I was foraging my collection of blackberries when a lovely lady said to me I’ve just made 3 jars of jam with mine.. mmmmm I haven’t had jam in years since I quit sugar but it instilled enough desire to go and make some. Here is my refined-sugar free super quick recipe for making blackberry jam, I don’t have a very sweet tooth so I like to sharpness of these berries and you can always add a little extra raw honey if the little ones prefer it sweeter but a great recipe to convert them to some healthier options.
I was a little unsure what to eat my jam with, we don’t eat bread, one day I’ll get round to making a healthier alternative but quite honestly, I rarely find the time so we had ours dolloped on Sunday brunch pancakes which was divine. Let me know what you pair your jam with?
If you have not used Chia seeds before they have this amazing gelling quality when used combined with liquid which is why no pectin is required for this jam. Chia seeds are rich in fibre so great for digestion and they also contain Omega 3 fats so studies have shown they are great for balancing blood sugar and reducing inflammation.
Blackberries this time of year are Mother Nature’s gift when you live in this country, they are abundant everywhere! Free from chemicals and pesticides they are also full of vitamins when growing wild. High levels of Vitamin C to boost immunity but low in sugar content, they are also high in Vitamins A, E, K and B Vitamins. Their dark colour exemplifies their super high antioxidant content which scavenges free radicles within the body preventing our cells from aging but have also shown protective mechanisms against cancer. Wild blackberries have also been shown to have a neuroprotective affect, therefore great for supporting our brain health.
Warm these berries very gently so that preserve all that goodness!
- 1.5 cups of blackberries
- 1 tablespoon of raw honey
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- Put 1 cup of the blackberries into a wide bottomed pan and warm gently while pressing with a potato masher to release the juices for about 5 minutes
- Press the blackberries through a sieve with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds
- Pour the pureed blackberries back into the pan and add the other ½ cup of berries, mash these remaining berries and leave in the mixture for more texture
- Finally turn off the heat and stir in the raw honey and chia seeds
- Combine well and pour into your jam jar of choice
- Place in the fridge overnight for the chia seeds to absorb the juice and gel
- Serve with paleo bread / crackers or we love it with some coconut yoghurt as a dessert
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