Easy and Healthy Lavender Berry Jam

If you haven’t tried Lavender Berry Jam yet, it’s definitely time! This jam contains no processed sugars. It’s delicious, nutritious and easy to make. I’ll show you how it comes together in a few simple steps.

It’s lavender harvesting season here on the TIDBITS homestead. Our lavender farm is producing well, and we’ve been busy cutting, bundling and drying lavender for a few weeks. I recently shared a sneak peak of our lavender farm in its second year when I wrote about the health benefits of lavender.

And, for those who have been asking – yes, we do hope to start selling our lavender soon! Stay tuned for more details!

Right now, I’ve got lavender drying on the porch, piled in baskets, and sitting in my kitchen just waiting to be made into something delicious. Well, today it’s time! I’m making lavender berry jam and I’d like to take you along for the ride.

Why You’ll Love Lavender Berry Jam

Lavender berry jam tastes so good. I love it! I think you will too. Sweet berries combine with a bit of culinary lavender for a fruity jam with subtle floral notes and a beautiful scent.

There is no processed sugar here, just good ol’ berries and pure maple syrup for sweetness. This is one jam that you can feel good slathering on your bread as thickly as you like!

Aside from tasting great even without processed sugar, lavender berry jam is also healthy for you. Berries are full of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. They can satisfy your sweet tooth cravings while also being low in calories. Gotta love that!

We’ll also be using chia seeds in this lavender jam. Chia seeds add a boost of protein to this delightful jam while being the thickening agent.

Chia seeds and berries can both be helpful in regulating digestion and blood sugar levels. They also contain binding properties that can attach to excess hormones or toxins and aid in eliminating them from the body. That makes this jam both tasty and healthy. My favorite combination!

What Makes Lavender Berry Jam Unique?

As I mentioned before, there is no processed sugar in this lavender berry jam. There is also no pectin. Our jam will get its thickness from a combination of simmering and chia seeds.

The flavor profile of lavender berry jam is unique. You probably won’t find this combination at the grocery store. A jar of lavender berry jam would make a lovely gift for any of your foodie friends. Of course, it’ll also make a great addition to your own personal pantry!

Ingredients

For this jam you will need:

• 3 cups berries (any kind of berry or a berry mix – fresh or frozen) – I like to use these frozen berries from Azure Standard.
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds – Make sure your lavender buds are food grade and are of the culinary varieties – I like these lavender buds from Mountain Rose Herbs.
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or juice from one lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest or zest from one lemon
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Instructions

To make the jam:

• Add the berries and water to a medium saucepan and heat the mixture to a light simmer, or until all frozen berries are warmed through and can be easily mashed up.
• Add the maple syrup, lavender buds, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and pour the jam contents into a blender or use an immersion blender to blend your jam to whatever texture you like.
• Stir in the Chia seeds.
• Pour jam into a glass jar and screw on the lid. Place in fridge for up to 6 hours or overnight to chill and set.
• You can freeze this jam up to 3 months or store in the fridge for about 1 month.

Lavender Berry Jam Variations

Now that you’ve got the basics down, think of all the variations you can try. Try using one type of berry for a single berry jam. Blueberries would make an incredible blueberry lavender jam. Or you could try a mixed berry blend like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for a triple berry jam.

Lavender Berry Jam Serving Suggestions

This lavender berry jam is absolutely worth making. I recommend trying it with some yogurt and granola – yum! Of course, it would be great on bread, toast, pancakes, biscuits, scones, or layered with some cream cheese on a bagel. I plan to try some with vanilla ice cream for a sweet summer treat. There are so many possibilities!

Ingredient Resources

Remember, you can use any kind of fresh or frozen berries for this jam. I like to use frozen berries from Azure Standard. I’ve tried multiple types of frozen berries from Azure Standard and they’ve all been fantastic. See The Best Bulk Foods to Buy from Azure Standard for a list of my favorites. Or you can buy any package of berries from the grocery store.

The lavender you use for this recipe is important. You’ll want to use food grade or culinary lavender. I like the quality of Mountain Rose Herbs lavender. You can also buy culinary lavender from Amazon.

More Lavender to Love

I hope you’ll give this lavender berry jam a try. It’s a good one! If you’ve ever tried a variation of lavender jam, I’d love to hear about it. How do you like to enjoy this delicious jam? Let me know in the comments.

If you like learning about lavender, I’ve got some other great posts for you to read.

• The Many Benefits of Lavender for Good Health
• The Beginnings of Our Lavender Farm
• 20 Ways to Use Lavender
• How to Remove Dried Lavender Buds from the Stems
• DIY Linen Lavender Eye Pillows