raw strawberry and chia seed jam

makes 2 1/4 cups raw jam

2 punnets (500 g/1 lb 2 oz/3 cups) fresh strawberries - divided
4 tablespoons chia seeds
12 drops stevia or to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice (only if strawberries are really sweet)

• hull strawberries then thoroughly wash and drain
• cut into large chunks
• blend half the strawberries to a smooth puree
• stir chia seeds straight into the blender and soak in strawberry puree for 30 minutes
• blend chia and strawberry mixture until seeds are not visible
• add remaining strawberries and pulse to achieve desired texture
• add stevia and lemon juice (if using) to taste and pulse twice to mix
• pour into clean and dry glass jars
• put lids on and refrigerate a few hours or overnight before eating
• keep refrigerated and consume within 7 days

notes

• for better colour and texture, mash the second half of strawberries with a fork and stir into the blended strawberry puree with a spoon before stirring stevia in with a spoon then proceed according to the recipe
• to achieve the colour and clarity of conventional jam, the jam should be cooked over low heat for about 20 minutes then cooled completely and jarred. do note that cooking the jam will greatly reduce its vitamin and enzyme content