July 28, 2021

Blueberry Chia Jam

Receta en Español abajo!

Toast with jam. Toast with ricotta cheese + jam…even better. Peanut butter and jam sandwich. Brie cheese and jam on crackers. Swirling jam into yogurt with granola. Shake it into a cocktail. Top your pancakes or crepes. Top your ice cream. Slather it on fresh, hot biscuits. This Blueberry Chia Jam is so easy to make and so versatile. It won’t last long in your fridge!

Table of Contents

Ingredients for Blueberry Chia Jam

ingredients for blueberry chia jam, including blueberries, lemon juice, agave, vanilla extract and chia seeds

  • Fresh (or frozen) blueberries. Nothing beats fresh blueberries in this Blueberry Chia Jam, but we also tested with frozen blueberries and it turned out ahhhmazing. Because there is a higher water content with frozen fruit vs fresh, you may have to cook for a few minutes longer to get your desired texture. Hang in there, it’s worth it!
  • Agave is the sweetener we used based on personal preference. Agave has a very sweet taste but a more mild flavor than honey or maple syrup, so it lets the flavor of the blueberries really shine in this recipe. That being said, you could definitely substitute honey or maple syrup if you prefer. A liquid sweetener such as these blends really well into the jam, so we prefer this over granulated sugar. 
  • Fresh lemon juice adds a brightness and complements the blueberries well. In jams that are made with pectin, lemon juice lowers the pH (since it is acidic) which allows for the jam to “set.” We have some pectin naturally found in blueberries in this recipe, but no added pectin since we are using chia seeds as our thickening agent.
  • Vanilla extract adds some depth and complexity to the flavor profile. 
  • Chia seeds are the thickening agent in this jam. When chia seeds are added to a liquid, they become gelatinous and thicken the liquid they are immersed in. It takes about 10-15 minutes for this process, so you’ll want to follow the instructions below to ensure you reach that desired texture and let the chia seeds do their thing. See the FAQ section below for some more info on thickening jam.

 

How to Make Blueberry Chia Jam 

Combine everything except chia seeds in a saucepan over medium low heat. You might feel like there’s not enough liquid, but don’t be fooled. I promise you it will be fine! It will look like the picture below at first…

Blueberry chia jam ingredients in saucepan prior to cooking

 

Use potato masher (or a large spoon if you don’t have a potato masher) to break up the fruit sporadically. After about 3-4 minutes of this, it should start looking like the picture below.

Blueberry chia jam after 3-4 minutes on the stovetop and some mashing of the blueberries with a potato masher

 

After about 10-15 minutes of heat and mashing, it should start looking like the picture below. If it simmers a bit, that’s alright. If it starts to boil, knock the heat down a bit.

Blueberry chia jam after 10-15 minutes on stove

Keep over heat for about 25 minutes total or until it has reduced in volume by about a third. Then, remove the saucepan from the stovetop. Add and stir in the chia seeds.

Blueberry chia jam in saucepan with chia seeds added

Once the chia seeds are stirred in, it should be looking like this beauty. Wait 10-15 minutes for the chia seeds to do their thing and gelatinize. This thickens the jam.

Blueberry chia jam with chia seeds stirred in

And voilà! You just made your own jam.