Recipe: 5 Minute Blackerry Chia Jam

Post by Olivia Martino Blodgett, Registered Dietitian and Owner

This past weekend I picked a bunch of blackberries on the Washougal River.  It’s hard to believe that such a delicious treat is an invasive species here in the Pacific Northwest. My freezer is literally stuffed full to the brim with frozen berries, and I only have so many days to eat them fresh, so I decided to make a jam.  If I were to explain this recipe  to someone, I would say “bring a bunch of berries to a boil in a medium saucepan, add a few tablespoons of chia seeds, honey to taste and stir for a few minutes.”  You really need to play this recipe by ear as far as amount of sweetener and cook time.  If they are super ripe, you might not want to use barely any sweetener and they will break down very quickly.  More tart berries might require more sweetener and time.  For those of you that like a more standard recipe, I will try and quantify it and explain a little more clearly below. You really can’t mess it up, though!  Enjoy the Pacific Northwest bounty! 

5 Minute Blackberry Chia Jam

Ingredients

2 cups fresh blackberries

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp honey

Preparation

Bring berries to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring frequently.  Once they start to break down and release their juices, stir in chia seeds and honey.  Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Transfer to a jar to let cool and thicken.  Cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.