I've always loved a good jam. When I was little and would travel for skating competitions a lot, the go-to hotel breakfast was a slice of toast and some Smuckers. So jam always makes me a bit nostalgic for those days. But let's be real here- most jams are a sugar bomb in a pretty little jar.

Okay, so this is a bit of an odd jam construction but it's way better for you and just as flavorful as those other jams dripping with cane sugar and added pectin. Pectin is a plant-based thickening agent that is naturally found in all fruit [particularly citruses], but can aggravate some GI issues for sensitive stomachs.

In this jam here, the natural gelatinous/tapioca-like substance of expanded chia seeds help thicken the jam all by itself without needing extra ingredients. We all know chia seed is a major superfood- some major benefits are:

1 oz (~2 tbsp)= 137 calories, 9g of fat (majority are Omega-3's!), 12g carb (11g fiber!), and 4g protein.
Awesome source of antioxidants, manganese, and magnesium (30% of the recommended daily intake for the latter two)
Fun fact: it's said that the Aztecs and Mayas used chia seeds for energy and performance back in the day.

Chia seeds also don't have too much of a flavor to them, so it doesn't detract from the robust blueberry flavor of this jam. You could really substitute any fruit for blueberries here. I just happened to have a pint of blueberries about to start going bad and I needed to use it up without trying to eat a box of blueberries in one sitting... because that's never happened...

This jam can be spread across a lot of things- toast, yogurt, oatmeal, overnight oats, porridges, etc. Get creative!

Blueberry Chia Jam

*makes about 9 oz

Ingredients

1 pint of Blueberries (you could use frozen if need be)
2 tbsp + 1 tsp Chia Seeds
1 tbsp Coconut Sugar
1/2 cup Water

Recipe

1. In a small pot, combine blueberries and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

2. Add coconut sugar, stir, and let simmer uncovered until all blueberries are popped and starting to blend together.

3. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Stir in chia seeds until well combined, cover pot, and let it cook for 1 minute.

4. Remove from heat, leave pot cover on and let stand for 5 minutes until chia seeds fully puff up and absorb excess liquid. Mixture should be the consistency of a jam- if it's too thin, add a bit more chia seed- if it's too thick, add a dash of water.

5. Let cool, transfer to a airtight glass container and serve! Jam should keep for up to about a week in the refrigerator.