Recipe This | Instant Pot Strawberry Jam (2024)

FAQs

Can I use Instant Pot to can jam? ›

Did you know you can steam can your fruits, jams, jellies and pickles in your Instant Pot? Steam canning in your Instant Pot is a great way to preserve smaller batches of food as it takes less water, less overall time to process, and doesn't heat up your entire kitchen!

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

Sugar: Four cups of white sugar sweetens the jam, thickens the jam, and acts as a preservative. Lemon juice: Lemon juice is essential for getting the pectin to gel properly, setting the jam. It also helps prevent the growth of bacteria.

Strawberry purée is different from strawberry jam. The purée is uncooked and only lightly sweetened, while jam is cooked and tends to have a higher sugar content.

One thing that should have been added to its list of accolades is a jam maker. Say whaaaat?? Chop up some fruit, throw in a little sugar and citrus juice, high pressure for 1 minute, and done!

No extra pectin– You may wonder if strawberry jam is better with or without pectin. Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so some people prefer to add additional pectin to jams and jellies. However, I actually prefer homemade jam without extra pectin. They are a bit softer in texture, making it more versatile.

You can use bottled lemon juice or fresh. However, I personally look to use other complementary juices to certain fruit jams. Rather than rely on lemon juice I would for example use redcurrant juice from fresh redcurrants in a strawberry jam instead, or an acidic type of apple and apple juice in a blackberry jam etc.

It's Not Only About Pectin

There's another reason why lemon juice is added to most jam recipes: for safe canning and to prevent the growth of bacteria. Bringing the pH level down means jars can be sealed in a regular boiling water bath in a reasonable amount of time (sometimes as little as 10 minutes).

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

What are the best strawberries for jam? ›

Recommended Varieties

Allstar, Cabot, Chandler, Earliglow, and Jewel and are usually excellent-quality berries for freezing. Most other varieties are suitable, especially for making jams and eating fresh. Locally grown strawberries are best for making jams and freezing.

Follow this tip: Cook the jam a few minutes longer than the recipe calls for and mash the strawberries a little with a potato masher while they cook so that the fruit stays evenly distributed throughout the jam once it cools.

Fill containers with jam and leave 1/2” of head-space at the top. Cover with lids and allow to stand at room temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours you can store jam in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks or freeze it for up to 1 year!

Making a homemade version of your favorite jam or jelly is easy, and it'll likely be a healthier alternative to store-bought products.

I know that the Instant Pot Max has a button for canning, however, the research done by the National Center for Home Food Preservation found that it is not safe for canning because the temperature fluctuates during processing. This fluctuation can cause under-processing and you can risk foodborne illness.

A boiling water bath is simply a large pot (you can use a stockpot) with a rack on the bottom. Canning jars filled with food and with special canning lids secured are completely immersed in boiling water for an amount of time specified in the canning recipe. After processing, as the jars cool, a vacuum seal is formed.

Preserving Jam With Water-Bath Canning

As berries and fruit are high in acid, there's no need to “pressure can.” For water-bath processing, you'll need a large deep stockpot with a flat bottom, a well-fitting lid, and a rack that fits at the bottom or a water-bath canner.

Pressure canning is the only safe way to preserve low-acid vegetables (such as green beans, corn and carrots), meats and most mixtures of foods. As water boils to steam in a sealed pressure canner, the temperature increases to 240 F or higher, temperatures necessary to destroy the spores of Clostridium botulinum.