A quick, lightly sweetened rhubarb and raspberry jam, thickened with chia seeds.
A bright pink, tangy rhubarb jam with the fragrance of raspberries and tiny chia seeds glistening on the spoon. Unlike traditional jam, cooked with plenty of sugar until it coats the back of a spoon, this one sets thanks to chia seeds and stays lightly sweetened. Allow 20 minutes to make one jar, which needs to be refrigerated. This recipe joins my collection of keto sauces and dips.
What Is Rhubarb Jam with Chia Seeds ?
Traditional jam relies on sugar, acidity and pectin to set, after cooking concentrates the fruit. Here, chia seeds do the thickening : their mucilage swells in the cooking juices, creating a soft, spreadable texture with a fine grain.
The base takes just a few ingredients : 500 g of rhubarb, a little water, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 100 g of raspberries or strawberries and 4 tablespoons of chia seeds. Since it contains little sugar, it belongs in the refrigerator rather than the pantry.
The Story Behind This Version
Rhubarb arrives in spring, in bunches at the market or at the back of the garden. Its pronounced tartness needs a little sweetness to make a spread, and berries provide that along with color.
This version keeps the flavor of rhubarb-raspberry or rhubarb-strawberry jam, but replaces the long cooking time with sugar with a short simmer and chia seeds. The result is like a thickened fruit spread, to be eaten within a few days.
The Main Ingredients
Weigh the 500 g of rhubarb after cleaning it : keep the stalks, never the leaves. Cut into pieces, it breaks down quickly with the 3 tablespoons of water, becoming a fairly runny compote with a few firmer pieces remaining.
The 100 g of raspberries add a bright note and deep color ; you can replace them with strawberries for a mellower flavor. The 4 tablespoons of chia seeds help the jam set.
The sweetener is limited to 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. For a version with no added sugar, replace it with the same amount of erythritol ; the whole jar then contains 16 g of net carbs, since the fruit retains its natural sugars.
Technique and Serving Tips
Cook the rhubarb for 5 minutes with the water and sugar, stirring constantly. Add the chia seeds and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the raspberries, blend everything with an immersion blender and simmer for about 5 minutes. There is no need to cook it longer : the jam firms up as it cools, and the chia continues to swell off the heat.
Pour it into a sterile glass jar, or at least one that has been through the dishwasher, close the lid and refrigerate ; ideally, eat it within 3 to 4 days, using a clean spoon. Serve it on bread, with fresh white cheese, basket-drained fresh cheese or plain yogurt, and a small spoonful also pairs well with fresh goat cheese.
For everyday keto cooking, browse all my low-carb recipes.
Ingredients
- 500 g rhubarb weighed after cleaning
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar or powdered erythritol for a sugar-free version
- Erythritol granulated, in place of powdered sugar
- 100 g raspberries
- 100 g strawberries in place of raspberries
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- Wash the rhubarb and cut it into pieces. Place it in the saucepan with the water and sugar (or erythritol). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. You should have a fairly runny compote with a few firmer pieces here and there.500 g rhubarb, 3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, Erythritol
- Add the chia seeds. Cook everything together for 5 minutes.4 tablespoons chia seeds
- Add the raspberries. Blend everything together. Simmer for about 5 more minutes.100 g raspberries, 100 g strawberries
- Store in a sterilized glass jar if possible.
