spread it out

I've been wanting to make this jam for a long time now, and I knew I'd wait until I could pick my own berries so that it would be the freshest, tastiest jam possible. Most freezer jam recipes (or any jam recipe for that matter) is loaded with a ton of sugar. Now I know that I do a lot of baking with sugar here, but I do try to start my day off right when I can....

The wonderful thing about this jam? It's actually really healthy. It just happens to be sugar-free, but it's not replaced with some sweetener, just good ol' honey. It's also vegan friendly (no pectin) and full of nutrient-packed chia seeds. Remember when I used Chia seeds as an egg replacer? Well they're the thickener in this jam too! 

Egg Substitution

~We talked about the benefits of Chia seeds already, so you can see why they'd be a great alternative for not only vegans, but if you're trying to be healthier (or if you have an allergy). I've only seen them used in baked goods like pancakes, breads and cakes but would love to try other uses for this. If you are going to use Chia seeds as a replacer, here's how:

1. & 2. Grind the seeds either into a fine meal, in either a blender or spice grinder (if you want to do a larger batch in the blender, just freeze any leftovers in an air-tight container since they're perishable).

3. & 4. Add the 1 Tbs. ground chia seeds and 3 Tbs. of water to a small bowl, mix with a whisk and let sit for 5-10 minutes- the mixture should resemble a runny, raw egg (if you use warm water it will speed up the process). This mixture should replace one raw egg in a recipe.

*Want to see this in action? Tomorrow I have a recipe that includes the egg substitution... see you then!