4cupsfresh organic fruit (we are using a blend of in-season berries here, but you can also use apples, pears, peaches, plums, etc
2tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
honey or maple syrup, to taste (1-4 tablespoons), you can also try alternative sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, or leave out
¼cupchia seeds
Instructions
Prepare the fruit. Clean and prep as necessary. For berries, simply rinse and remove any leaves and stems. For other fruits remove any pits, seeds or skins, as necessary. Smaller berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries) can be left whole, larger fruit should be chopped into smaller pieces.
Add the fruit to a saucepan. Cook down over a medium heat, until the fruit begins to break down, liquiefy and get syrupy, stirring often as it begins to cook to avoid it sticking. This process takes about 5-15 minutes, depending on the fruit. Carefully mash the fruit with a potato masher, fork or spatula as it is cooking down, until you reach your desired consistency, as lumpy and chunky or as smooth as you'd like (note: you can use an immersion blender if you want it very pureed without any fruit bits).
Allow the fruit to come to a very light boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and sweetener of your choice, stir well to combine. Give it a taste and add more sweetener, as needed, along with any other add ins, herbs, spices, etc.
Pour in the chia seeds and stir very well to combine. Let stand a about 10 minutes to allow it to start to thicken (it will just continue to thicken, as it cools) and cool off. At this point, if it still seems too thin for your liking, add a bit more chia seeds and let sit just a bit longer.
Once fully cooled to room temperature, transfer to an airtight glass container(s) and store in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
If you want to avoid the whole chia seeds being visible, puree, either in a blender or a with an immersion blender, the finished jam. For lighter color fruits, you can also find white chia seeds, that are a bit less noticeable, visually. This recipe will also work with frozen fruit.