About Kiwis and Chia Berry Low Sugar Jam

I know, people have been going mad for chia seeds for a while now with their health benefits and ability to gel up.

Chia seeds

I'm a little late catching the boat, but have been adding chia to my toasted muesli mix and bread recipe lately. What I really wanted to try though was a berry and chia recipe for jam, which thickens up with no sugar. We all want less sugar, right? 

Berry Chia Seed Jam

Strawberry chia seed jam - no sugar!

2 cups of berries
2 tablespoons of chia seeds 
2 tablespoons of warm water
2 tablespoons of honey - but I used xylitol/stevia to taste

Bring the berries to the boil in a saucepan, then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chia seeds and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes until it is the consistency that you want. Add sweetener to taste and pour into clean jars.
This is one to store in the fridge as it won't keep otherwise, having no sugar. So don't make a huge batch.
It's great on toast or stirred into plain yoghurt or used in baking.
The original recipe was one I found on Oh She Glows.com

Kiwis

Now I know quite a few people from around the world visit my blog, so this is for you. I feel the need to point out the difference between a Kiwi - our iconic flightless bird here in New Zealand, and a kiwifruit.
If you meet a New Zealander, they will often refer to themselves as a Kiwi. That's just a patriotic thing.
Recently we went to a kiwi meet prior to the release of this endangered bird into a safe area. This is the first time in my life that I have actually seen one up close, rather than behind glass in a kiwi house. They are a nocturnal bird, and flightless. They are at major risk from predators - stoats and weasels, rats and dogs. As none of these predators are actually native to New Zealand, kiwi numbers have been declining rapidly. 

Kiwi - he looks cuddly, but his handler is keeping a firm hold on those feet. Kiwis make clicking noises with their beak when annoyed.

They have incredibly strong feet and can dispatch a weasel when they are big enough.
Listen here for a kiwi call


And these are kiwifruit.

No one here calls them kiwis - maybe it's a marketing thing overseas.

Thanks for stopping by - do visit again!