Making Chia Seed Strawberry Jam Less Seedy

11 years ago

DD wants to make the following recipe but DSIL would be averse to the crunch of the chia seeds. She asked me what she could do. I know nothing about chia seeds. Could she run the finished jam through the food processor? OR strain it through cheese cloth before it fully sets up? OR (and this would be my advice) find a recipe that does what you want it to do with ingredients that you want to eat. Any ideas?

Quick and Healthy Homemade Strawberry Chia Seed Jam Recipe

Yields: about 8 ounces of jam

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups quartered frozen strawberries, (I like to freeze fresh, ripe strawberries when they're in season!)
1 - 3 tablespoons honey (or coconut nectar, maple syrup, agave nectar, etc. to make vegan)
2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds

Step 1: Place frozen strawberries and 1 tablespoon of desired sweetener in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.

Step 2: As the strawberries start to thaw, mash them with a fork or the back of a spoon and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Step 3: Reduce heat to maintain the simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the strawberries are fully broken down and starting to thicken.

Step 4 (optional): For a smooth jam (besides the crunch from the chia seeds), place the cooked strawberries in a blender and blend until smooth. If you want to keep the texture of the broken down strawberries, skip this step. Place the mixture back in the pot over medium-low heat.

Step 5: Taste the mixture and if needed, stir in more sweetener until it's to your liking.

Step 6: Add the chia seeds to the pot and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Step 7: Remove from the heat and pour contents into a glass jar. Let cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Then place in the fridge until fully chilled. Seal the jar with a tight fitting lid after the jam is fully chilled.

Step 8: Serve chilled and keep sealed in the fridge for about 10 days.

Here is a link that might be useful: Strawberry Jam with Chia Seeds

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Comments (7)

grainlady_ks
11 years ago
You might try milling the amount of chia seeds called for in the recipe into chia flour FIRST, using a coffee/spice mill.

We like this recipe, which is a "raw" (uncooked) version of the same recipe.

STRAWBERRY CHIA SEED JAM
1 c. strawberries - fresh or frozen *
1 T. chia seeds (whole, or mill the tablespoon of chia seeds into chia flour first)
1 T. water
stevia to taste (or any other sweetener you like)

Mash berries with a fork. Mix in chia seeds, water, and stevia (2-3 drops). Cover mixture and let set 30-60 minutes. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

*I've also used reconstituted freeze-dried strawberries to make this jam recipe, and it works with other fruit, as well.

-Grainlady
bbstx
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, GL, for the problem solution and for the recipe. I've passed it along to DD. Maybe she'll bring home some strawberry chia seed jam for Thanksgiving morning breakfast!
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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
Might try soaking the chia seed first. I just soaked chia this morning.... Used the warm kettle water, not boiling, and in an hour my chia seeds were soft and not at all seedy. It softens and makes a great jelly-like consistency in under an hour.. I poured aprox 1/2 cup warm water over about two tbsp of chia.
I make a mixed grain just about every Sunday and soak the mixed grain and seeds that includes some chia. Never have a seedy grain salad. I soak for 6-8 hrs or over night.
(The chia is the dark glass third up from the bottom.)
bbstx
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, sleeve. Having never eaten a chia seed in my life, I don't know why she thought it would be "seedy". I'm not a fan of beans or seeds or nuts. It's a texture thing with me. While I think I'm a pretty diverse eater, when I make lists like this, I sound pretty picky! :-/
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
I do like nuts and grains, but not seedy fruits.
Most nuts, grains, and seeds can be 'softened' with soaking and pureed. Nice flavor without the 'bite'.
My garden raspberries are not seedy but the blackberries are.
Chia and flax i sometimes grind in my spice grinder or soak, then puree in a blender. I use both in my brown bread and never have a 'seedy' texture as soaking does soften them...
sooz
11 years ago
I'm a fan of chia seeds, and use them in smoothies, and for a "snack" when mixed with unsweetened almond milk, about a cup of berries, some vanilla and a bit of stevia.

I've never made chia flour. I haven't tried to use them after softening in warm water until I read sleevendog's first post above, but I've got some softening right now. I'm interested to see if the warm water yields different results than using room temp or refrigerated almond milk.

The chia seeds mixed with almond milk always end up with a bit of crunch (not a lot, just enough to notice), and they stay that way even over 2 or 3 days time, but I don't mind it. Sometimes I can't quite tell if I'm having a chia seed or a blueberry seed or a strawberry seed getting stuck in my teeth!

Smiles,
Sooz
grainlady_ks
11 years ago
Chia has different applications whether it's wet, dry or milled into flour. It's a little like (emphasis on little) the difference between vanilla pudding and tapioca pudding when you leave chia seeds whole.

Soaked chia seeds makes for easier digestion; and once soaked are more than 90% moisture and soak up seven times their weight in moisture. I use a 1:9 ratio (or 1/4 c. chia seeds to 2-1/2 c. water), or any thickness you like, and store in the refrigerator and add it to baked goods, kefir/yogurt, as an extender in peanut butter or mayonnaise, add to pudding and cooked cereal, even added to butter where it will reduce the calories by 45% per total volume. Chia gel is a very good egg substitute -- for one whole egg use 2 T. of chia gel. Once chia seeds are added to a liquid you will see the viscous fibers on the outside (looks like a layer of gelatin around the seed).

Always add the dry seeds to water, not pour water on the seeds (or they will clump together), and mix quickly with a small whisk. Let stand 5-minutes and whisk again. This is also called "prepared chia gel". It's best to let it sit for 15-minutes before using the gel to allow the seeds to fully hydrate.

Another benefit of soaked chia seeds, they have a very high ORAC score. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbency capacity, or the antioxidant value of a food. The higher this score, the more free radical fighting power the food involved posses. They are higher on the ORAC score chart than unsweetened cocoa powder and Acai berry.

Chia seeds can also be sprouted and grown as micro greens. Added to beverages to aid in staying hydrated longer.

Sources for this information:
"The Magic of Chia" by James F. Scheer
"Chia Seed Remedies" by MySeeds Chia Test Kitchen

-Grainlady

Making Chia Seed Strawberry Jam Less Seedy

Comments (7)

grainlady_ks

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Making Chia Seed Strawberry Jam Less Seedy

Comments (7)

grainlady_ks

bbstxOriginal Author

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

sooz

grainlady_ks

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