Ah sweet summer abundance! We are soaking it ALL UP & are sharing a chia jam recipe so you can, too. There are two local fruits you've probably heard of but likely haven't eaten on toast - Oregon Grape & Elderberry. Both are highly medicinal (elderberry syrup, duh!) but another fun way to work with these plants is in the culinary realms.
We won't go into identification here as a quick google search will give you plenty of photos and IDing tips. However, we will say that ethical harvesting is absolutely critical when wildcrafting. Please be sure to ask the plant before you harvest (yes, really!) and to only take a small amount of the total plant available. Meaning, if you just find a very small amount of the plant, leave it be. If you find a large amount, take only so much that you can barely tell that any has been harvested at all. Some say this is about 10%. We also feel it's best to offer something to the plant in return - a song, a prayer, anything that feels authentic. This is, after all, a sacred exchange!
This recipe is written in proportions so that you can work with whatever amount you harvested.
1. Gather your berries
2. Remove stems and any green berries
3. Put in pot and cover with water. The water should be about one inch above the berry line.
4. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until half of the liquid evaporates.
5. Using a fine strainer, strain the juice from the berries, using a spatula to push the liquid through.
6. Add honey to taste, a pinch of salt, and chia seeds. The chia seed quantity will be about 1/4 of your total liquid. So, if you have a cup of juice, add 1/4 c chia seeds.
7. Allow the chia seeds to soak up the liquid mixture, occasionally stirring. This should take about five minutes.
8. Enjoy! Store this in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer for three months.
Tried this recipe? We'd love to hear how it went for you! Tag us on IG @leavenandlove or email us @ leavenandlove@gmail.com.