3 Ways to Enjoy Red Jacket Orchards in Pudding Form

We climbed aboard the chia train this week. And it was a wild, delicious ride.

For those of you envisioning a terracotta sheep with fuzzy, green sprouts of “hair” adorning its body, think again. We’re talking chia seeds, not Chia Pets - the teensy, tinsy black seeds that grow into the “hair” of so-called pets. You can eat them! In fact, you should eat them.

Chia seeds are jam-packed with powerful nutrients. They provide you with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and many vitamins and minerals and you don’t need to eat a lot of chia seeds to get a significant amount of these nutrients. So, they ensure you power full-steam ahead. For more detailed nutritional information, see this post or visit good ol’, trustworthy Dr. Weil.

The other groovy thing about chia seeds is that when combined with liquid, they morph into a gel. Studies suggest that this gelatinous transformation is what happens in our bellies when we eat chia seeds and that it can slow the digestive process of converting carbohydrates into sugars (Weil, 2006). This transformation makes them the perfect candidate for “pudding” when mixed with our cold-pressed juices. Whether you Red Jacket juice in the morning, afternoon, or evening, add some chia seeds to create a healthy pudding for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Here are 3 recipes to get you started:

Raspberry Vanilla

Mix:

• 1 cup of Red Jacket Orchards Raspberry juice
• 3 Tbsp of chia seeds
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Let sit for 5-10 minutes then stir. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Stir and top with fresh raspberries and whatever else you fancy (some suggestions: raw almonds, a sprinkle of cinnamon, fresh apple slices OR layer with greek yogurt, or in our case - vanilla coconut yogurt)

Blueberry Banana

Mix:

• 1 cup of Black & Blue Stomp nectar
• ½ a banana, mashed
• 3 Tbsp of chia seeds

Let sit for 5-10 minutes then stir. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Stir and top with fresh blueberries, banana, and whatever else you fancy (some suggestions: raw walnuts, a sprinkle of raw coconut, hemp seeds) Apricot Creamsicle

Mix:

• ½ cup of Apricot Stomp nectar
• ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup nondairy milk (we used toasted coconut but Califia)
• 6 Tbsp of chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Let sit for 5-10 minutes then stir. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Stir and top with fresh oranges, dried apricots, and whatever else you fancy (some suggestions: raw shredded coconut, banana slices, bee pollen)   We challenge you to try your hand at chia puddings with any one of our cold-pressed juices. Share your creations using the hashtag #juiceme and we’ll share some of our favorites.