Healthy Strawberry Jam: with Real Fruit
Also filed inHealthy RecipesHealthy Recipes
This homemade healthy strawberry jam is absolutely delicious, perfectly sweet, and made with real fruit. Making your own jam doesn’t have to be hard and will taste better than any store-bought kind.
Tis’ the season for an abundance of fresh berries and vegetables! Just another reason to love summertime!
We love to take the kids strawberry picking in the spring, peach picking in the summer, and of course, apple and pear picking in the fall. All are such fun outings and we love showing the kids where some of their favorite foods come from.
With 4 little pickers, we can come home with a lot of fruit. Not to worry, we never waste any. We love to freeze extras for smoothies, popsicles and make homemade jams.
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BEST FRUIT FOR JAM
Can you really have a bad fruit spread? We don’t think so, but some fruits are definitely easier to make into jam. Using fresh or frozen berries is the easiest because it takes out the peeling and cutting steps.
Strawberry, blueberries, and raspberries are some of our favorite berries to use for jellies. You can use a combination of the three or use just one. The possibilities are endless!
Other fruits like apples, peaches, and pears can still be used to make jams; it will just take a little more work. We don’t know about you, but we am all for easy in our kitchen.
SUGAR-FREE JAM RECIPE
This can be difficult to do as sugar is found in almost all processed foods. We love to make healthy desserts using natural sweeteners. Homemade jams and jellies are no exception! If you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, sugar may be one of the first things to eliminate.
To avoid sugar-filled jelly, we use maple syrup or honey for a healthy alternative. A lot of fruits are sweet on their own, but most berries are not. Freshly picked berries are delicious, but when made into jelly, we like them a little sweeter.
You can use organic sugars, coconut sugar, or even sugar substitutes. However, most sugar substitutes are not healthy for you. We find that adding a few teaspoons of pure maple syrup makes the most delicious jelly.
STRAWBERRY CHIA SEED JAM
We love to use chia seeds to thicken our homemade jam. You can use gelatin as well, but we personally love the texture that the chia seeds add.
Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica. They are packed full of benefits and are known for providing natural energy. Chia seeds are high in antioxidants, fiber, protein, and calcium.
Chia seeds gel up as they sit in liquid, making them the perfect ingredient to thicken your homemade jam. A little goes a long way when you are using chia seeds, so be careful not to overdo it, or your jam will quickly become solid.
EASY HEALTHY STRAWBERRY JAM RECIPE
For this recipe, you will only need 3 ingredients and no special tools! It is the easiest strawberry chia seed jam you will ever make and it is so delicious.
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INGREDIENTS
Fresh or frozen strawberries
Honey or maple syrup
Chia Seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
If using fresh strawberries, wash and remove the leaves.
Place the strawberries in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Allow the strawberries to melt or cook until strawberry juice starts to form.
Stir the strawberries often to prevent them from sticking or burning.
Once the strawberries are soft, use a fork to break them apart and smash them.
Remove saucepan from heat and add in maple syrup or honey.
Add in chia seeds and continue to stir.
Carefully pour the jam into a mason jar. If you want the jam to be completely smooth, you can pour it into a blender or use an immersion blender until jam is smooth.
As the jam cools, it will thicken up.
HOW LONG WILL HOMEMADE JAM LAST?
With an airtight lid, the jam will last up to a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. To extend shelf life, can or freeze the strawberry jam.
It never lasts long in our house! We like to add it to oatmeal, spread it on sourdough bread, pancakes, or sandwiches.
HOMEMADE HEALTHY JAM
You can use this same recipe for any type of berries. Substitute the strawberries for blueberries or raspberries. You can even do a combination of berries for a different flavor.
Strawberry and blueberries mixed are one of our favorites!
5 from 8 votesHealthy Strawberry Jam
By the studio Ascher Prep: 5 minutes minsCook: 10 minutes minsTotal: 15 minutes mins Servings: 12 people
SaveSaved Pin Print This homemade healthy strawberry jam is absolutely delicious, perfectly sweet, and made with real fruit. Making your own jam doesn’t have to be hard and will taste better than any store-bought kind. Equipment
- saucepan
- Mason jar
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries
- 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- If using fresh strawberries, wash and remove the leaves.
- Place the strawberries in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Allow the strawberries to melt or cook until strawberry juice starts to form.
- Stir the strawberries often to prevent sticking or burning.
- Once the strawberries are soft, use a fork to break them apart and slightly smash them with a fork.
- Remove saucepan from heat and add in maple syrup or honey.
- Add in chia seeds and continue to stir.
- Carefully pour the jam into a mason jar. If you want the jam to be completely smooth, you can pour it into a blender or use an immersion blender until all the chunks are gone.
- As the jam cools it will thicken up.
Nutrition
Calories: 31kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 73mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 6IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 0.3mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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