Friday, July 15, 2016

Salted Honey Cantaloupe Jam (Made with Chia Seeds)

Do you ever see a recipe and it calls to you and then you obsess about it until you finally make it? I saw a recipe for Salted Honey Cantaloupe Jam in Bon Appétit and something about it--the salt, the honey, using cantaloupe in a jam... (or maybe a mix of all of the above), got firmly stuck in my mind. When I found local cantaloupe on sale and picked a really sweet one, I knew I had to make it. I did change it a bit--namely using chia seeds, as I prefer adding them to jam instead of pectin and allowing them to swell up and do their gelling--or in this case, their jamming magic. Without the pectin and with a super-sweet cantaloupe, I saw no need for the cup of sugar and omitted it, just using the half-cup of honey, keeping the lemon for brightness and adding a touch of vanilla extract for balance. The result was a unique sweet and salty combination that tastes like summer.


Bon Appetit says, "This salty, sweet cantaloupe jam will put your go-to strawberry jam to shame."

 
Salted Honey Cantaloupe Jam
Adapted from Clare Safitz via BonAppetit.com
(Makes about 2 1/2 Cups)

4 cups coarsely chopped cantaloupe
1 cup sugar (I omitted)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon powdered pectin (I used 3 heaping Tbsp white chia seeds)


Bring cantaloupe and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, mashing lightly with a potato masher; add sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until mixture is thick, 15–20 minutes. Stir in honey, salt, and pectin and boil vigorously, stirring, 2 minutes. Let cool. Transfer jam to a glass jar, cover, and chill.
 (Deb's Note: Since I was using chia and I am lazy, I did this a little differently--bringing my cantaloupe, water, and lemon juice to a boil, reducing to a simmer and cooking for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then mashing it with a potato masher but leaving some small chunks. I then stirred in the honey and salt and brought to a boil again, then reduced the heat to low, added the vanilla and the chia seeds, stirring to distribute evenly. I cooked it on low for another 4-5 minutes, then removed from the heat and allowed it to cool completely before putting the jam in jars and chilling it. Chia jam will thicken even more as it cools and sets and in the fridge. Jam will keep a month or more in a tightly closed jar in fridge)

Make Ahead Tip: Jam can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled.


Notes/Results: This jam is pretty unique as looking at it, you expect it to be sweet, but then when you taste it, you get a pop of salty goodness along with the sweet cantaloupe flavor. I did not miss the extra sugar--finding it plenty sweet enough, but you should taste your cantaloupe and add a little more honey or natural sweetener if needed or desired. I have only tasted it on the spoon so far, but I am thinking it is going to pair well on top of yogurt or with peanut, almond, or cashew butter in a sandwich. Was it worth the obsession? I like unusual flavor and sweet/salty combos so I really like it. I would guess that if you are a cantaloupe/melon fan and like sweet and salty combinations, you will like this jam. But, if that's not your jam (hah!), do try a chia seed jam with any other fruit. If you need recipes and inspiration, I have four other chia seed jams--blackberry, cinnamon-peach, plum, and strawberry-plum to get you started. It truly is the easiest, healthiest (chia seeds are full of fiber, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids), way to make jam. Next up for me, I swear I am going to try pineapple and mango chia seed jams one of these days!

 
Because its fun to make chia jam and since I usually just link up book reviews, I'm linking up this recipe to the Weekend Cooking event at Beth Fish Reads, a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. For more information, see the welcome post

 

20 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Kat! (Watch out--you just may be getting a sample when I see you!) ;-)

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. It is interesting Alicia and it manages to be good too! ;-)

      Delete
  3. I love cantaloupe and sweet and salty combinations so this definitely caught my interest! I love the addition of the chia seeds. I'm pinning this to try soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me know if you try it and what you think Katherine! ;-)

      Delete
  4. Deb you always come up with such unique dishes, condiments, etc. This does sound like a winner, and good changes make it even better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's always the odd recipes that catch my eye Claudia and I like the fun of experimenting in the kitchen. ;-)

      Delete
  5. That sounds good but I'm on the fence about chia seeds. I've read conflicting info about them as far as if they're good for you or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you Vicki--it seems like for every article or study telling you something is good for you, there is at least one that tells you it isn't or has no effect and it hard to know what to think. I have read quite a bit on chia seeds and think that based on the amount of protein, healthy fats like Omega-3s, fiber and other nutrients, while not the end-all, be-all, cure-all, they stack up well nutritionally and have some great benefits. What makes them awesome in jam is that they need moisture and not sugar (like pectin) to thicken so I was able to cut the cup of sugar out entirely which has big benefits. And, although pectin has some fiber and a little protein, chia has more nutrients and to me, the better choice.

      Delete
  6. I've never thought of cantaloupe jam! I love the melon--I was curious about the thickening without the sugar and pectin but just read your comment above. How smart! I LOVE homemade jam (or any jam), but goodness ALL the sugar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely try chia seeds Trish. I usually don't add much sweetener like honey, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Since this was meant to be sweet/salty, I left in the 1/2 cup honey but it still is less sugar than most jams. ;-)

      Delete
  7. Salted cantaloupe jam? interesting..love your adaptations to get rid of the sugar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is interesting Judee, but in a good way I think. ;-)

      Delete
  8. That's brilliant, I know those taste combos are good. I like them separately but never would of thought of putting them together. In your opinion, is Chia the new kale? You know what I mean,by some foods getting exceedingly popular.
    Ps , I still don't like kale !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think chia would probably be on that list Tina--with kale and some other *super* foods--at least for the healthy-eating crowd. I say that because I see it more and more lately--practically every small cafe I go into here has a chia seed pudding on the menu and it is so versatile. ;-)

      Delete
  9. When I first saw the title, I was taken aback a bit, but then I remembered my grandfather who always salted his c antelope before eating it. Since this is not processed, I like that you cut out the sugar. I have never "jammed" with chia but need to. Thanks, Deb!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My dad ate salt on his watermelon, which I found weird until I tried watermelon and feta. With cantaloupe I also think about when you find it or honeydew wrapped with salty parma ham or prosciutto too. It just somehow works. ;-)

      Delete
  10. Ooooh, this looks so interesting (and I mean that in a good way). I've made banana jam, but never thought to make melon jam. I may have to give this a try. Sorry I was so late getting here this week -- we were off camping and had almost no internet connection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made banana jam/butter once but I should do it again. This one is different and fun I think.

      Yay to you getting out and camping--good summer fun! ;-)

      Delete

Mahalo for visiting and for leaving a comment. I love reading them and they mean a lot!

All advertising, spam, inappropriate (or just plain rude) comments will be promptly deleted. I do appreciate your right to free speech and to your opinion but I'm not into mean, rude, or mean snarky (non-mean snarky is just fine!) ;-)