Don't have all day to babysit jam on the stove? Use an instant pot! This 3 ingredient Instant Pot Strawberry Jam comes together in a little over a half hour, then let it cool and enjoy on a buttered scone!
What You Need
Strawberries- You need 2 pounds of strawberries for this recipe. Organic is best as strawberries are one of the "dirty dozen", that means, that they hold pesticides more than most fruit. To clean strawberries, take them out of the packaging, add them to a large bowl filled with water, and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Let that sit for a few minutes and then empty the bowl, rinse the strawberries, and use them or refrigerate them.
Sugar- Simple granulated sugar is all you need here. You could substitute honey if you preferred, the recipe would still work great.
Cornstarch- We are not using pectin here, simply cornstarch and water will thicken this jam beautifully. Cornstarch thickens quicker than pectin as it does not need to be cooked as long as pectin does.
Serve this jam with my Sourdough Scones and you have a winning breakfast, brunch, or snack!
Let's Make This Jam!
Time needed: 30 minutes.
How to Make The Strawberry Jam
- Mix the strawberries and sugar
In the bowl of the Instant Pot, add the cut and cleaned strawberries and sugar. Mix together until the sugar has completely covered the strawberries. Let it sit in the Instant Pot, turned off, for 15 minutes. This process is called "Macerating". The sugar will bring out some of the liquid in the strawberries, helping to cook the strawberries.
- Time to cook!
After the 15 minutes are up, turn on the Instant Pot for 1 minute. Yes, just 1 minute! The Instant Pot will take 15 minutes to heat up and build pressure, which will also cook the strawberries.
- Let it Rest
After the 1 minute is up, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 15 minutes. This will also help cook the strawberries down even further. When you open the lid, it will be full of liquid and delicious, sweet, strawberries.
- Add the cornstarch
At this stage, you will want to thicken the jam. In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water and mix together until it becomes a slurry and the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add it to the strawberries and mix together.
- Boil the jam
Turn the Instant Pot on "sauté" and bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil. Allow the jam to boil for 2 minutes and then turn the Instant Pot off. The mixture will begin to thicken and is ready to cool and be stored.
- Store the Jam
At this point, the jam is done! Allow the jam to cool slightly as it is very hot when it is done cooking. Put the jam in jars or a container and allow it to cool completely before serving. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Questions about this Recipe?
I wouldn't try to can this jam. You need a lot of acidity and there are special directions you need to follow when canning. Here is a great resource if you are looking to can. This jam will store in the refrigerator about 2-3 weeks, or you can freeze it to make it last for 2-3 months. If you are going to freeze it, avoid freezing it in glass jars. Use a pint take out container, the ones that soup comes in. You can get them here.
Add vanilla to this strawberry recipe for a strawberry vanilla jam. Add a squeeze of lemon to this recipe for a little tart flavor to offset the sweetness. Once you know the steps to making Instant Pot jam, you can make it with so many different types of fruit! Instead of just strawberries, add blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, for a mixed berry jam. Make a blueberry lemon jam with just blueberries and a squeeze of lemon. The possibilities are endless!
Yes! Frozen fruit would work just as well as fresh fruit
Yes! As long as your Instant Pot is big enough! The ratio should be 2 pounds of fruit, to 1 cup of sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to every 2 pounds of fruit.
Other Recipes to Try!
Did you give this 3 Ingredient Instant Pot Strawberry Jam a try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and let me know! And don't forget to check out some other drool worthy recipes below! Thanks for sharing this journey with me!
- Salsa Verde Chicken Bake
- Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken
- Chicken Burgers with Feta and Spinach
- Double Chocolate Oat Cookies
3 Ingredient Instant Pot Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Strawberries Cleaned and cut in half
- 1 cup Sugar Granulated
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
Instructions
- Clean and cut the strawberries in half. Place them in the Instant Pot.
- Add the sugar to the strawberries and mix everything together until it is well combined. Let it sit in the Instant Pot (with the Instant Pot off) for 15 minutes.
- After the 15 minutes, put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it on high for 1 minute.
- Once the Instant Pot is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it together until it becomes a slurry and the cornstarch completely dissolves.
- Open the Instant pot lid and add the cornstarch slurry. Mix well and mash any strawberries that you feel are too big.
- Turn the Instant Pot on "sauté" and allow the jam to come to a full boil. Cook for 2 minutes until the jam begins to thicken slightly.
- Allow the jam to cool slightly and then store the jam.
Notes
- When you first open the Instant Pot it will be full of liquid. Do not worry! The cornstarch slurry will thicken the Instant Pot and it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon into the jam to offset the sweetness
- If after the 15 minutes of natural release the Instant Pot is not ready to be opened, let it sit for another few minutes, or release the pressure by pressing the release button on the lid.
Denise
I haven’t made this yet so I can’t rate it. My question is can I use monk fruit sugar instead of sugar? And if using frozen strawberries do I defrost first. Thanks!
lynnswayoflife
Hi! You do not need to defrost the fruit first. The Instant Pot gets hot enough and builds up enough pressure that it will defrost the fruit perfectly. You can use monk fruit sugar in this recipe, but since it is much sweeter than sugar, use less. I think 2/3 cup per 2 pounds would work. I would love to know how it turns out if you do make it!