Recipe: Fig (Or Fruit) Chia Seed Jam

Apart from family (of course), one thing my grandpa LOVED was his fig trees. Fig trees produce figs and when picked at the right time, provide a yummy treat. My grandpa especially enjoyed preserved figs and would eat four figs every day on a slice of bread. I often heard him say that he couldn’t eat more than four a day because it would raise his blood sugar. It’s no wonder the fig preserves aided in raising his blood sugar – as a child, I often helped my grandparents can figs and looking back, I am appalled at how much sugar went into the pot!

My mom and I were discussing the fig canning process over lunch yesterday and toyed with the idea of eliminating white processed sugar from the mix. Figs alone are sweet enough as is!

After lunch, we decided to pick a few figs to conduct our experiment…

These are my grandpa’s fig trees – absolutely HUGE and overflowing with figs! (He has four trees total – two large ones and two small ones.)

I wore long sleeves because I’m allergic to something in the fig leaves – they cause me to break out in itchy welts!

 

Yummy ripe goodness!

In honor of my grandfather’s 93rd birthday today (and exactly one week since his passing), I give you my fig jam experiment!  Happy Birthday, Paw Paw! We sure miss you lots!

Chia Seed Fig Jam
(Can be made with any soft or berry type fruit)
Adapted from: Oh She Glows Chia Seed Jam

Ingredients:
3 cups of sliced figs (or fruit)
3 tbsp pure maple syrup (or more if you wish the jam sweeter – 3 tbsp was perfect for figs because they are sweet as is)
1/2 cup water (eliminate this step if using berries – use water with figs only)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium-sized pot, bring the figs (or berries), maple syrup, and water to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low-medium to simmer for about 5 minutes. Lightly mash the figs/fruit with a potato masher or fork, leaving some for texture.

Stir in the chia seeds until thoroughly combined and cook the mixture down until it thickens to your desired consistency, or about 10 minutes (may need longer if working with berries, figs only need about 10 minutes). Stir frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pot.

Once the jam is as thick as you’d like, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Add more maple syrup to taste if desired. Enjoy!  The jam should keep for at least a week in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Once I arrived home, I began the process of cleaning and de-stemming the figs.

The figs were then chopped into chunks until 3 cups were measured.

Here’s my medium pot, 3 cups of figs, maple syrup, and 1/2 cup water (already in the pan).

Figs after simmering for 5 minutes in water/maple syrup, then being smashed with…well, I’m not actually sure what the proper use of this utensil is (but it’s what I had handy at the time). Enlighten me if you know, please! :0)

Ready for chia seeds and vanilla!

Getting thicker!

I made two complete batches which filled 9 small canning jars.

All great chefs taste their final product, right? Well, I’m no great chef, but I did have to try a sample of my work! I enjoyed a slice of Whole Foods Seduction bread with a spoonful of my homemade fig jam and a cup of David’s Banana Dream Pie tea after dinner. The consistency of the jam was just right and the taste was not overpoweringly sweet. I’d say my experiment was a success! I’ll definitely make more of this in the future!

Also, I had to use my Princess 2012 mug in honor of the runDisneyChat hosted by Team Run Disney on Twitter last night. If you missed out, there will be another runDisneyChat on August 18th. Check out the Team Run Disney Facebook for more information!

Have you ever canned fruit or made preserves/jam? What’s your favorite preserves/jam flavor?