Mixed Berry Chia Preserves
It really doesn't get much easier than this, and best of all, you get to hand select your ingredients. Fresh fruit? Frozen fruit? To sweeten or not to sweeten? Perfect for toast, traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as a topping for pancakes and crapes, or add a couple of spoonfuls to your smoothies or "nice" creams. This recipe is so easy it will quickly become a staple in your fridge.
Let's get started.
I N G R E D I E N T S
- 4 cups of fresh organic fruit of your choice. Frozen fruit works, too, just make sure to defrost or gently warm on the stove before adding the additional ingredients. I used raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries to create a "mixed berry" preserve.
- 1/4 cup of organic Chia seeds (give or take, depending on how thick you want your preserve to be.
- 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- A small squeeze of fresh organic lemon juice, lime juice OR a little bit of citrus rind, to taste.
- If you need to cut some of the tartness with a sweetener, I would suggest pure organic Maple syrup, to taste, but you could also use agave, just as well.
M E T H O D
- Thaw fruit (if frozen)
- Transfer fruit to a large bowl or pot.
- Stir in chia seeds
- Add citrus juice (or rind), vanilla, and sweetener of choice, to taste.
- Use an immersion blender, briefly, to chop the fruit and mix the ingredients (as pictured), or use a food processor.
- Transfer preserve to a glass jar.
- Cover and place in the fridge to thicken (about an hour).
Enjoy!