Prep time: 10 minutes + cooling time

Clean up time: less than 5 minutes

Makes a small jar of jam

This is one of my favourite plant-based recipes. It is so easy and I love the taste of the jam. I try to have some in the fridge at all times and I usually make a triple batch! It’s great on top of porridge or cereal for breakfast, on sandwiches (especially with peanut butter) for lunch, over salad at dinner time, and on top of any dessert. It’s also very toddler friendly, sometimes Jensen has eaten it straight from the jar with a teaspoon. I definitely wouldn’t let him do that with regular jam!

The recipe is from a great book call The Microbiome Solution by Dr. Robynne Chutkan who is an integrative gastroenterologist and also has a great website - gutbliss.com. The microbiome is all the bacteria and microbes that live in and on our bodies. It turns out we are much more microbe that we are human, with ten times the amount of microbes - that’s about 10 trillion of them! The book explains what is relatively new science about the microbiome and how it has a huge impact on our health and wellbeing. I found this book fascinating and have included some more about what I learnt under the recipe. Scroll down to read more about all those microbes and bacteria, and see what we changed in our daily lives to encourage a healthier microbiome.

RASPBERRY CHIA SEED JAM

Here’s a jam that doesn’t require any canning experience and can be made in only a matter of minutes. Start with the raspberry flavour, then experiment with other berries or a mixture of them all.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups raspberries (can use fresh or thawed frozen)
¼ cup water (only use for fresh berries)
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons chia seeds

METHOD

In a bowl, mash the berries with a fork. (Add the water if using fresh berries.) Place the mashed berries, maple syrup, and lemon zest in a small pot. Bring to the boil over high heat then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and mix the in the chia seeds. Once cooled, place the thickened mixture in a mason jar or airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe by Elise Museles from Kale and Chocolate. First appeared in The Microbiome Solution (Penguin 2015)

Ingredient Tips:

-Make sure you use a pure maple syrup when making this recipe. It is expensive in New Zealand, but worth the investment. There are many maple flavoured syrups out there that are pretty much refined sugar plus flavouring. The great thing about pure maple syrup is it comes with trace amounts of minerals which adds to the nutrition of the recipe. It is my liquid sweetener of choice as it is largely unprocessed and very easy to use. The jam is a bit tart so if you like things sweeter use the full amount of syrup stated.

-If you double (or triple) the recipe don’t double the lemon zest. I found this out the hard way! Who knew you weren’t supposed to do that, I had a very tart batch of jam.

-The yield of this recipe is quite small. I never make a single batch of anymore, I usually double, and sometimes triple, the recipe. It is great that it lasts for two weeks in the fridge, but using it up has never been an issue - it just tastes so good! Doubling the recipe will make one regular sized jar of jam.

-I’ve only every used frozen raspberries for this recipe. Fresh berries are only in season in summer in New Zealand and can be quite expensive.

Preparation and Clean Up Tips:

-The recipe says to mash the berries in a bowl but I do this straight into the pot I’m going to use, saves a dish to clean up at the end.

-And that’s all there is to it, such a simple recipe! I clean up while the jam is cooling then spoon into glass jars to store in the fridge.

Nourishment

Raspberries - Are an amazing little berry. They are packed full nutrients including Vitamin C, fibre, folate, Magnesium and omega fatty acids. They also have a significant amount and diverse range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. This enables them to help combat many modern life-style diseases including obesity and type 2 diabetes. They are also relatively easy to grow, you can find a great growing guide at Happy DIY Home.

Maple Syrup - is a great natural sweetener. It is largely unprocessed and as well as the sweet flavour it contains trace amounts of minerals including calcium, iron, zinc and antioxidants.

Chia Seeds - Are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and are packed with loads of other nutrients including fibre, protein and calcium. Chia seeds have a particularly high nutrient content for the amount of calories consumed.

The Microbiome Solution

As I said earlier I found the science in this book to be fascinating. It covers a lot of relatively new science which reveals how crucial a healthy microbiome is to our health. The health of our microbiome begins in our gut and the best food to feed the bacteria that live there is plant fibre. We can’t digest plant fibre, but healthy bacteria thrive on it. There are also more nerve receptors heading from our gut to the brain than there is from the brain to the gut. One could argue that the gut controls the body! If you’ve ever experienced intense food cravings (usually for highly refined processed food), they can be created by the bacteria in your gut needing a certain type of food to survive. This is why when transitioning to a more plant-based, clean, diet it can be common to have an upset stomach and cravings as your microbiome adjusts.

Another large part of our microbiome is our skin, it is the largest organ of our bodies. The revelation that we shouldn’t put anything on our skin that we wouldn’t eat was a game changer for me. Our modern lives are full of so many chemicals, beauty products, and antibacterial soaps etc. it can have a really damaging effect on our microbiomes. An example Dr. Chutkan gives is using shampoo and then conditioner. We wash all the natural oils out of our hair and then use a product to put oils back in, when put like that it doesn’t make sense. Over washing our skin can also be detrimental, as the soap strips away helpful bacteria and can create imbalances, which is usually what causes us to smell so bad! Since learning this I’ve stopped using conditioner and have only showered twice a week for the past two years. The day I usually smell the most is the day after my shower as my microbiome adjusts back into balance. We also switched back from shower gel to a plant-based soap, use a bar shampoo, natural deodorant, and coconut oil as a moisturiser. There are no fancy products in our house anymore! Toddler also only gets bathed 1-2 times a week with natural products and has really healthy skin.

What scientists have learnt in recent years about antibiotics I also found interesting. They are grossly overused in our modern society and should be reserved for life or death situations. Taking ONE course of antibiotics can reduce the bacteria in our guts by a third! That is a substantial amount of bacteria destroyed that takes a long time to recover (if ever). Using a probiotic is helpful but a drop in the ocean compared to the devastation that is caused by antibiotics. It is great to have this awareness and when the toddler or I am sick, I stop to think if we need the antibiotics or not. He’s never needed any but I have had a few stand-offs with Doctors since reading this book who were pressuring me to give them to him ‘just in case’. It is a hard conversation to have with a trained medical professional but I’m glad I stood my ground. Since he’s never had antibiotics (which means he has a healthy microbiome and immune system) and has a nourishing diet, he’s been able to fight off any germs without secondary infections. I’m not against antibiotics but now have a healthy respect for them. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them if we needed them, but never ‘just in case’.

I think the information in this book is invaluable to everyone. If you don’t want to buy a copy, request it from your local library. If you do buy it make sure you lend it to everyone you know! Rich Roll also did a great podcast with Dr. Chutkan that covers a lot of the same information and could be a good option if you are pressed for time. It would be great to listen to on a walk, run, commute, during house work, just do it! The book also has a great recipe section (Raspberry Chia Seed Jam!) at the back that isn’t completely plant-based but microbiome friendly. Your bacteria and microbes will thank you for it!

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or health professional. I have completed a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and have done in-depth research about plant-based living. The information I trust is mostly sourced from medical professionals that are leading the way in this plant-based revolution. Check out my recommended page for more info.