Instant Pot Strawberry Jam (no pectin)

You will love this 3-ingredient Instant Pot Strawberry Jam made with just strawberries, sugar and lemon juice (no pectin needed). Super simple, delicious and so much better than store-bought! 

We are definitely enjoying the strawberry season with lots of fresh strawberries. However when you have lots of strawberries sitting on your counter, you want to make something you can store and enjoy for much longer. The best thing to make is Strawberry Jam.

I have been enjoying making jam in the instant pot. So easy to make and so delicious. I used just 3 ingredients to make this homemade strawberry jam and did not use any cornstarch or pectin to thicken this jam.

Not that I am against using pectin, it is plant based, I just want to avoid the hassle of getting more ingredients to make jam. This strawberry jam is also vegan & gluten-free, similar to my apricot jam recipe.

I love that I know what ingredients are going in the jam and can control the amount of sugar added. It is also very cost effective and you can make different flavors with the fruits you have.

This instant pot jam is so easy to make in less than 50 minutes and requires very little active effort. Enjoy on a toast or muffin or top on yogurt to make strawberry flavored yogurt.

If you are new to the instant pot (pressure cooker), check out this quick setup guide to get you started!

You might also like Applesauce, Tamarind Date Chutney and Apricot Chutney made in the instant pot!

How to make Instant Pot Strawberry Jam?

1. Let’s start by prepping the strawberries. Rinse them and remove the greens and slice them in half.
2. Place the strawberries in the instant pot.
3. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the instant pot.
4. Stir well with the strawberries. Close lid and let them sit for about 30 minutes. This helps to release the juices from the strawberries and we will not need to add any liquid to make the jam.
5. Open lid and stir the strawberries. Close lid again with vent in sealing position and pressure cook for 1 minute at high pressure.
6. When the pressure cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then manually release the pressure.
7. When you open the lid, there will be a lot of liquid and color will look dark, but don’t worry we will sauté and this will change completely.
8. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries. You can also use a hand blender to make it completely smooth. We like it a bit chunky.
9. Put instant pot on sauté mode and let the mixture come to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes while stirring frequently and the jam will thicken. Remember that jam also thickens as it cools. Press Cancel and turn off the instant pot.

Let the jam cool before you transfer to a jar to store it. Refrigerate and enjoy!

This recipe makes about 1 1/3 cup or 11 oz of jam.

Can I use frozen strawberries to make jam?

You can also use frozen strawberries to make jam. If you have lots of fresh strawberries and don’t plan to make jam right away, you can prep the strawberries and freeze them to make jam later. Depending on the size of the frozen strawberries, you can use a masher or hand blender to mash them.

Do I need pectin or cornstarch to thicken the jam?

With this recipe, pectin or cornstarch are not required to thicken the jam. We got a very good consistency with just the lemon juice.

Can I double this instant pot jam recipe?

Yes, you can double or triple the recipe. The cooking time does not change even if you increase the quantity, as the instant pot just takes longer to come to pressure.

What is the best way to store this strawberry jam?

You can store strawberry jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. To store for longer, transfer to small jars and freeze the jam.

What to serve this Strawberry Jam with?

Here are some ideas to enjoy this jam –

• On a slice of bread or toast
• Topped on yogurt to flavor it.
• On pancake or waffle with some whipped cream.
• Layered in cakes or cheesecakes
• Topped on ice cream or custard.