Admittedly it’s not the season, but I had a craving for some berry jam the other day.  Regular Mexican grocery stores are packed with overly-processed, way-too-sweet, and almost gelatinous jams and jellies.  There are some wonderful homemade types, but you really have to seek them out.  So to satiate my desire, I threw together an easy recipe that is all-natural and brimming with flavor and color.

In this recipe I used frozen organic raspberries and blackberries (obviously fresh is preferred if accessible) and sweetened the mix with agave nectar and a touch of honey.   No processed sugar here! And no pectin either- this jam is thickened with chia.  For more information on chia seeds, check out my other post on: Chia Pico de Gallo  .

A note on Agave Nectar:

Agave nectar (or syrup) is a plant product indigenous to Mexico with some really excellent applications.  It’s made from the agave plant, which is also used to make tequila.  What makes it an excellent alternative to processed table sugar is that it boasts a very low glycemic index (aka it doesn’t spike your blood sugar like regular sugar).  Agave is also more calorie-dense than sugar, so it is by no means a diet food;  but it’s vegan, all-natural, and unprocessed. Hooray!  What else? It’s gained huge popularity in recent years and therefore super easy to find.   In fact, I bought my last bottle of it in the States at T.J. Maxx…

Raspberry-Blackberry Jam with Chia

1 lb. raspberries

1 lb. blackberries

¼ C chia seeds

2 limes

1 orange

¼ C agave nectar

4 T honey

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low until fruit breaks down thoroughly.  Stir often to keep mix from burning on bottom. If you like a thinner, more uniform texture, use a potato masher to crush the mix.  Let cool and thicken. Recipe yields about 3 small jars of jam.

Enjoy!