next, blend the berries until it's as smooth or as chunky as you like your jam. I find the food processor works well but use what you have. The idea is to break the berries down. Strawberries need to be broken down a bit more than other berries.

Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the maple syrup and chia seeds. Stir well to combine. Try to stir as soon as possible because the chia seeds will start absorbing liquid straight away and if left, might start clumping together.

Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for about 4-5 minutes. It will thicken in this time but will still be slightly runny - this is normal and it will continue to thicken afterwards. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Your jam is done! You can put it in sterilized jars or an airtight container and store this in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Not that it ever lasts that long around here...

Use the jam as you would normally, on sandwiches, in cookies, cakes, pancakes or swirled through vanilla ice-cream which is delicious. Of course, I would only know that from experience... Enjoy!