Instant Pot 3-Ingredient Strawberry Jam—a delicious sweet and tart jam that is so fast and easy to make in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. It tastes amazing on toast, biscuits, crepes, pancakes, waffles, french toast and more. It has a little less sugar than typical jam but you won’t miss the sugar at all!
Instant Pot 3-Ingredient Strawberry Jam
Strawberries are in season and they taste amazing fresh! If you want to preserve that fresh strawberry flavor use some of those berries to make jam. Speed up the process of jam making by using your Instant Pot to cook the strawberries in just a 1 minute pressure cook time.
My Instant Pot 3-ingredient strawberry jam recipe has a bit less sugar than a lot of recipes. However it’s not too low in sugar, if you know what I mean. It tasted amazing as I slathered it on a hot biscuit. Not too sweet but not too tart either. Just perfect.
After the strawberries were pressure cooked I used a potato masher to crush the strawberries to a chunky consistency. I prefer a little texture to my jam. If you like jam more even and smooth then I would suggest blending the strawberries to produce a consistent result.
I’m off to make a piece of toast with butter and jam now! And I’m dreaming of what other fresh fruit I’ll be able to make into jam this summer…I’ve got my eye on you raspberries and peaches!
How long does homemade strawberry jam last?
For homemade strawberry jam made with sugar and then processed by canning in a hot water bath, you can expect to get about two years of shelf life when stored in a cool, dry place. Once opened, keep your homemade jam in the refrigerator for up to three months. For jam stored in the freezer it will last for 12 months. Once removed from the freezer store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Why lemon juice?
The lemon juice lowers the pH of the jam mixture that will “set” your jam. You can use freshly squeezed lemon juice or lemon juice in the green/yellow bottle.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes you can. Making jam in the middle of the winter is a thing! Just use 2 pounds of frozen strawberries. No need to bring them to room temperature. Just throw them in the Instant Pot with the sugar and then pressure cook according to the instructions in the recipe.
Ways to use strawberry jam
Of course the most common way to use jam is by spreading it on bread or toast. Here are some other fun ways to use strawberry jam:
- Stir it into yogurt. Plain greek yogurt tastes amazing with a little strawberry jam stirred into it to sweeten.
- Stir it into oatmeal
- Pancake, crepe, waffle or french toast topping
- Serve on top of cheesecake bites
- It makes great gifts with a loaf of fresh warm bread
You might also like…
Use your Instant Pot to remove the skins from tomatoes. Watch my YouTube video to see how easy it is!
What equipment do I need to make strawberry jam?
- Instant Pot or slow cooker. I used a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. You can also use a 3 quart or 8 quart pot.
- Strawberry huller. Not necessary but nice to own! This is the one I used* to remove the stems from my strawberries.
- Potato masher. I used a potato masher* to crush the strawberries after they were cooked. You can also use a stick blender* to blend the mixture for a more smooth jam. I like the chunkier consistency that results from the potato masher, personally.
- Jars or containers to store the jam. I used these jelly jars* because they are the perfect size. I like to hand these out to friends and neighbors too. You can also use plastic containers like these* if you will be storing the jam in the fridge or freezer.
Instant Pot 3-Ingredient Strawberry Jam
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 9 (4 oz) jelly jars 1x
Description
A delicious sweet and tart jam that is so fast and easy to make in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. It tastes amazing on toast, biscuits, crepes, pancakes, waffles, french toast and more. It has a little less sugar than typical jam but you won’t miss the sugar at all!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries, washed and hulled
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- Optional: cornstarch
Instructions
- Add strawberries and sugar to Instant Pot. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add in lemon juice.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute on high pressure. When the time is up let the pot sit for at least 10 minutes and then attempt to release pressure by moving valve to venting. If any foam comes out quickly move the valve back to sealing and let it sit for a few more minutes before trying again. Remove lid.
- Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries to desired consistency. You can also use a stick blender to get the jam more smooth and consistent.
- If a thicker consistency is desired turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 Tbsp of cold water. Pour the mixture into the pot and let the jam thicken for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the Instant Pot. Alternately, you can thicken without cornstarch by letting the mixture simmer and reduce down for 10-20 minutes using the saute setting (LESS).
- Ladle into jars, leaving ½ inch of space at the top. Seal jars following the instructions that came with your canning jars OR store strawberry jam in freezer for up to 12 months. Each jar will last in the refrigerator for about 3 months.
Notes
There is minimal liquid in this recipe because the strawberries release a ton of moisture, enough for the pot to come to pressure.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Add strawberries, sugar and lemon juice to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the lid and turn slow cooker to high. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries to desired consistency. You can also use a stick blender to get the jam more smooth and consistent. Add in cornstarch slurry and let it cook without the lid for about 30 minutes, or until thickened. Ladle into jars, leaving ½ inch of space at the top. Seal jars following the instructions that came with your canning jars OR store strawberry jam in freezer for 3-6 months. Each jar will last in the refrigerator for about 1 month.
- Category: Spreads
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I use this to make preserve to add to our homage yogurt. My husband loves mango strawberry so I use a pound of each ( frozen strawberries and mango) sugar then lemon juice. He loves it so much better than store bought! Thank you for simple pretty much fail proof recipe!
That sounds so amazing!!
Hi Karen, I love all your recipes! I bought some strawberries last year, and cut them up, put sugar on them to make a syrup, and froze them. Do you think this will work? Should I just omit the sugar since I’ve already added sugar? Thanks so much!
yes you can use them and I would omit at least some of the sugar or else it will be to sweet.
Thank you!! That’s what I thought. Love your recipes!! I will rate the recipe after I make it. 🙂
Hi Karen would this recipe work for blueberries? There are times when they are more plentiful than strawberries. Also what about peaches or plums?
Jam is getting expensive & I like the idea of freezing some also. I also see someone used oranges we have a neighbor who has a tree that is very prolific!
Thanks
Yes I think you could really do it with all sorts of fruit. Some fruits may need more sugar than others. I would experiment!
Hi, Karen! This jam recipe looks AWESOME, and I’m eager to try it; couldn’t be any easier, and I’m confident, coming from you, the taste will be a winner!! My comment, however, is really on another detail in some places. Some parts of the text that are ‘clickable,’ is in white or rather light color which for mee is difficult to read. Perhaps it is for others, too. May I cast a vote to request a serious look at this format? I’d really appreciate it. : )
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I really need to look into that. I will see what I can do!
That’s very kind of you, Karen. Maybe something will be found so that everyone will have no trouble working in your recipes. Thank you so much! : )
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I forgot to mention I don’t own an insta pot so will be doing in crock pot
How much cornstarch to water ratio to use and how much pectin if I go with it? Thanks, I am going to try with blackberries since ours are producing great this year.
It’s in the written instructions. 2 T cornstarch to 2 T water. Standard for slurry is equal parts water and cornstarch. Blackberry sounds good.
2 T cornstarch to 2 T water. I haven’t tried this recipe with pectin yet so I am unsure!
I started with strawberries, moved to blackberries and then to blueberries using this recipe. All turned out great. I am ready to move on to using frozen peaches.
Should I let the peaches thaw out first. When I made jam using frozen strawberries and blueberries I did not thaw them out.
Thanks
George
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Wow peach sounds soooo good. I would not thaw them out. I would just use the frozen.
Thanks Karen
Your recipes are fabulous and I learn a lot about using my Crock Pot Express, which I call my Instant Pot Impostor. LOL The strawberry jam is wonderful and I freeze mine in containers for later use. Thank you for a wonderful website.
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LOL that’s great!
I only had one pound of strawberries and about 4 oz. of rhubarb. It turned out more like a sauce than a jam, so I used it as syrup on pancakes. It was tasty.
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Oh that sounds so good. I love rhubarb with strawberries! And pancakes!
Love your recipes…I have fresh sliced strawberries that are frozen… can I use them??
Do I put them in frozen and follow your recipe?
Yes that would work. I would add them in frozen!
Hello Karen, Allie from Nevada here, hey being a diabetic is there some way to make this S.F.? Thank you so much for everything, Allie
I’m diabetic too, and was going to ask the same question! lol
Could you use something like splenda to sweeten it?
I have a 3qt IP. Do you think I can use two lbs of fruit in i for this recipe?
Thanks
George
Yes I think it will fit for sure!
Hi, I’m not supposed to have citrus anymore; is there something I can substitute for the lemon juice?
Perhaps vinegar?
I am curious to ask IF perhaps I could add Rhubarb to the Strawberries? Should I do half and half of the fruit?
Yes and then I would double the amount of sugar since rhubarb is so tart.
Wow.. What an awesome flavor!!! No more commercially made jam for me. I did substitute the cane sugar for Stevia due to health reasons. I am using a 3 qt IP so I halved the recipe. However, I have the feeling I don’t need to halve it. Great recipe. Thanks for posting Karen.
George
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You’re welcome George! Glad you liked it!
I made this but I used strawberries from my garden, which are much less sweet than store bought strawberries. I had to add more sugar. If I have leftover store bought strawberries, I’ll try it with the sugar as directed in the recipe.
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Thanks for sharing your experience!
Does this thicken up once it has cooled completely? I made the jam this evening and I had to add some cornstarch or it would have been more like juice. Even after letting it simmer a few minutes it still seems kinda runny. Going to try it on toast in the morning!
Yes it seems to thicken a little. Next time I’d add more cornstarch if I were you!
Another winner!! Delicious!! Not buying jam at the store again!!
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Yay! Glad you liked it Karin!
Any suggestions how to add rhubarb? Btw born and raised in Ohio, great choice with Skyline Chili!
O-H!!!
I would chop it up and add it in with the strawberries. you’ll have to add more sugar though since rhubarb is so tart. I really love rhubarb! Let me know how it turns out 😊
Hi Karen
Could you use artificial sweetener like a combination of stevia and sucrolose or is it the sugar that’s helping thicken the jam? Also wondered about using some chia seeds to help with thickening and adding additional fiber?
I absolutely love the idea of chia seeds! And from what I read the sugar doesn’t help thicken jam. I would try it and see what happens!
I have sure jel. Can I use that instead of cornstarch?
Yes I bet that would be great.
It is so yummy! But mine came out a little bitter, probably because I decreased the sugar to 1/4 cup. Have you tried this recipe with any sugar substitutes? Any thing work well for it to taste as it should?? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it yet with any sugar substitutes. I have heard that monkfruit is good. Also trying to get the sweetest strawberries will help. I know it’s hit or miss with me.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
yes you can! same recipe.
Could I replace the strawberries with raspberries and use frozen raspberries?
Yep I bet that would work well. You may want to to 1/2 cup sugar since raspberries might be less sweet than strawberries.
Hope you bring this over to Food on Friday – which is just getting under way. Cheers
😊
I made this with juice from a fresh orange and it worked well. My daughter loved it.
Yum that sounds so tasty!!!