There’s something special about homemade jam. It could be the process of taking something that’s in-season, and preserving it for a cold winter morning, or the way the sweet smell of fruit wafts through the air, warming the whole house. Mostly, I think it’s the simplicity of it. The way it lends itself to brightening up an otherwise boring piece of toast, or becomes half the filling for a perfect PB&J.
This jam was made using berries I picked from the blackberry bush in my tiny city backyard. It yields about two tiny mason jars of jam, and keeps for a week in the fridge.
1 cup blackberries
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp sucanat or cane sugar
4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped in food processor
In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the berries and press down with a fork until mashed. Add chia seeds, water, maple syrup, vanilla and sucanat and mix while while simmering on low heat. Blend the fresh basil in a food processor, add to the jam mixture and let it simmer for 20 more minutes. The house will smell amazing. Set it aside to cool completely before storing in mason jars in the fridge.
