apricot fig chia jam

once in elementary school, one of my friends remarked that the apricots we were eating were the same size and texture as my hamster. i think about that every time i eat apricots, although it doesn't really stop me. 

we've had a container of apricots sitting on our counter for a few days that i've been eating now and then. but, i got bored of them in their current form. i also needed something to go with my peanut butter. 

so, i adapted this recipe from oh she glows. it was pretty cool to cook, because the fruit was really watery at first. when i added the chia seeds, they absorbed the extra water and turned it into a more solid, jammy texture. normal jams use pectin, more sugar, and lemon juice to get the thicker texture.

the chia seeds thicken it up without compromising the taste. they're flavorless, but they add protein, fiber, and calcium. it was super good on toast with my favorite peanut butter, and i bet it'll be great in oatmeal too or on a granola bar. not gonna lie - i did a lot of taste testing, and it was delicious right off the spoon.

this recipe will work great with any kind of fruit. i love the apricot-fig combo here. i've never been the biggest fan of blueberry or strawberry jam because i always think the real fruit tastes so much better, but this recipe improves the general taste of apricots and figs, i thought.

in the back of this photo, you can see where i scraped the bowl clean with the spatula.

recipe:

yields about 1 cup

2 cups fruit (i used 6 apricots and 6 figs)
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 vanilla bean

cut up the fruit into small, marble-sized pieces. put into a medium-sized saucepan and heat until the fruit is broken down and boiling. simmer on medium-low for about 5 minutes. use a potato masher to mash the fruit to the desired consistency.

add 3 tablespoons maple syrup and the chia seed to the fruit mixture. cover and cook until for about 15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency. spoon into a bowl to cool and add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean. feel free to add more maple syrup to taste - i found that i added another tablespoon after the first 3, but it really depends on how sweet your fruit is.

enjoy on toast with peanut butter!