Here in Maine, rhubarb is the one of the first things that is harvested from the garden in the spring. It can be harvested at about the same time as strawberries can be picked, making strawberry rhubarb desserts very popular here.
We were blessed to be given a lot of rhubarb stalks this year as well as some roots that my father-in-law gave us when he divided his plants. I am looking forward to cutting rhubarb from my garden next spring!
Since rhubarb is very tart, recipes often use a lot of sugar to counter the tartness. As I was looking for ways to use the rhubarb, I stumbled on chia seed jam recipes that used natural sweeteners and chia seeds as a thickener. In this recipe, I used honey, but maple syrup or other sweeteners would also work well. Instead of the traditional strawberry and rhubarb pairing, I used frozen blueberries that we picked last August. The result was a delicious and healthier jam!
Blueberry Rhubarb Chia Seed Jam
1 cup rhubarb
3 cups blueberries
3 tbs. honey
3 tbs. water*
1 1/2 tbs. lemon juice or juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbs. chia seeds
1. Peel rhubarb and slice thin. Mix rhubarb, blueberries, honey, water, and lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until rhubarb is soft and starts to break up, about 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and remove pan from heat. Stir in chia seeds and cook and stir on low for 5 minutes. Jam should have a gel-like consistency and will continue to thicken as it cools.
4. Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
*Omit the water if using frozen fruit.
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