1-First Step: Rinse and pit the cherries. Rinse and sort fresh sweet cherries, remove stems, and pit them. If using frozen cherries, thaw and drain excess juice first to avoid a watery jam.

2-Second Step: Cook the cherries. Place cherries in a pot and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened. Keep an eye on the pot and stir occasionally so fruit doesn’t stick. If you want a thicker reduction, cook an extra 1-3 minutes, but avoid burning.

3-Third Step: Mash the fruit. Mash the cooked cherries with a potato masher to your preferred texture. For a smoother jam, mash more thoroughly or pulse briefly with an immersion blender. For a chunkier jam, mash lightly and leave some whole pieces.

4-Fourth Step: Stir in chia and sweetener. Stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds and 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey or sugar). Mix well so the chia seeds are evenly distributed. The chia seeds absorb liquid and start thickening as they cool.

5-Fifth Step: Rest and set. Transfer jam to glass jars, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Chia needs 15-30 minutes to fully gel; chilling will firm it up more. Taste after chilling and adjust sweetener if needed.

6-Final Step: Serve. Serve chilled on toast, stirred into yogurt, spooned over oatmeal, or used as a filling for pastries. The jam keeps its fresh cherry flavor and works well with many breakfast and dessert ideas.