This weekend, I was ecstatic when a friend invited me over to pick as many mulberries as I wanted from her tree. She has a dwarf everbearing mulberry loaded with fruit and she cannot keep up with how much fruit it is producing. April in Phoenix is the start of the mulberry season. This is an easy tree to grow in our climate with the reward of masses of berries.
I spent an enjoyable afternoon with her and loaded up on mulberries, which I planned to turn into jam. This post will be short and sweet, because as I write it, the delicious scones with mulberry chia jam and fresh cream, along with a pot of mint tea is being enjoyed on a beautiful Spring afternoon.
I chose to do a mulberry chia jam because I wanted something with less sugar and mulberries have such a high sugar content anyway. However I still wanted a good thick texture. It is seedy, and the fruit is mostly whole, but I prefer a jam rather than jelly, so I don’t mind this at all. The chia seeds also add protein making it more nutritious. Since it is not overly sweet, the mulberry flavor really shines through, however, feel free to add more sugar if you prefer something sweeter. It was really simple to make. The lemon adds a lovely brightness and enhances the berries. I put the berries, sugar, and lemon juice into my trusty cocotte and jam was in the making.
Before I continue, I feel like I must rave about my cocotte. It was a Christmas gift from a dear friend and I use it just about every day! Stews, beans, baking bread, jam making- it does it all! I have a fondness for French cookware and I am happy to have this addition.
On to the recipe!
Mulberry Chia Jam
Ingredients
6 cups fresh mulberries
1 cup sugar
1 ice cube lemon juice/2 tablespoons
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons chia seed
Method
Add all ingredients to the cocotte, except for the chia seeds. Cover and bring to a hard simmer. Reduce the heat to low and watch that it does not bubble over, you may need to leave the lid slightly ajar. Cook for 2 hours or until it is reduced by approximately half. Stir occasional and smash some fruit against the sides of the cocotte. Turn the burner off and stir in the chia seed. Cool slightly. If jam seems too runny, add an additional teaspoon of chia seeds. Fill into sterilized glass jars. Give a quick water bath before completely cooling.
This jam is delicious in a variety of uses. Add some to plain yogurt and nuts for a snack, or add a dollop to oatmeal. Swirl into cream cheese for bagels or thin and drizzle on vanilla ice cream. Use in jam tartlets or as a topping for scones, pancakes, and waffles.
Creamy Stinging Nettle Dip
