This tangy sweet jam is a prelude to a delicious dessert recipe I just can’t wait to share. While these homemade preserves make for the perfect sweet ingredient in a special treat, this easy homemade jam also happens to be the topping your toast has been waiting for (and your pancakes, waffles, and french toast, for that matter).

Several days ago a kind reader asked me for some homemade jam ideas for this recipe. I realized I had never shared an easy chia jam recipe on the blog before. While simple 15 minute chia jams are my go-to when I need some fruity preserves quick, I admit I don’t have to make my own jams very often because my kitchen cupboards are usually stocked with my dad’s homemade jam. My dad is well-known in our family as the “jam man,” and I don’t think any of us in my immediate family ever have to buy (or make our own) fruit preserves. Once in a great while, I run out, or I need a specific flavor, and chia jam is always what I make.

A big bunch of fresh rhubarb from my parents’ garden was the inspiration for this particular jam, as well as an idea for a sweet and tangy rhubarb dessert (coming soon!). I originally envisioned strawberries as rhubarb’s companion, but on a whim I reached for a bag of frozen raspberries in my freezer and I’m so glad I did. Sweetened lightly with maple syrup, this combination has the perfect amount of bright, juicy, berry flavor with a tiny hint of sour sweet rhubarb. I couldn’t stop tasting it as it cooked. Mmmm… so delicious.

This jam hits all the right flavor notes, and completely embodies the transition of spring into summer. Tangy, sweet, bright, fruity… and best of all it’s a breeze to make! Hope you love this one, friends!

Raspberry Rhubarb Chia Seed Jam

Makes about 1 cup

Cook time: 12 – 18 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
• 1 cup raspberries (I used frozen)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup*
• Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds

Add all ingredients except chia seeds to a medium pot. Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until the mixture boils, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 7-8 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened. Stir in the chia seeds. Continue to stir often and cook for another 6-10 minutes or until it has thickened to your liking.

Store in a glass jar with an air tight lid and use withing 10-12 days, or freeze after cooling and thaw to use later.

*Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup to make it sweeter or less sweet, according to preference.