Fresh spring rhubarb, raspberries and chia seeds simmer down in this spreadable jelly in less than 30 minutes– giving you no excuse but to make your own sugar-free, stupidly delicious jam!
Hi friends! IS IT JUST me or are you enjoying the bombardment of Spring-inspired plates on social media right now.
Watermelon radishes, peas, asparagus- ohhhh my! Scrolling through instagram was enough to send me 30 minutes by foot to St. Lawrence market to scour some of my own vibrant veg’. My neighbourhood grocer was just not supplying the goods.
Soy latte + oversized reusable tote in hand, I was lucky to score some local rhubarb, rainbow cherry tomatoes and funky radishes at one of the tiny farmer’s stalls.
RHUBARB
While I consider myself an expert at indulging in rhubarb in pie form, I had yet to put its pleasingly tangy flavour and neon pink colour to use in my own kitchen.
One swift crunch into the stuff and you’ll know- rhubarb absolutely needs sugar, or a sweet counterpart to mellow out its acidic bite.
Maple syrup works beautifully here, it’s caramel-like consistency joining forces with the raspberry’s natural sugars to power-up the jam without leaving any desire for the powdery white stuff.
CHIA SEEDS
Long been used as a binder, thickener and egg-replacer, chia strikes again here by replacing the pectin used in jam. As it soaks up the juices from the rhubarb and raspberries, the little seeds turn into jelly-like bubbles, providing the perfect consistency for spreadable, lick-able jam.
As usual, the best part here is how quickly it all comes together in your pot. Once the jelly-like mixture has formed (in under 10 min!) the ball is in your court to spread it on toast, top your sundaes, or eat it by the spoon!
What’s your favourite Spring-inspired find?
Ingredients
- 1 stalk (roughly 1 cup) rhubarb, finely diced
- 1/2 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp orange juice, lemon juice
Method
- In a medium pot, add the rhubarb, raspberries and salt over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 4 min, until the fruit starts to release liquid and a chunky sauce is forming.
- Add the chia seeds and stir well. Continue to simmer for 10 min over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb and raspberries have broken down and the chia seeds have exploded. Stir in the orange juice and remove the pot from the heat.
- Transfer the jam to a jar or heat proof container and place in the refrigerator to cool.
- Enjoy!
This looks and sounds amazing!
Thanks Karlie! It’s almost too good to be true. Hope you’re havin a killer week.
I just love your blog and had been saving this recipe for a while… I found rhubarb at the farmers’ market this weekend and finally got to try it out. I swapped some of the rhubarb for raspberry and it turned out wonderful! Thanks!
So glad, Melissa! Lucky you made it out to the farmers market- all the goodies there!
The color of this rhubarb is amazing! We’ve got an upcoming post of KY Derby hates coming up Friday and I bet this color will pop up.-Laurel Bledsoe
It’s so unique right! And those frilly green tops too- gorgeous. Thanks Laurel.
I just came across another recipe for jam that uses chia seeds instead of pectin this morning and I’m obsessed now with the idea. Brilliant!!! I love the name of your blog too, by the way. It’s perfect 😀
Hi Lindsay! It’s even easier than it sounds- hope you fall in love! Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂
I definitely want to try this jam!! When you add the rhubarb and strawberries to the pot, do you need to add any water or is it just the fruit? 🙂 XO, Sarah
Hi Sarah! Hope all is well! My first inclination was to add water but I held off, and good thing cause the rhubarb and raspberry release a lot. Im sure a couple tsp wouldn’t hurt if you find that they aren’t doing their thing 😉
For some reason I can’t find rhubarb anywhere in my immediate locale. This is such a great idea, Meredith and will definitely be on my list once I get my hands on some of that good stuff!
Hi Heidi! Thanks so much for coming by. I recently found out that I am a bit ahead on the rhubarb seasonal train. Fingers crossed we start to see it popping up more in may.
How long is it good for?
Hey Juanita! The jam will be good for 3-5 days in your fridge (at least!) -Mere