Natural Berry Jam

Sometimes I like my breakfast savory….but sometimes I like it sweet. Just like this natural berry jam toast.

Let’s start with the jam

The berry jam only needs four natural ingredients and about 25 minutes of cook time. Pick your favorite berry or variety of berries, add in a dash of natural sweetener, use chia seeds as your binding agent and top off with some lemon juice as a natural preservative.

I started making this natural jam after turning to the ingredients list on a store bought brand…

Pectin

Pectin is a soluble fiber found in most plants and is used as the binding agent in most jams, jellies and preservatives. It’s found in plants so it must be good, right? It’s not so simple.

Natural pectin cannot be digested by the human body. In order to be digested, Pectin must be altered into modified citrus pectin (MCP) in order to create those digestible properties. I’m not a scientist and would never claim to be. Modified pectin serves several uses these days but with that also comes it’s potential risks. I prefer my food to stay in its most natural form.

This natural berry jam uses chia seeds as the binding agent. Not only do they become jelly like globes by absorbing liquid, they are also full of health benefits.

Added Sugar

The added sugar in store bought jams is staggering. White sugar, cane sugar, you name it…the milligram count completely detracts any nutritional value of the original fruit. Fruit contains sugar as is. It is a natural sugar but it is still sugar.

For this natural berry jam, when you cook the fruit down it loses some of those natural sugar properties. I have technically added sugar with the liquid syrup sweetener, but it is intended to balance rather than drown out the fruit flavor. If you’re sugar conscious, pick maple syrup over agave. Maple syrup has the lowest glycemic index. Also feel free to use less.

Preservatives

If exorbitant amount of added sugar isn’t enough of a preservative of its own, sometimes store bought jam brands add in some additional chemical preservatives. This natural berry jam uses a little dash of lemon juice. The acidic nature acts as a barrier to bacteria growth extending the shelf life. Although it may not be as long as a store bought jam, maybe that’s for the better?

Now to the toast

Well enough blabbering on about how much healthier this jam is…now time to give it a taste! My favorite way to enough in on a piece of sourdough toast.

1. Toast in a toaster or if your slices are big, toast on the stove until lightly golden brown and crunchy.
2. Choose a spread that fits your mood – I like 88 acres dark chocolate sunflower seed butter and crunchy almond butter.
3. Spread your natural berry jam – you’ll see a strawberry variety below but don’t forget you can use any berry you like!
4. Top with a little drizzle of agave.

Click to find more recipes with these ingredients!