Jam with chia seeds

When making jam with chia seeds, the ratio of fruit to chia seeds is usually around 2 cups of fruit to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. However, you can adjust the amount of chia seeds depending on your desired consistency and the juiciness of the fruit: 

• Thicker consistency: Add more chia seeds, one teaspoon at a time, if your fruit is very juicy or you want a thicker jam. 
• Spoonable consistency: Use less chia seeds for a jam that's more like a compote. 
• Loosening: If the jam gets too thick, you can thin it out with a little water. 

Chia seeds thicken jam by absorbing the fruit juices and turning into a jelly-like substance. 

This process doesn't require pectin, gelatin, or preservatives. 

Chia seeds are also high in protein, healthy fats, and minerals

Jam Blackcurrant with oranges.

About the amount of sugar. 
- If you are going to eat jam quickly - you can add just one kilogram of sugar on 1 kg of berries. 
So the jam will be more useful. 
- But if you are going to keep it for a long time - add one and a half kilograms. 
- If you decide to put it in the cellar, it is better to add sugar to two kilograms.

Ingredients:
1 kg of black currant
1 medium orange
1 lemon (optional)
sugar

Method:
Wash currants.
I wash it in the kitchen sink where all the twigs and debris float to the surface.
Or I use a salad spinner.

Oranges:
If necessary, I will remove the white layer and the pulp.

So…
Put the fruit in a saucepan - not because it’s going over any heat, but for the flat bottom surface that makes for easy crushing. 
I like using a potato masher. 
You can also pulse the fruit with an immersion blender or in a food processor, but take care not to over-process it.

Add sugar, mix well with spoon - I prefer a silicone spoon.
Leave the mixture at room temperature for a day.
During this time, you need to mix/stirring the ingredients several times so that the sugar is well dissolved.
Then pour all over the jars.
I sterilize jars in the microwave or jars and lids in the oven to heat it up to 100 celsius and turn it off.
Put the jam in the fridge for a day.
During this time, the jam will thicken.
Then sprinkle the jam in each jar with sugar or use a waxed disc wet in vodka - waxed side down!.
If the jam will be liquid not thicken all the sugar will drown.
I make a uniform layer in half a centimeter of sugar.
So it will be stored longer and will not form mold.
Cover with lids and store in the refrigerator or cold cellar.

The nice thing about these jams is their fresh taste.
Such raw black currant jam with orange is tasty and healthy.

Note:
If you’re going to experiment, start out with a small amount, about 2 cups of crushed fruit. 
If you want to make a larger batch, double this. 
When trying to figure out how much fruit you’ll need, use this rule of thumb: 
400-500 gr of fruit without pits or 600-700 of fruit with pits will give you about 2 cups crushed fruit.

For 2 cups of crushed fruit, use 1/2 to 1 cup of granulated sugar.
You can also use brown sugar and honey, but take into account their stronger and sweeter flavors.

Additional flavorings:
This is where herbs like chopped basil or mint come in.
You can also add a pinch of grated fresh ginger or a dash of cinnamon.
You can also increase the number of oranges as I do - 4 medium orange for 1 kg of berries

Jam can also be put on plastic containers and frozen.

And some of my favorite posts on fruit preserved in sugar, such as jam or marmalade:

- Времена года / Four seasons: Strawberry jam with blackcurrant.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Pam’s delicious autumn preserve recipes.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Carrot Jam.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Ten steps to jam-making.

- Времена года / Four seasons: How to make perfect strawberry jam.

- Времена года / Four seasons: How to Make No-Cook Freezer Jam.

- Времена года / Four seasons: Plum Strawberry Jam. By David Lebovitz.