Sick of the sugar and preservatives of store-bought jam? Make your own with this quick, healthy homemade jam recipe! You’ll never go back!
Why Homemade?
Homemade jam had always seemed like one of those elusive and unnecessary things to me. I knew that the store bought variety was chock full of sugar and nasty preservatives, but my workaround was to simply skip the condiment altogether. My kids spent the first few years of their lives not knowing that peanut butter sandwiches traditionally also had jelly.
Alas, they eventually caught on and my sugar-free-all-natural-peanut-butter sandwiches were no longer good enough. Understandable. I refused to cave, though. The thought of a healthy meal option immediately becoming a sugar bomb was unpalatable. Pun intended. So I begrudgingly took to the internet to find a solution.
I was quite impressed (and embarrassed) by how simple homemade jam really was! After browsing, I settled on a recipe that used the instant pot. For me, the less stove-top-babysitting, the better. I’ve got stuff to do. Each attempt was a “success” insofar that the end result was edible and delicious. I did notice a change in consistency and thickness depending on how long I allowed the mixture to sauté after cooking. While a natural part of the cooking process and by no means an inconvenience, I still didn’t like the uncertainty of not knowing just how thick the jam would be after it cooled in the jars. This is where I played around with additional natural ingredients to act as thickening agents and ultimately settled on my personal favorite: chia seeds.
Necessary Ingredients for Homemade Jam
- 8 cups of frozen berries
- 1 cup of sweetener
- 3 Tb of lemon juice
- 1 cup of chia seeds
This yields over 45 oz of homemade jam! I prefer this quantity so I have jars to go directly into the freezer or to share with friends and family, but you can easily halve or quarter the recipe for a smaller quantity.
Preparation
Combine the frozen berries with the sweetener and mix together. You can use any variety of fruit for your homemade jam, though a blend with strawberry (or just all strawberry) is always a classic and instant favorite. I prefer using Swerve or other non-sugar alternatives such as monk fruit sweetener, stevia, or erythritol. Of course, you can also just use sugar! Let the mixture marinate for over an hour.
Stir again and add about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. The lemon juice does not add any noticeable flavor, but acts to lower the pH of the mixture so the pectin released from the fruit can do its job and thicken the jam. The lower pH level also helps stave off bacteria and prevent mold.
Next, seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Natural release (about 15 minutes).
At this point you want to mash the mixture. This can be done with a potato masher, a meat separator, or simply a wooden spoon. Or, if you prefer a smoother homemade jam (like we do), use an immersion blender. I also appreciate that blending is much faster than mashing.
Put on sauté for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the jam thickens.
These silicone utensils are the best for getting every little drop of homemade jam when mixing and ladling it into the jars.
Optional Step
Before putting the homemade jam in jars, add 1 cup of chia seeds and stir. My family enjoys the added health benefits and thickness provided by the chia seeds, but they can be omitted with no consequence. If you are particular to the texture or the occasional seed in the teeth, it might be best to try the recipe without them. Just be sure to sauté the jam long enough for it to thicken.
This will yield over 45 ounces of homemade jam!
Aside from enjoying our homemade jam on our regular peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I absolutely love using it to top our Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancakes or stirring it into our Overnight Oatmeal (with or without Kefir).
Homemade Jam – Instant Pot (Easy and Healthy!)
Equipment
- 1 Instant pot
Ingredients
- 8 Cups frozen berries
- 1 Cup sweetener I prefer swerve, but you can use sugar
- 3 Tb lemon juice
- 1 Cup chia seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the frozen berries with the sweetener and let it marinate for over an hour.
- Stir the mixture again, then add the lemon juice.
- Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Natural release (about 15 minutes)
- Mash the berries with a potato masher, meat separator, or wooden spoon. Or, for a smoother consistency, blend with an immersion blender.
- Put on sauté for about 5 minutes to thicken the jam.
- Add 1 cup of chia seeds and stir.
- Carefully scoop or pour into sterilized glass jars.
- Allow to cool before sealing.
- Refrigerate or freeze.
- Yields over 45 oz.
Notes
- I prefer making this size batch and immediately freezing the extra jars so I always have some on hand but you can easily half or quarter the recipe for smaller quantities.
- My family enjoys the added health benefits and thickness provided by the chia seeds, but they can be omitted with no consequence. If you are particular to the texture or occasion seed in the teeth, it might be best to try the recipe without them. Just be sure to sauté the jam long enough for it to thicken.
- Try different fruit combinations! Strawberry is always a favorite, but when cranberries are in season for 90 cents a bag, I always throw in several handfuls with whatever other berry I have on hand. We also liked mixed berry and raspberry.
Let me know in the comments what you thought! What variations did you like best? Did you try something not mentioned here?
Disclaimer: this article may include affiliate links; I receive a small commission from any items purchased through the the links at no additional cost to you. I am not a licensed medical professional. For concerns or questions regarding specific medical conditions please consult your primary physician.
