Low-Sugar Fruit Spreads
From The Kitchen · mostly fruit, hardly any sugar
Store-bought jam is mostly sugar. These are mostly fruit — set with a spoonful of chia instead of a cup of sugar, and sweetened only to taste. The chia swells in the fruit's own juices and thickens everything to a soft, spoonable jam, no pectin and no cooking down for an hour. One master method, and eight ways to run with it.
The master spread
- 2 cups ripe fruit, chopped
- 1½ to 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Sweetener to taste — monk fruit, or a spoonful of raw honey or maple
- Optional: ¼ tsp vanilla, or a pinch of spice or fresh herb
Method
- Warm the fruit in a small pan over medium heat about 5 minutes, until it breaks down — or simply mash raw fruit for a fresher, brighter spread.
- Mash to the texture you like, then stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste, and sweeten only if it needs it. Ripe, in-season fruit often needs nothing at all.
- Stir in the chia and let it sit 15 minutes to thicken. Want it thicker? Add another teaspoon of chia and wait a few more minutes.
Eight to make
Same method, unless a note says otherwise. Quantities are forgiving — taste as you go.
- Strawberry & RhubarbSimmer the chopped rhubarb first until soft (rhubarb needs cooking), then fold in the strawberries. Tart meets sweet — the classic pairing.
- Orange MarmaladeThe one exception: thin-slice whole oranges, peel and all, and simmer with a splash of water until the peel is soft and glossy, then sweeten to taste. Citrus has its own pectin, so it sets on its own — no chia needed (though a spoonful speeds it along).
- Raspberry & FigFresh figs make it lush and jammy — usually sweet enough to need nothing at all.
- Peach & GingerA little grated fresh ginger stirred in. Summer, in a jar.
- Blackberry & OrangeOrange zest and a squeeze of juice — deep and bright at once.
- Cherry & AlmondA ¼ teaspoon of almond extract for that amaretto warmth — no alcohol needed.
- Apricot & CardamomA pinch of cardamom. A little exotic, a little grown-up.
- Fig & BalsamicA splash of good balsamic stirred in at the end — for cheese boards, and the prettiest gift jar.
On sweetening — taste first
Ripe, in-season fruit often needs no sweetener at all — taste before you reach for anything. When it does want a little, use monk fruit (no effect on blood sugar; blends best with berries) or a spoonful of raw honey, maple, or organic coconut sugar for a rounder, jammier flavor. Either way, it's a fraction of the sugar in a store-bought jar — a gentle choice if you're watching sugar or simply want the fruit to taste like fruit.
Storage: Keeps about 2 weeks in a clean jar in the refrigerator, and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. These aren't processed for the pantry shelf — keep them cold.
A jar of something you made, bright and barely sweetened, tied with a ribbon — it's one of the loveliest things to hand a friend who loves to eat well. Make a double batch and keep one for yourself.
I hope these find a place in your kitchen as they have in mine. Enjoy!
— Gina