Clean Eating Strawberry Chia Seed Spread

by The Gracious Pantry on September 4, 2010

Clean Eating Strawberry Chia Seed Spread Recipe

This spread was supposed to be jam.

A reader emailed me and asked me if I had ever made jam using chia seeds. The theory being that the gel from the seeds would thicken the jam

I had been thinking about making strawberry jam so I decided to try it her way.

The results were not what I expected, but delicious just the same. This is NOT a really sweet spread. It’s mildly sweet and would perfectly compliment some nut butter on a rice cracker. In other words, a fantastic addition to any nut butter snack.

Here’s what I did:

Clean Eating Strawberry Chia Seed Spread

Ingredients
2 cups strawberries – cleaned and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup honey

Directions

Step 1 – Place all ingredients into a metal pot and bring to a boil.

Clean Eating Strawberry Chia Seed Spread Recipe

Step 2 – Reduce heat slightly so the contents of the pot don’t splatter all over your stove, but still bubbles in the pot.

Step 3 – Stir constantly! The chia seeds burn on the bottom of the pot very easily. So keep stirring (I had to change pots half way through because the seeds burned so easily).

Step 4 – Stir and boil until the mixture has reduced by half and has thickened. Again, it will not be as thick as jam, but it sill definitely thicken.

Step 5 – Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool for 1 hour. Place in the fridge overnight to continue cooling.

Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
Note: There is no way for me to know exactly how far you will boil down the spread, and therefore I have no idea how many servings this will end up being for you. The below numbers are for the entire recipe.

Calories: 904
Total Fat: 35 gm
Saturated Fats: 4 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 28 mg
Carbohydrates: 142 gm
Dietary fiber: 48 gm
Sugars: 84 gm
Protein: 20 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 50

Nutritional Information estimated at Nutritiondata.com. Data may not be accurate.

Caution: Any time a child is in the kitchen, they will require close supervision. Munchkin Helpers suggestions should be applied with common sense to your own child, taking their own capabilities into account. Do not assume that because it says here that your child can do something, that they can, in fact do it. Please use common sense when in the kitchen with your child(ren).

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  • Kim

    Thanks Tiffany! I tried to make it myself as well and it turned out pretty good. My recipe was similar to yours. I’ll try yours this weekend because I’m almost out. This is so much better than store-bought; you actually taste the strawberries and not the sugar.

  • Jodi

    That looks beatutiful, and delicious! Most fruits contain some pectin(the good-for-you soluble fiber) but apple and grape skins contain the most. You could simmer the skins in water to just cover, then strain out the skins and use the liquid to thicken your jam. It’s what people did before packaged pectin became available for jam and jelly making. I never had “store jelly” growing up because my mother always made it from the berries we picked wild or at pick-your-own farms, and peaches, plums and cherries from GrandDad’s trees. Also the glaze part of my fresh strawberry or peach pie recipe would make a really good spread or topping (over cottage cheese or swirled into yogurt, etc) with a little bit more agar if you want it thicker than it is.
    I never thought of using chia seeds as a thickener. What a great idea!

  • http://www.thegraciouspantry.com The Gracious Pantry

    Kim – I know! What a concept, actually being able to taste the strawberries. Imagine! lol

  • angela

    So how long does it last in the fridge..sounds simple and yummy!

  • http://www.thegraciouspantry.com The Gracious Pantry

    Angela – I’d say about 2 weeks, but I’m not sure because it didn’t last that long here!

  • http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com tasha – the clean eating mama

    I can see myself using this over coconut ice cream ;)

  • http://www.deliveringmiracles.blogspot.com tasha

    This is cooling in my fridge now. I added the chia seeds near the end of the process (I was afraid to ruin my new cookware if I burned the seeds, ha!). I may not have gotten the thickening that was intended from the seeds, but it seems to thickening well as it cools. After boiling down and measuring, I got about 1.5cups = 24 tablespoons @ approx. 16cals each. ;) Can’t wait to try it on pb toast. Thanks!

  • http://www.thegraciouspantry.com The Gracious Pantry

    Tasha – Fantastic! Let me know how it turns out for you. I’d be curious to know if it still gelled.

  • Clarisse

    Its STRAWBERRY PICKING SEASON! Do you think this would freeze well? And where did you get chia seeds?

  • http://www.thegraciouspantry.com The Gracious Pantry

    Clarisse – I could be wrong, but I doubt this would freeze well. You’re better off making a compote if you need to freeze. I got the chia seeds at Whole Foods. But I believe most health food stores will carry them.

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