11/07/2015

Recipe: Raspberry Jam (Sugar Free)

I like jam. It's good on toast, good in yoghurt, good with oatmeal, and probably a shitload of other stuff, but most jam is made with heaps and heaps of sugar, which is why I stopped eating it for a very long time.  Cue this recipe.

Now you can have jam without feeling guilty, and if you're like me, you won't have to feel like your teeth are going to fall out from all that sugar.  You have total control over the sweetness of this jam, and you can use whatever you want to make it so.  Honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave, stevia, etc, or go hardcore mode and have it without any sweeteners at all, if you're into that tarty taste.  It is quick and it's easy, so let's get to it.

I only made a small batch (about 150g) because I am not sure how long it will keep and I tend to go through jam pretty slowly.  Feel free to double (or triple) the recipe if you like.


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of Raspberries (or berries of your choice)
1 tbsp of Chia Seeds
Sweetener (optional)
1/4 cup of water

EQUIPMENT:
Small pot
Measuring devices
Wooden spoon (or anything else capable of stirring and squashing hot stuff)
Clean empty jar for storing
Thumbs (you could probably do it without, but it'll be a little more difficult)
Cooktop

I used frozen raspberries, but you can use fresh ones if you have them

Put the berries into your pot and cook on med - high heat (depending on how impatient you are) and stir/squish them until they turn into some tasty looking mush.

If you are using larger or harder berries, you might want to cut them up first to make this step a little easier.



Taste your berry mush and add your choice of sweetener to taste. 
I used a small amount of pure maple syrup in mine.

Let it simmer for a little while and stir in the chia seeds and water.


Keep stirring it over the heat until it starts to thicken.  Once it looks about jam consistency (use your own discretion for this) you can remove it from the heat.


Let it cool for a while, jar it up and chuck it in the fridge to finish setting.  After about 15 minutes, it should be fully cooled and thickened, ready to taste test.


How easy was that? There was seriously like 10 - 15 minutes of actually doing stuff, and it tastes pretty good if you ask me.

Store in an air tight container in the fridge and use within one week. You might be able to stretch it out for longer if you're brave, but I take no responsibility if it starts to go bad.

Enjoy! :)