Recipe This | Instant Pot Strawberry Jam (2024)

FAQs

Can I can jam in instant pot? ›

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!

Lemon juice: Lemon juice is essential for getting the pectin to gel properly, setting the jam. It also helps prevent the growth of bacteria.

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.

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.

Unfortunately, now that the pectin is dissolved and free, the strands of pectin repel each other because they carry an electric charge that is negative. Without a little help, the pectin strands can't come together to form a network that will set your batch of jam — that's where the lemon juice comes into play.

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.

Pressure Cooker Strawberry jam cooks on high pressure for just 1 minute and gives you the most lovely fruity fresh jam!

How long does homemade strawberry jam last? ›

Here's how long homemade jam lasts: For homemade jam, using sugar and 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.

Can You Pressure Can Strawberry Jam? Strawberry jam should not be pressure canned because it will not be able to survive the process.

Some recipes include adding lemon juice etc, which adds acidity. This can break down the pectin preventing setting. The other thing that can prevent thickening is over cooking, particularly of acidic fruits.

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.

Orange juice is a good one-to-one substitute for lemon juice in most recipes. It's less acidic, sweeter, and less tart than lemon juice. Plus, it has a different flavor profile.

Important Fact: USDA does NOT endorse using their canning processes or processing times in electric, pressure-cooker appliances. The appliances are acceptable for cooking, but not canning. It is especially dangerous to use these appliances to attempt to can meat or vegetables.

The jars must be submerged under 1″-2″ of water. I have a large 10-quart Instant Pot and the largest jars I could process in it would be 1/2 pint canning jars (or mason jars). The water must be maintained at a rolling boil. The setting for this may vary from model to model.

REMEMBER: If you are canning low-acid foods such as vegetables, broth, and meats, you WILL need a pressure canner. However, if you are canning high acid foods like jams and jellies, fruits (like canning peaches), applesauce, pickles, etc., you can use safely and confidently water-bath canning.

Fill your jars with a canning funnel, leaving 1/4 inch of room at the top. Before lidding each jar, wipe its rim with a clean, damp cloth. Lid the fitted jars, being careful to screw the lids on just until they are snug. Replace the filled jars in the oven for 15 minutes or so to ensure they are completely sterilized.