Strawberry Chia Jam (Instant Pot)
This Strawberry Chia Jam is sweet, delicious, and perfectly healthy as it contains no refined sugar! Made in an Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker, it takes very little hands-on time and is super convenient to make. Makes 3 cups. 1 serving = 2 tablespoons
This Strawberry Chia Jam is sweet, delicious, and perfectly healthy as it contains no refined sugar! Made in an Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker, it takes very little hands-on time and is super convenient to make. Makes 3 cups. 1 serving = 2 tablespoons
- Carbohydrate 2.22846277084319 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.60155060828941 g
- Fiber 1.04599052962031 g
- Protein 0.403394744724368 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0591097022649281 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (40g)
- Sodium 0.525653070548741 mg
- Sugar 1.18247224122288 g
- Trans Fat 0.0540773483806856 g
- Calories 15 calories
Step-by-step
- Hull and quarter the strawberries.
- Turn the sauté mode on in the Instant Pot.
- Add the frozen peaches to the pot first, add the prepared strawberries on top.
- Pour the maple syrup and the lemon juice over the fruit.
- Wait for about 2-3 minutes until the frozen peaches start melting and there's liquid at the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Put the lid on and turn the vent into the sealing position.
- Press cancel to turn the sauté mode off.
- Press Manual or Pressure Cooker button (depending on your model) and using the arrow buttons set the cook time to 2 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps that the 2 minutes of cooking are done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before doing a quick release!IMPORTANT: it is very important to do a natural pressure release first! If you don't wait for a few minutes before venting the pressure manually, the liquid WILL OVERFLOW from the back of the Instant Pot! I learned it the hard way! Also, make sure to put a kitchen towel over the vent when doing a manual release to catch all the pink juices. The back cup for the liquid will most likely get at least half full.
- Mash the fruit with a fork or a masher until it's no longer in big chunks.
- Turn the sauté function on and add the chia seeds. Mix.
- Let the Instant Pot Jam cook for about 3-5 minutes to thicken lightly.
- Transfer to the clean jars and cool before eating. Cooling will help this Strawberry Chia Jam thicken and the chia seeds will soften a bit.
Why does the pressure cooker need frozen fruit at the bottom before fresh berries go on top? Layering dense frozen peaches or mangoes directly against the metal inner pot creates a protective buffer against scorching while the machine builds steam. Hulling and quartering the strawberries uniformly ensures they soften at the exact same rate as the thawing stone fruit during the two-minute pressure cycle. Allowing a five-minute natural pressure release before manual venting prevents boiling-hot liquid from aggressively sputtering out of the steam valve.
Chia seeds act as the primary thickener here, relying on their high mucilage content to absorb surrounding moisture as the mixture cools. Stirring the seeds into the mashed fruit during a brief final simmer on Sauté mode activates their gelling properties without breaking down their structural integrity. Acidity from the lemon juice does double duty by brightening the fresh fruit flavor and lowering the overall pH, which aids the setting process.
Standard canning jars work best for storage once sterilized and thoroughly dried. Storing the finished preserves in the refrigerator for up to two weeks keeps the texture optimal, though the chia seeds will continue absorbing residual moisture and firming the spread over the first forty-eight hours. Freezing portions in airtight containers extends this storage window significantly for longer preservation.
Equipment selection dictates how safely the rapid release phase proceeds. Placing a folded kitchen towel loosely over the sealing vent catches any errant colored droplets during the manual release. Selecting a wide silicone spatula makes thorough scraping of the pot bottom much easier when incorporating the seeds.
