Strawberry Chia Seed Jam by Guest Blogger Recipes for A Sweet Life
Our thanks to Keala from the blog Recipes for a Sweet Life for writing this guest blog post celebrating Awbie’s love for strawberries!
I don't know about your kids, but mine never turn down a peanut butter and jelly/jam sandwich! They would eat it everyday, no problem! But store bought jam isn't always the best. Have you ever made homemade jam? I promise it's not difficult and if you make it, you are in charge of the ingredients! I wanted something Spring feeling, but still easy and healthy.
This homemade Strawberry Chia Seed jam is sweet and delicious and sneakily healthy! The chia seeds add thickness to the jam without using store bought pectin, and they look like strawberry seeds, so the kids never know! This recipe is so easy, the kids can definitely get involved! We used frozen strawberries, but you can always use fresh once they in season, both ways are just as yummy! You can also substitute maple syrup for the sugar if you really want to "healthify" the recipe! We put everything in a pot on the stove, and that's it! In the meantime, we played Coding Jam!
In our house, our kids have "jobs" that they complete everyday. Osmo has been a huge part of this job time. My oldest son is 5, and he loves choosing one of his games to play, and I love that he is learning important skills, and does not complain when I say it's time to work. Coding Jam has quickly become a favorite! He loves the freedom it gives him to create music and how it can be a different tune every time. I love that he is coding in a fun and entertaining way, that is encouraging his creativity, rhythm, and thinking skills while he is "jammin'." In fact, I even played the game once the kids went to bed! It's that fun!
While the kids played Coding Jam, I finished up the Strawberry Chia Seed Jam, (there was a lot of jammin’ going on in our house!)
Let the mix cool, and served it on toast for an afternoon snack. The boys love it! It's perfect on toast, with peanut butter in a sandwich, slathered on pancakes or waffles, mixed in yogurt, or maybe I ate it it straight out of the jar. Maybe... I got thinking about the upcoming Easter holiday, Coding jam would make a perfect Easter basket gift, if your family does that! It's educational, but fun enough that the kids don't even realize they are learning! And we will definitely be making more of this Strawberry Chia Seed Jam, packaging it up in little mason jars, and passing them out to neighbors! I bet even the Easter Bunny would appreciate a little Jam with his carrots!
5-6 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (or maple syrup)
In a medium saucepan, add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Stir constantly over medium heat, until the strawberries are soft and sugar has dissolved. Using a potato masher, mash the strawberries until desired consistency is reached. It can be as smooth or chunky as you like. Continue to stir, and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes. Mixture should thicken a bit. Add chia seeds, stir, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Mixture should be a thick jam consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Jam will thicken more as it cools. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: If using frozen strawberries, defrost the berries in a glass dish. Drain off the excess liquid before adding the berries to the saucepan.
Store your jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freezer.
Check out more from Keala on her blog: Recipes for a Sweet Life
