Roasted Blueberry and Ginger Chia Jam

One of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest is berry season. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, tayberries, marionberries, raspberries, boysenberries, the list goes on and on. SO.MANY.BERRIES.HERE. This summer my husband and I took our daughter blueberry picking for the first time. It was truly a magical day, watching our daughter pick berries from the bush, making the most delightful sound as she savored each one. 9 lbs of blueberries later, I had to find as many things to make with blueberries as humanly possible. Muffins upon muffins, scones, shrub, and of course, jam.

If you find jam cloyingly sweet like I do, then this recipe is for you. This roasted blueberry and ginger chia jam is tart, slightly sweet, and has a nice bit of heat from the fresh ginger. It gets the majority of its sweetness from the fruit itself and just a touch of honey. If you prefer a sweeter jam, add in more to suit your taste. No canning or pectin necessary. I guarantee this jam won’t last long enough to go bad.

Roasted Blueberry and Ginger Chia Jam

Roasted Blueberry and Ginger Chia Jam

Ingredients:

3 1/2 C fresh blueberries

Lemon rind, cut into strips from approximately 1/2 a lemon

1/3 C lemon juice

1 Tbsp finely minced ginger

1/4 tsp Chinese five spice

3 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp chia seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except for chia seeds in a medium sized oven proof pot. Roast blueberries for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, turn up the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for another 15 minutes or until the berries have reduced down and become syrupy. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the chia seeds. The jam will look runny, but as the chia seeds hydrate, the mixture will thicken up to a perfect jammy consistency.

Spread it on toast, spoon over vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or oatmeal.