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Blueberry season has just started and I couldn't be more excited! Not only are these juicy sweet blueberries low in calories but also have many nutritional benefits! One serving of blueberries delivers about 25% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C! That means lots of antioxidants and a nice little collagen boost. In fact, blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant capacities among all vegetables and fruit! These little berries also provide a great source of fiber, enough to satisfy your recommended daily intake! I guess it’s true.. good things come in small packages!  I've created this Blueberry Chia Seed Jam recipe as an alternative to your traditional jam that combines the fruit with pectin. Pectin is a naturally occurring soluble fiber found in the skins and cores of some fruits. Pectin is often used as a gelling agent for jams and jellies. Sugar increases pectin’s ability to gel, creating a thickened, spreadable consistency but unfortunately you need a substantial amount of sugar to make this happen (and an acid.. but we won't get into the science behind it!). Chia Seeds make a perfect replacement for pectin in your jam, allowing you to completely omit sugar all together! Chia seeds are hydrophilic, meaning they LOVE water!! These super seeds can absorb 12 times it's weight when placed in liquid! This allows us to get the gel formation without all the refined sugar, although I've added a little bit of maple syrup for enhanced sweetness but you can adjust according to your preferred taste.  Ingredients:
4 cups fresh blueberries 3 tbsp maple syrup 1/4 cup chia seeds 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Directions: 1. In a medium saucepan, cook berries and maple syrup over medium heat, until the berries begin to soften and burst (about 5 minutes). 2. Mash the berries with a potato masher until desired consistency is reached. 3. Remove from heat and add chia seeds and vanilla extract. 4. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes, stirring often. 5. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days!
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