• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fermenting for Foodies

Health, Taste and Tradition

  • Types of Fermentation
  • Everyday Recipes
  • Supplies
  • Cookbook

Sugar-Free Fruit and Chia Seed Jam

I’ve been making fruit and chia seed jam for years. I love it because it’s sugar-free, high in fiber, and delicious!

Fermented fruit and chia seed jam is the perfect alternative to commercial jam

Fruit and chia jam is so much better than store-bought jam because it is not cloyingly sweet. Even sugar-free store-bought jams are overly sweet, either from an artificial sweetener or concentrated fruit juice.

Instead of faking flavor with sweetness, this jam is packed full of real fruit flavor! It’s also zero-waste and affordable.

How to use fruit and Chia Seed Jam

Honestly, my kids don’t even know what real jam tastes like. We only ever have fruit and chia seed jam. Here are a few ways to use this delicious alternative to jam:

  • Spread on toast, pancakes, or waffles.
  • Stirred into yogurt.
  • Use it as a fruity filling for a layer cake or jam roll.
  • A healthy oatmeal topping.
  • Perfect for peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

Full fruit flavors

Honestly, we make fruit and chia seed jam at least twice a month. In the summer we use fresh fruit and in the winter we use frozen fruit.

Unless I have a huge amount of a particular type of fruit, I usually use a blend of fruits. I usually include apples or pears to add pulp and sweetness to softer fruits.

Looking for some inspiration? Here are a few of our favorite combinations!

  • Gingered peach: A mix of pears and peaches with 1/4 tsp of ground ginger.
  • Pear Plum: A combination of pears and plums gives a rich flavor
  • Wildberry: A mix of apple and berries
  • Blueberry Lemon: Apples and blueberries with lemon zest.
  • Mango Madness: Mango is perfect all on its own.
  • Apricot: Apricot is also thick enough all on its own, however, I recommend adding a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the bright orange color.

Can I ferment it?

Yes! Fruit and chia seed jam is perfect for fermenting.

To add a boost of probiotics, add 2 Tbsp of culture after the cooked fruit has cooled to room temperature. I recommend only fermenting fruit for 1 to 3 days as all the natural sugars will quickly be consumed. Going any longer than a few days will result in a sour jam that is more savory than sweet.

The best cultures for fruit are those that are yeast-based:

  • Kombucha, jun or water kefir
  • Milk kefir whey
  • Ginger bug
  • Apple cider vinegar with a mother
  • Raw honey (only for those who aren’t pregnant or immunocompromised).

Just keep an eye on fermenting fruit as they will carbonate and quickly sour.

Print

Simple Chia Seed Jam

100% Fruit and Chia Seed Jam - A healthy alternative, sugar-free, vegan, keto and delicious
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to jam? This fruit-packed chia seed spread is perfect on toast or stirred into yogurt. See the section above for 6 fun flavor combinations!

  • Author: Emillie
  • Yield: 1 pint jar 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stewed
  • Cuisine: Healthy
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups of fruit (see the section above for suggestions)
  • 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds

Instructions

  1. Mix the fruit and ground chia in a small saucepan. The fruit should be chopped into bite-sized chunks, but it doesn’t need to be peeled. Apple and pear skin will add fiber!
  2. Bring the fruit to a boil, then simmer until everything is soft. Soft fruit, like berries and peaches, don’t need to simmer for more than a minute. Apples might need to cook for 5 minutes. You can also cook the fruit in the microwave, just follow your manufacturer’s instructions.
  3. The cooked fruit can be left chunky, however, I usually pulse it a few times with my immersion blender until it’s a smooth spread.
  4. Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Notes

  • This fruit spread is perfect for fermenting. See the section above for information on how to add a dose of probiotics.
  • If the spread isn’t sweet enough for your taste, then feel free to stir in a bit of sugar or maple syrup. It will still have WAY less sugar than commercial jam.

Keywords: Jam, Jelly, sugar-free, gluten-free, gelatin-free, pectin-free, simple, zero-waste, summer, fall, winter, spring, 2 ingredients, 10 minutes or less

Filed Under: Breakfasts, Condiments, Fruit Sweetened TreatsTagged With: Apple, Berry, Blueberries, Peach, Pear, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries

Previous Post: « Ogi: Fermented Millet Porridge
Next Post: 10 Delicious Gluten-Free Sourdough Recipes »

Reader Interactions

Related Posts

How to make hard cider with a mix of fruit juices
How to Make Hard Apple Cider From Juice
Simple-sourdough-cobbler-gluten-free-vegan-made-with-sourdough-discard
Simple Sourdough Cobbler: A Healthy Treat!
Simple fermented berry sauce - preserve the taste of summer
Fermented Berries: The Simplest Preserves

Serve peach wine chilled or with sparkling water for a wine cocktail
Fun and Summery Peach Wine
Simple probiotic fruit ice cream with milk kefir or yogurt!
Healthy Fruit Ice Cream (With Kefir or Yogurt!)
Simple homemade fruit cider from fruit juice and yeast
Simple Fruit Juice Cider

Comments

  1. Miriah

    May 23, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    So if I ferment, I add the picked one (like honey or whey) after I cook, then let it sit out for a day? I’ve never fermented before! Thank you!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Emillie Parrish

      May 23, 2022 at 4:21 pm

      Yes! It’s a good ferment for a beginner because fermenting fruit with culture is pretty reliable. Enjoy!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Emillie, an island-dwelling fermentation enthusiast. Fermenting For Foodies features healthy recipes designed to feed your microbiome.
Read More →

Check Out My Cookbook!

Fermenting Made Simple Cookbook

Want healthy recipes right to your inbox? Subscribe to our mid-month newsletter!

Thank you!

Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

Affiliate Disclosure

In order to run this site, Fermenting For Foodies sometimes earns an affiliate commission on the sales of products we link to. We only feature items we genuinely want to share, and this is an arrangement between the retailer and Fermenting For Foodies. Readers never pay more for products. Thank you for reading!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Sponsored Content
  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 · Fermenting for Foodies