Pomegranate Chia Jam (or any fruit you like)

In the workshops I lead, where I teach how to prepare easy, high-protein food, I love to set a small table of delicious vegan snacks so people don't starve until the main food is ready.

What's on this table?

Fresh vegetables, freshly baked buckwheat bread, and all sorts of delicious spreads I make.

I think in the upcoming workshop this Friday morning, I'll bring, among other things, this pomegranate chia jam.

It's a jam that contains a high amount of chia and very little sugar.

I chose to make this jam with fresh pomegranates this time, but you can make it with any fruit you love, fresh or frozen. The supermarket was just full of pomegranates (so how could I not buy a kilo or two?!)

I like to prepare this jam in advance and store it in a jar in the fridge. In the morning, I add a tablespoon to my granola or spread a thin layer on bread before heading to the office (which is at home, yay!).

Unlike store-bought jams or traditional homemade ones, this jam contains very little sugar, and the preparation process is very short and simple.

So you're probably wondering, what thickens the jam if there isn't much sugar?

A-ha!

Chia! My love.

If you didn't know, when chia seeds are soaked, they release a thick, sticky gel that I use instead of high sugar content to set the jam. Good trick, right?

In my opinion, it's also a great way to consume chia seeds in a slightly different form (one that doesn't get stuck in your teeth—try going to a meeting after eating chia porridge, embarrassing!)

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How to eat it?

One tablespoon of jam can be a wonderful solution when you crave something sweet and relatively low in calories as a topping for bread, porridge, or yogurt.

The high fiber content found in both the chia seeds and the pomegranate seeds will keep you feeling full for longer.

Chia seeds also contain a nice amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, and pomegranates are full of wonderful antioxidants.

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Nutritional values by Noam Bachar, fitness trainer and nutritionist:

One tablespoon of jam weighing 30g contains:

40 kcal

8g Carbohydrates

1g Protein

1g Fat

Chia Jam

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 8 minutes

Total time 14 minutes

Serving size 10 servings

Ingredients

• 280 g pomegranate seeds two medium pomegranates - or the same amount of chopped, very ripe fruit of your choice
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp silan (date syrup)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a small pot, combine the pomegranate seeds, silan, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix well and bring to a boil over low heat.
2. Continue to cook for about 5-8 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, add the chia seeds, and mix thoroughly.
4. If you prefer a firmer jam, add another tablespoon of chia seeds.
5. Let it cool and set for at least half an hour before eating.
6. Once the jam has cooled, transfer it to a jar and keep refrigerated.
7. Unlike "regular" jams, this one (since it doesn't contain a lot of sugar) does not keep for long and should be consumed within a few days of refrigeration.

A few notes

You can completely omit the silan if you like – the chia will still thicken everything, but the result will be less jam-like and less sweet.