Raw Raspberry Jam

from The Blender Girl cookbook
January 27, 2012

This raw raspberry jam thickened with chia seeds from The Blender Girl cookbook is really quick and easy and tastes just like conventional raspberry jam.

Raw Raspberry Jam with Chia Seeds

This raw raspberry jam thickened with chia seeds from The Blender Girl cookbook is really quick and easy and tastes pretty close to conventional raspberry jam.

I don’t eat preserves, jams, and jellies very often. But when I do, I always make my own, so I can control the quality of the ingredients and the level of sugar! I was at my friend Kris’s house last year, and she was making home made apricot jam with a bucket load of fresh apricots her neighbors had dropped around from off of their trees. Kris is an amazing cook and has a real flare for flavors. Her home made apricot jam was delicious. But, as I was sitting at her kitchen bench watching her put cups and cups of refined sugar into the pot, I had to coat-check my liver and colon, and grab hold of my heart. There is so much sugar in jam.

This quick, easy, date-sweetened jam thickened with chia seeds is quicker, easier, and contains less sugar. For those of you with allergies to pectin, this jam will be a welcome addition to your repertoire.

This raw raspberry jam is absolutely delicious, and tastes just like conventional jam without all of the cooking and jarring time. This recipe is so quick and easy, you may never make the other stuff again. You’re also getting all of the benefits of the live enzymes, and natural fresh flavor of the raw fruit.

I love raspberry jam. But, you can apply this basic principle to jams made with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, apricots, figs, and all kinds of other fruits. The key to making this look like conventional jam is pulsing the fruit on a low speed to keep the consistency rustic and chunky. If you blend on high, you’ll get a sauce.

I love serving this jam with crepes, muffins, and toast. It’s a great addition to a homemade brunch table. I typically blend up a few different flavors. When people ask where I got the spreads from, I love responding, “Oh, I blended those up this morning in 5 minutes.” After jaws hit the floor, this is normally followed with a quick lesson, and several phone calls in the coming weeks from friends sharing their blends, “I just made blueberry jam and it was amazing!”

Share what flavors you’re making in the comments below.

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Raw Raspberry Jam

This raw raspberry jam thickened with chia seeds from The Blender Girl cookbook is really quick and easy and tastes just like conventional raspberry jam.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 83 kcal
Author Tess Masters

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pour the coconut water into your blender and add the dates. Blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until the dates have broken up.
  2. Scrape down the sides of the container, then add the chia seeds and one-half of the raspberries. Pulse on low a few times, just to break up the berries.
  3. Add the remaining raspberries and pulse a few times on low to get a thick, chunky consistency. If the jam is too tart, stir in liquid sweetener to taste. Go easy, or the jam will get runny.
  4. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. The chia seeds will thicken the jam, and the flavors will develop. The jam keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Recipe from The Blender Girl cookbook

Comments

Comments 77

  1. OOOHHH! This was soooo GOOD! I can see this recipe made with blueberries, strawberries, or whatever. Brilliant! I love adding chia seeds to it. Gives it nice bulk and texture. Have an awesome day!

    1. Thanks Kibby!
      Yes! I have made this with all kinds of berries and tons of other fruits! SO easy and SO delicious! Have a great weekend 🙂

  2. LOVE! What a GREAT idea! I know I’d have leftovers, but guess I could just freeze them and use them for smoothies 🙂

    1. I was thinking the same thing. I wouldn’t use it all up in time – and I HATE to waste food! Freeze some up and then toss into a some homemade nut milk and voila! Have a tasty, quick smoothie (toss in some spinach for extra greens). Sounds great!

    2. Thanks Andrea!
      Yes. This is a large quantity.
      You can halve the recipe.
      But going any smaller quantity than that makes the dates and coconut water harder to blend. But you can do it!
      But I have frozen this too. Enjoy!

  3. Could this recipe be made with grapes to make grape jam? I was curious about grapes since they would be juicier than raspberries and strawberries. Would you add more dates to thicken the jam? I would attempt trying it out myself, but I don’t have a blender. Thanks in advance! Happy blending! Oink!

    1. Hey Jeanine,
      You can make grape jam.
      You would just adjust the quantities of dates to get the desired sweetness, and you would need a little more chia seeds to thicken it.
      I hope this helps!
      We need to get you a blender!

  4. That looks so good! I’ve only been using chia seeds the past month or so and I love finding new recipes. Thank you.

    1. This is SO easy Vibeke.
      YOU will LOVE it.
      You can use all kinds of different fruits for variation. LOVE Chia seeds.
      You can do SOOOO much with them and they are SOOO good for you!

  5. Can you use frozen fruit ? Can the jam be frozen after it’s made or can this recipe be fermented so it will last longer?

    1. Tannya
      You can use defrosted frozen fruit. You will just need to add less water and perhaps some more chia seeds. I find that the flavour and texture isn’t quite as good with the frozen fruit. But you can make it work for economics and convenience. I have not tried fermenting this mixture. But that is a fabulous idea.

    1. Hey Diane,
      You could use any sweetener you like for this recipe. The dates are not an essential ingredient. I have used stevia. You could also use raw agave, yacon syrup, or anything else you like. Enjoy 🙂

  6. Hello !!! can this reciep be made with oranges? and how long it could last on the fridge?? best regards!!!

    1. Yes! Marmalade is AMAZING. You just might have to adjust the quantities of dates a little.
      This will keep in the fridge for about 5 – 7 days.

      1. Thanks a lot Tess !!! you are a very generous girl …
        : )
        i´ll tell you about my coconut smoothy as soon i make it…

    1. Hey Tracey!
      Lovely to hear from you.
      Yes! This recipe is AMAZING and SO easy.
      Thanks for giving it a shout out on your wonderful blog.

  7. Great idea! I’ll have to try this (without coconut since I’m allergic) in my mini blender. 🙂

    I’d add Stevia and remove dates, but only because as a raw vegan and wellness coach, I try to encourage people to use it as it doesn’t cause any kind of sugar spike. Keep it up!

    1. Yes! It is AMAZING. Just make sure you chop up the apricots if you are using a conventional blender. You will need to adjust the sweetener too. Enjoy 🙂

  8. I was just asking myself today if I was up to finding a way to make my own jam/jelly that was free of refined sugar. SCORE! Here’s the catch though: My husband can’t eat seeds of any kind in their whole state. Would the chia seeds still thicken the jam if they were ground, say, in a coffee grinder?

    1. Yes, it should still work. You may have to use some more chia seeds to be sure. I grind chia seeds in my smoothies all the time and they still thicken. Let me know how you go.

  9. Waheyyyyy! What a fabuloso recipe! I tried it with strawberries and then with raspberries and the whole lot got yum-scrummed. Will be trying blueberries next!
    I used frozen berries both times and they worked really well – the whole chunks had that gloriously gloopy, squidgy quality they have in ‘normal’ jam! 😉

  10. FYI I used a lot less dates and added some drops of liquid stevia and a little extra chia. Still fantastic! I am making frozen pb&j butter cups and also pb&j ice cream (both raw of course). Namaste

  11. Hi, is it okay if we use peaches? Would the amount of dates and chia seeds be reduced? I have a LOT of peaches (peach tree) and need to use them.

    1. Sorry for my late response to this. Yes! Peach jam is delicious! You may have to tweak the sweetener depending on your fruit. I would keep the dates and the chia the same. You can always add more, and the jam will still taste fabulous and thicken.

  12. I’m pretty sure that this would count as one of your 5 a day compared to commercial jam because they boil out the nutrience and add a heck ton of sugar. It’s what has put me off PB and J for so long and Thank you for the recipe! *huggles you* PB and J here I come!!!!

  13. I wonder if I can put it in a jar and seal to send to my family. If the air is removed and the jar sealed, I would hope it would last longer.

    1. Yay! I am so happy to hear this Christine. Thanks for sharing. Mary Anne – this doesn’t fair too well in the freezer. It gets watery and loses the beautiful consistency when you defrost.

  14. Do you think you could substitute fresh juice (pear, grape, or apple) to sweeten this instead of dates? And decrease or eliminate the coconut water?

    1. Yes. You could use juice instead of coconut water, but it still don’t be sweet enough at 1/4 cup. You will probably need a bit more. If you add more liquid, you will need more chia seeds to get it to a thick consistency, and the more chia seeds you add, the more the flavor is affected. But, it is possible. Enjoy!

  15. Hi, do you think I could can this? Put it n the glass mason jars and boil for a bit to seal? I know it will take away from the ‘raw’ aspect, but it’ll still be healthy

  16. Hi! This looks great. I was wondering if I could use frozen berries that have been thawed? Berries aren’t in season here and frozen is all I have.

    1. Ground flax will thicken it in a way, but it just doesn’t have the same consistency with that berry seed look, and the flax has a much more prominent flavor which I find too nutty.

  17. I will have lots of jam to make this coming year and was wondering if you can can it or would it lose it’s consistency?

  18. Hi! Love this recipe! Is there anyway to preserve the jam naturally without freezing? If not how long do you think it should last refrigerated? Thanks for the awesome alternative and it’s so delicious!

    1. Sorry Karen, this jam is not made to keep past 5 to 7 days. It doesn’t keep for any longer than that in jars or cans.

  19. I’ve always wondered about how to utilize the mucilage of Chia Seeds. I’m glad I found this side. Great idea!

  20. I’m in the process of juicing my pomegranates today and was wondering how that would work? What changes would you make? Also, do you think freezing this jam would be fine and then when thawing, use it up in 5-7 days.

    1. Pomegranate Jam is great. Use 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice and whisk in 1/4 cup chia seeds. Mash 1 cup raspberries into that mixture, and then sweeten to taste. It is usually about 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. I don’t find that this mixture freezes very well. It loses its gorgeous texture. But, you could try. I hope this helps.

    1. Yes, you are quite right Jan. Dates do contain natural sugar. But, it is not the processed kind found in most conventional jams. And, this recipe contains a lot less sugar than typical varieties. So, even though I recommend eating any forms of sugar in moderation, this recipe is a great healthier alternative when eating jam.

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