As it turns out, you can make a fantastic strawberry jam in an Instant Pot. It’s a fuss-free method to turn loads of fresh strawberries into a sweet jam! No thermometer is required!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love making strawberry jam in Instant Pot:
Homemade strawberry jam is so much better than store-bought one! Every summer, I make my easy no pectin strawberry jam when my husband and boys harvest a bountiful of fresh strawberries from the garden. It’s a big process because I make a bunch of them at once to can.
Then sometimes, you get a couple of pounds of berries to use up! And that’s when I bust out my pressure cooker to make this fuss-free freezer jam with minimal attention!
Ingredient Notes:
You only need 3 ingredients to make strawberry jam from scratch!
- Strawberries – For best results, use ripe, deep-red strawberries in season! Trust me on this one, sweet peak-season strawberries make the BEST jam! I stock up every year when the grocery store shelves are overflowing with strawberries, and the prices are low. Frozen strawberries work too!
- Sugar does more than sweeten the jam. It encourages the pectin to work its magic and thicken the jam. It acts as a preservative too!
- Lemon juice – Don’t skip lemon juice! Acid brightens the strawberry flavor, and is crucial for a proper set. If possible, avoid bottled lemon juice and snag fresh lemons. Fresh lemon juice is far better!
How to make strawberry jam in Instant Pot:
1. Prepare the strawberries
- Rinse and cut the strawberries, then place them into your Instant Pot with the sugar and lemon juice.
- Allow the mixture to macerate for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, the strawberry mixture should look nice and saucy.
2. Pressure cook the jam
- Set the Instant Pot for 1 minute on HIGH pressure, followed by a natural release, which means you don’t have to do anything. Simply let the pressure release on its own without turning the pressure valve. The whole process should take about 20 minutes.
- Once the pressure pin drops, carefully open the lid. The jam will look runny, and that’s just fine. Hit the CANCEL button, then set to SAUTÉ.
- Cook the jam, stirring frequently, until nice and thick. It should take about 15 minutes. You can also mash the berries with a potato masher while it’s cooking.
- Carefully transfer the jam into jars and cool completely.
Storing Tips:
- Store the uncanned jams in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. I’ll admit I’ve kept an open jar of jam in the refrigerator for more than a month with no problem. Always always use clean utensils and open the jar infrequently if possible.
- This jam is also freezer safe! Place in an airtight container and freeze once the jam is completely cooled for up to 3 months.
- Store sealed/canned jars at room temperature for up to one year. After a year, the quality begins to suffer. (Here’s how to can strawberry jam in a water bath.)
Instant Pot Strawberry Jam
As it turns out, you can make a fantastic strawberry jam in an Instant Pot. It's a fuss-free method to turn loads of fresh strawberries into a sweet jam! No thermometer is required!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries
- 2 cups granulated sugar Note 1
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the strawberries:
- Slice the strawberries and place them in inner pot of your Instant Pot along with sugar and lemon juice. Mix well and let it sit for 30 minutes to macerate.
- In 30 minutes, the mixture will be saucy and with plenty of liquid to turn on the Instant Pot without adding any water.
Pressure cook the jam:
- Set the Instant Pot for only 1 minute on high pressure, followed by natural pressure release, leaving it untouched to let all the pressure come out naturally, about 20 minutes.
- Once the pressure pin drops, carefully open the lid. Jam will be super liquid-y, but don’t worry, it’s totally normal.
- Hit “CANCEL” button and then set it to “SAUTE”. Cook the jam, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until the jam is nicely thickened.
- Pour into a clean jar and cool completely. The jam will thicken more as it cools.
Tips & Notes
Yields: 3 cups of jam
Note 1: Do not reduce the amount of sugar. It’s necessary for the right consistency and preservation.
Storage Instructions:
– Store uncanned jams in the fridge for up to 1 month.
– Sealed (canned) jars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year for best quality.
– Store uncanned jams in the fridge for up to 1 month.
– Sealed (canned) jars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year for best quality.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon, Calories: 38kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 0.1g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.003g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 0.3mg, Potassium: 30mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.1mg
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