If you need a healthy jam fix with only 4 ingredients, this is the recipe for you. Strawberry-Ginger Chia Jam is fruity, low-sugar, delicious and made in 20 minutes.
I just washed my breast pump bottles for the last time… EVER!!!!!!!!! My milk supply has finally dried out and I have nothing left to give to my little one.
No more attaching two strange suction cups to my chest every few hours. No more pumping in the middle of the night even when baby is sleeping. No more excusing myself to go pump and best of all, no more dealing with pumping while entertaining a 2 year old and holding a baby at the same time.
Bye bye breast pump FOREVER!
I have been so excited to say that for so long. But of course like most things in life, it never feels the way you think it will.
I am super excited to just be done. Yet at the same time, I feel a little sad. That little helpless infant I held at the hospital is growing up. She is eating solid food, starting to crawl and becoming a little person.
Ugh. I think everything is a little more heart wrenching the second time around. Knowing that Beany is my last child, makes every milestone so much more important, so much more real.
I’m trying to look at the bright side though. I get a bit of my time back, a bit of my life back. Plus a bit of my morning back. Now instead of waking in the middle of the night to pump, I can sleep until baby wakes up. AHHHH I can hear angels signing right now 🙌
For example, this morning baby Beany slept until 6 am which was heavenly! I got up, fed her a bottle, kissed the hubs goodbye and enjoyed a fairly slow start o the morning. A slice of Alexandra Cook’s No-knead oatmeal bread, a good spread of peanut butter, and my super speedy Strawberry-Ginger Chia Jam. And coffee always always coffee.
Let me tell you, this felt GLORIOUS!!!!!
But not onto important food business…Is there anything better than a slice of homemade bread, good butter or PB, and homemade jam? The kind of luxury you get at a really good bakery or breakfast spot. Well, now you don’t have to go out to get this comforting experience.
My strawberry-ginger chia seed jam is pretty much the epitome of easy! You take some strawberries, a little syrup or honey, some fresh ginger and some chia seeds. Cook it all up for just 10min and let the chia seeds do their magic.
Unlike normal jam, you do not need pectic, canning equipment or tons of sugar. Instead little magical chia seeds have the gelling power to transform a few cups of ripe fruit into a low-sugar, spreadable delectable jam.
Jamming in about 20 minutes, ya’ll 💃🏻
I can’t even tell you the last time I bought jam at the store. Why buy it when you can just take any fruit you have and turn it into jam? Fresh or frozen work great! I’ve made this with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, rhubarb, and peaches. As a fun twist, I like combining fruit or adding fun spices like ginger, cardamon or cinnamon.
So now that I have a bit more of my life back, I plan on spending it doing important things… like eating bread and jam haha 😋 priorities right?
Yields Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger*
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring and smashing the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon. You can also use a potato masher. Cook and stir until mixture is a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- At this point, you can leave the jam as is or if you prefer a smoother consistency, pulse it in a blender a few times.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a mason jar with lid for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
I normally freeze my ginger because I use so little of it at a time. Then I peel a little chunk and grate it with a micro-plane. It’s much easier than chopping. Jam can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe slightly adapted from the wonderful Well Plated.
Originally posted 2018-04-12 06:00:00.
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