After discovering how easy it is to use chia seeds to thicken fruit for jam a few years ago, I set out to create the 'perfect' ratio of whole food ingredients with the least amount of work (you guys have all figured out by now that I'm all about the easy around here, right?) that still resulted in the freshest-tasting berry jam like the traditional pectin freezer jam I've made for years. And to say I'm excited about this recipe is an understatement! SO good, SO quick & easy, and adaptable to different berries and sweeteners, this chia seed no cook blackberry freezer jam is my go-to recipe now - I hope it will be for you, too.
If you read the past post on freezer jam, you will know that we prefer uncooked jams because of the fresh and vibrant flavor as compared to cooked. It's relatively easy to make jam without pectin if you cook it - but then it's, well, cooked. Still tasty for sure, but it definitely looses that fresh flavor we love. So I stuck with quick freezer pectin products - and I still hold to the idea that they are fine - until I read that chia seeds could be used as a thickener.
Here's the thing with pectin for me: it's an item that I don't normally have on hand. I have to buy it specially and I found I was out of it more than not. Chia seeds, on the other hand, have become a staple for us over the past few years. We use them every morning to top our granola to boost our omega-3s and provide other health benefits. So developing a freezer jam using chia seeds was a win-win for me - I could whip up a batch anytime our berry bushes produced enough and it actually increased the goodness of our homemade jam!
And while a lot of recipes using chia seeds will still have you cook the fruit, I experimented and found it's not necessary. This recipe will literally take you 10 minutes - or less!
- wash fruit, add to the bowl of a food processor
- add remaining 3 ingredients
- whir up until the consistency you like
- pour into freezer-safe jars (I use half-pint canning jars)
Um, you can see why I'm pretty excited about this, can't you? You don't even have to stir 3 minutes like with the super easy pectin pouch. AND you can use any amount or type of sweetener you want with no worries about it not 'setting' since the seeds work no matter what.
I have used this recipe with blueberries, raspberries and all types of blackberries, but since the chia seeds create a texture, I think it really works best with berries that have seeds (or skins like the blueberries). We didn't really like it with strawberries, but that's totally up to you - the seeds may not bother you, so give it a try with other fruits if you like. Cut the recipe in half to make smaller test batches - and be sure to leave a comment if you do and how you liked it!
Chia Seed No-Cook Blackberry Freezer Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups blackberries raspberries and blueberries are good, too, washed
- 1/4 cups maple syrup or honey or even sugar - it's up to you
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Place the washed and drained berries into the bowl of a food processor.
- Add remaining 3 ingredients.
- Process until a jam-like consistency is reached. You will see the mixture start to thicken, and it will continue to thicken a bit more as you add it to the jars.
- Divide it between 4 half-pint sized jars (most canning jars are freezer-friendly) or other freezer containers.
- Label and freeze up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you use chia seeds? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!
Ann Lown says
What if you warmed the berries, mashed them, and milled to remove seeds (as opposed to long cooking): would the proportion of chia seeds be the same?
Loving your low-sugar recipes!
Thanks...
Jami says
Hmmm, I think you'd need more berries or less chia since the volume of berries would be less. And then you'd still have seeds in the jam from the chia. 🙂
Eva says
How many cups does this recipe make? I can’t tell if you mean 4 one cup jars (4 cups), or 4 1/2 pint jars (9 cups)
Jami says
Half pint jars hold 1 cup (in my experience, 4-1/2 pints would be full pints, 4 1/2-pints are half pints), so this makes 4 cups - enough to fill 4 half-pint jars. I'll clarify that in the recipe.
Eva says
Thank you! I can't wait to make this, it's wild blackberry season in the northwest and I just picked about 9 cups! I have no idea what to do with them all, however I already made your skillet blackberry cobbler and oh my gosh it was so good.
Jami says
Yes! We just picked some, too. 🙂 I'm so glad you enjoyed that cobbler, too.
Kelly says
Can you can this, or will it degrade?
Jami says
No, this isn't safe for canning.
kathy says
The only chia seed I could find at the bulk food store was organic. I purchased 1/4 cup to test the recipe, since it was $18 per pound . Seems spendy.
nancy says
I am allergic to cane sugar = I truly appreciate your recipes that are without sugar.
Jami says
I'm glad, Nancy! I like seeing how little sweetener I can get away with before the flavor's affected too much. I've found it's as easy to get used to less sugar as it is to get used to more. 🙂
J. Mac Neal says
You made my mouth water with this recipe for such fresh-sounding freezer jam! Blackberries tie for my absolute favorite berries (along with the fragrant tiny wild strawberries that also grew on the hillside next to my childhood home). There were huckleberries, too, a little closer to the woods, but the bounty of blackberries was greater. It was worth braving thorny thickets as a child to reap the tons of those juicy, huge blackberries bowing down those canes. My friends and I picked and picked, popping more of those wonderful berries into our mouths I think than we carried home. Still, I have oh-so-delicious memories of the squooshy blackberry/butter/sugar sandwiches we made and devoured once we made our way back to my house. I just got some chia seeds recently, so now I must pick up some blackberries and try out the recipe!
I'd like to try using the chia seeds, too, for making pineapple jam. I love pineapple preserves on water crackers. Have you ever made any pineapple preserves or jam with fresh pineapple?
Jami says
No, I haven't preserved anything with pineapple before - maybe it's something I need to try!
easypeasylifematters says
Never had blackberry jam before which is crazy because I love blackberries. Can't wait to try this! 🙂
Mindy says
I've never bought China seeds, but this sounds like a good reason to give them a try.
Kristin says
Thanks, Jami! I'm headed out to pick b-berries right NOW. BTW, I do appreciate all the tips & testing you've offered up re: less cooking of fresh produce. Thanks to you, I no longer blanche string beans before freezing -- just a "mini-blanche" with tea kettle of boiling water. Voila!
Jami says
Oh, that's interesting - what do you think the 'mini-blanch' does? Does it affect the texture? Just curious! 🙂
Kristin says
I suppose it assuages a sterilization instinct! I don't think it affects texture. I don't submerge; I use a large colander and just pour boiling water over just enough beans to fit a cookie sheet in the freezer. Stir/pour once more. Cool/damp dry them on a towel, freeze on sheet, then Zip-loc. Since I typically grow a lot of French purple climbing beans, the mini-blanche begins the purple-to-green cooking color change, just barely enough to make them more identifiable + less cooking later to turn them green. Maybe that's why I spell "blanch" with an "e"? ;o)
Jami says
Oh, I get it - that makes sense. I've never seen a French purple pole bean before - would you share the variety? I grew a supposed French filet yellow pole bean this year that is definitely NOT a French filet bean - AND it doesn't taste very good either. 🙁
Kristin Gerhart says
I discovered by happy accident the "Franchi" Italian seed brand at 101 Plants in Bandon -- or check out http://www.seedsofitaly.com Website makes you want to grow a bigger garden! Purple French Climbing Bean: robust plants, prolific, stringless, tender, great flavor. Bonus #1: the plants are very attractive with purple stems and purple/pink blossoms. Bonus #2: If it's true that purple veggies are more nutritious, then these may be extra good for you! I've been saving seeds from crop to crop and they've morphed from dark brown to light tan -- does this indicate a hybrid? I think all of Franchi's seeds are heirloom though... Happy to send you some!
Jami says
Oh my - those sound perfect, Kristin!! You'd seriously send some? Wow, I'd love that - that is so generous of you. 🙂