RAW Jam Fruit Sread

I pretty much gave up jarred fruit spreads for yummy raw agave syrup and maple syrup a while back.  However, I still have a family that loves their jams and jellies, and I just cringe when I have to buy it.  I do so because, knowing how to make it, I don't make it.  It is an unnecessary cost for me because it is quite easy and relatively cheap (almost free) for me to make it traditionally, as long as I pick the berries myself and reuse my grocery glass jars.  Recently I heard of another way to make jam that is even easier.  So the other day when we were doing our grocery shopping, my husband grabbed the jelly off the shelf and I asked him to give me a chance at the new recipe.

Ingredients:
1 C fresh berry (I used blueberries)
3 T raw agave or maple syrup or raw honey (it doesn't have to be this exact measurement, it's to your own taste, but this amount reaps a good medium)
3 T chia seeds
glass jar

You can cook your fruit with its sweetener if you want, but I chose not to.  It is much healthier to use fresh and raw fruit, and since even my agave was raw, I didn't want to ruin what actually is a healthy jam.  Or at least as healthy as jam can get.

Yes, it really only is 3 ingredients, and approximately 2 hours.  By the time you are done cooking and preserving your high sugar, traditional jam (that's not even cool enough to consume), you can have a raw, healthy, chilled alternative.

Step 1.  Blend your berries and sweetener.

Step 2.  Add chia seeds.

Step 3.  Store and refrigerate.  Seeds that are used for sprouting will form a gel-like substance in the process of the soak.  The chia seeds' gel will give the fruit the hold of pectin, necessary to constitute jelly, jam, and even gelatin.

The jam is optimal within a week, but good as long as 2 weeks.  This will vary on fruit used.  My determination on this is based upon how long fresh fruit is good for (blueberries hold longer than a strawberry), since the jam is using a raw fruit.  You can boil the fruit and sugar in hopes to get a longer life, or even try a vitamin C tab, but you are still dealing with a sprouting seed.  This is why I did my recipe small, and figured it would do better with weekly batches.  Guilt-free jam.  Now that's what I'm talking about!