Rosemary Rhubarb Chia Jam
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
I just love it when new produce becomes available — fruits of veggies that haven’t made an appearance all year long tend to get a LOT of love from me, and I go on (what my husband affectionately describes as), somewhat of a frenzy. This particular frenzy is purely rhubarb driven, so apologies in advance, but you should expect to see quite a few rhubarb related posts coming up over the next few weeks.
Needing only 4 ingredients, this chia jam only takes 15 minutes to make in one pan. The other great thing about this recipe, is that you can adapt it to use whatever fruit you fancy or, like me, whatever is going off in the fridge. If a fruit is a bit too squidgy to eat, then I just make a quick compote out of it, and then I get to enjoy it for another 2 weeks! It also freezes very well, so is a real treat to defrost a portion of out-of-season fruit months later. Apple and rhubarb work very well together, as do any of the berries and don’t even get me started on the heavenly peach-nectarine combo — I predict another summer time frenzy indeed! The addition of rosemary is, of course, entirely optional, but I feel like its presence ups the fanciness factor no end!
This fruit-packed, soluble fibre-filled, Omega 3-rich chia jam is so very versatile. It is great on toast as a healthier substitute to the usual refined sugar-laden shop bought jams. It’s yummy on waffles, pancakes, on top of yogurt and in porridge or rice pudding. It is an all round nutritionally packed delicious multitasker! To be able to sneak in 3g of fibre and 2g of plant based protein in one serving is just the icing on the cake!
NOTE — I only tend to add the coconut sugar when making rhubarb jam. If it’s berries/plums/apples/peaches etc, the fruit itself tends to be sweet enough and doesn’t need the extra sugar.
INGREDIENTS
· 200g Rhubarb
· 4 tbsp Chia Seeds
· 3 tbsp Coconut Sugar (adjust more or less depending on how tart the rhubarb is)
· Water to cover
· Optional — a tsp of ground dried rosemary
METHOD
· Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and just cover with water (how much depends on the size of the pan).
· Simmer on a low heat for 15–20 mins or until all the fruit is very soft. You might need to add a tbsp more water every now and again if it gets too dry.
· Mash to desired consistency.
· Once cooled, store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories — 42
Carbohydrates — 7g
Fat — 1g
Protein — 2g
Fibre — 3g