Chia Seed Jam Recipe

"Friends" fans may never be able to get the image out of their head of Joey Tribbiani up to his elbows in the jam that Monica Geller made during a brief quarter-life crisis. But there's a reason it sticks with us —it's so relatable. Sure, most of us don't dig into our jam with a spoon (at least not when anyone's looking) but who among us can say they haven't been tempted? Well, we suspect you'll be happy to know that wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn of YouCare-Selfcare has put together a recipe for a chia seed and berry jam that you can spoon up with abandon ... maybe even with all your friends watching. 

Because when you dig into Hahn's chia seed and berry jam, you're getting the whole fruit, sweetened with just a splash of maple syrup, and thickened with chia seeds. It's truly brilliant because chia seeds offer benefits that pectin (which is usually used to thicken jams and jellies) cannot. "Chia seeds are really amazing," Hahn tells Mashed. "They offer fiber, plant-based protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids." 

All of that in a berry jam with a hint of citrus zest. Hahn used raspberries and orange zest for this recipe, but she says you can use any berry or a combination. And based on which berry you're using, you can select which citrus fruit to use. For instance, if you use blueberries, you could use lemon zest, instead. 

To make Hahn's chia seed jam, you'll need to gather a few ingredients. Although this recipe is flexible enough to be easily adapted for a variety of different berries, it's worth starting with Hahn's raspberry and orange zest version (plus, it's delicious). Start by gathering 2 cups of frozen whole berries. You'll also need 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, the zest from 1 orange, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.

To zest an orange, it's important to first wash it with cold water, Hahn tells Mashed. "I usually use my vegetable brush and scrub it well." It makes good sense when you consider that zesting refers to scraping off and using only the very outside of the peel of the fruit. After drying the orange off, it's time to start zesting, which consists, essentially, of grating the outside of the orange so that only the brightly colored outermost layer comes off. You can use a zester or an ordinary grater or a tool like the one pictured, which is a combination of both concepts.

Take your frozen berries out of the freezer, and pour them into a medium-sized pot or saucepan. Turn the heat source to medium-high, and set a timer to 5 minutes. While the berries  are heating up, stir them with a long-handled spoon to start breaking them down, a job you can finish with a potato masher or immersion blender. Then, stir in the chia seeds, the orange zest, and the maple syrup. Remove the mixture from the heat source, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy this tasty and healthy jam on muffins, scones, or bagels, or layered on top of butter, cream cheese or peanut butter on toast. Hahn adds that you could even add a little freshly chopped mint on top.