A delicious, sweet strawberry jam made with only 4 ingredients in the instant pot. This freezer jam makes a nice small batch and tastes just like fresh picked strawberries.
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One of my favourite things to have for breakfast has always been toast and jam.
And there is nothing better than homemade jam. But making a regular batch of jam can be an all day process.
This recipe for instant pot strawberry jam is a small batch recipe. It only requires 2 pounds of fruit, there is very little preparation involved and it is done in less than an hour.
This jam doesn’t require pectin and there is no cornstarch in this recipe unlike many instant pot jams. Instead the jam is thickened with apple and lemon.
The flavour of this jam is bright and sweet tasting just like fresh picked berries. It makes about two and a half cups of jam and will last up to three weeks in the fridge and a year in the freezer.
Why We Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients – This recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients. You don’t even need to purchase pectin.
It’s Easy– Because this is freezer jam, there is no processing involved, making it much easier if you are a beginner jam maker. You don’t have prepare a water bath or sterilize jars or lids. Just let the jam cool then put it in the freezer.
It’s quick – Because we are using the instant pot to pressure cook the berries it speeds up the process. You don’t have to worry about cutting the berries as small or mashing them. It also cuts down the amount of time you need to stand over the pot stirring.
Ingredients
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this strawberry jam.
- Strawberries – Look for bright red berries for the best flavour.
- Granulated sugar – You do not need to use fine sugar for this recipe, regular granulated sugar works perfectly.
- Granny Smith apple – This is going to act as the pectin to thicken the jam.
- Lemon – You will use the zest of one medium lemon and 2 tablespoons of the juice. The lemon contains pectin, just like the apple, but also helps to enhance the flavours of the jam.
You do not need to add pectin to this jam as the lemon and apple contain all the pectin you need to thicken the jam.
Instructions
Begin by washing and hulling the berries, then slice them into quarters.
Place the berries in the instant pot and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and grated apple. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the berries to release some of their juice.
Next, place the lid on the instant pot, set the valve to seal, and set on high pressure for one minute.
You don’t need to worry about cutting the strawberries into uniform sizes. The pressure cooker will have no problem breaking them down.
When the timer completes do a slow, controlled release to vent the steam. When the pin drops carefully remove the lid.
Press cancel and then turn the pot to sauté. Cook while stirring until the jam becomes thick, and will cling to a spoon, this will take about 20 minutes.
The slow controlled release is very important in this recipe. If you let it vent too quickly it will spray out of the vent. To do a controlled release use the end of a wooden spoon to gently tap the valve to release the steam in short, controlled bursts. When most of the steam is released and you don’t hear any sputtering as you tap the vent you can quick release the remaining steam.
You can also tell the jam is ready when you drag a wooden spoon through it and you can briefly see the bottom of the pot.
DO NOT be tempted to taste the jam at this point. It is very, very hot!
Turn the pot off and carefully remove the liner from the pot. Let cool for about 15 minutes then fill jars or containers. Let the jars cool until the jam reaches room temperature then refrigerate or freeze.
Be sure to leave at least half an inch room at the top of the jar for expansion.
FAQS
No need to sterilize the jars. Just wash them with some hot soapy water.
Yes, you can freeze mason jars. Make sure you leave at least half an inch for expansion and do not freeze until the jam has reached room temperature. It is best to use jars with straight sides rather than jars that taper at the top.
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Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds fresh strawberries hulled
- 1 ½ Cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsps lemon zest
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
- ½ medium Granny Smith apple
Instructions
- Wash the berries under cold water, remove the stems and slice into quarters.
- Place the berries in the pot along with the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Peel the apple and use a cheese grater to grate the apple into the pot.
- Stir to combine the ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the berries to release some of their juice.
- Place the lid on the pot, turn the valve to seal and set on high pressure for 1 minute.
- When the timer is complete do a slow, controlled release to release the pressure from the pot. DO NOT do a quick release as it will spurt hot jam! When the pin drops carefully remove the lid.
- Press cancel and then turn the pot to saute. Stir while the jam boils until it becomes thick, about 20 minutes. You will know it is ready when it clings to the back of a metal spoon and when you drag a wooden spoon through the jam you can briefly see the bottom of the pot. DO NOT TASTE the jam at this point as it is very, very hot!
- Press cancel and carefully remove the liner from the instant pot. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then pour into jars or containers leaving at least half an inch room for expansion if you plan to freeze.
- Let cool completely then move to the fridge or freezer for storage.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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