Instant Pot Strawberry Chia Jam

A delicious spread made with just four ingredients; Strawberry Chia Jam is free from added pectin, preservatives and flavoring agents.

Made in the instant pot; this one has a cook time of just 3 minutes. Super delicious, spreadable and perfectly thick without excess sugar!

Strawberry season is one of the best times to make delicious recipes. The farmers markets are flooded with the berries and so are the farms. The Bay area has quite a few farms that offer strawberry picking.

And when we go visit a farm, we do bring back scores of strawberries. So over the next few days we do enjoy a lot of recipes along with the fresh fruit. Strawberry juice, strawberry milkshake, strawberry cake, strawberry cream and raita with strawberries are popular to make.

And while most of these recipes are great when enjoyed instantly, there are some recipes that help preserve the berries much longer. Roasted strawberries and strawberry jam are perfect to do so.

Jump to:

• What is Strawberry Jam
• Using Chia Seeds
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Step by Step Instructions to make 
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Pairings
• Recipe FAQs
• More Strawberry Recipes to try
• Instant Pot Strawberry Chia Jam

What is Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Jam is a delicious dip that is perfect with toasted bread, on cereal or over yogurt. This jam is so easy to make and I have a bottle in my refrigerator all the time.

This jam is easily available in the stores but these are quite high on sugar. Commercially, a combination of sugar and pectin are used to thicken the cooked strawberries.

These jam bottles have a much longer shelf life, are bright pink in color and do taste amazing. And yet, there is something amazing about making your own jam. It is so easy to make, flavor and use as required.

Using Chia Seeds

This strawberry chia jam is slightly different from the commercial version as it does not have added pectin, preservatives, thickeners, color or flavoring agent.

And if we remove all these from the jam, we will only be left with sugar, strawberries and water! And that is definitely not jam; it will only be a syrup. So we add a secret ingredient in it to make this a jam; chia seeds. With properties to thicken anything that it is added to, these seeds help us bind berries with sugar and water to make a delicious textured jam.

Plus, we all know how healthy the tiny seeds are and this is a great way to sneak in a few each morning! These seeds are really healthy and it helps to have them in the pantry all the time! I like to make this chia seed pudding using them. And this breakfast bowl is amazing I promise!

Why this recipe works

• It comes together in under 30 minutes of active time.
• We make it in the Instant Pot so there is no stirring, mixing or processing.
• It is hands-free and makes a bottle full of jam while you are prep something else.
• It needs only four ingredients to come together.
• This can be flavored in so many ways; vanilla extract, cinnamon, other berries etc.
• We use chia seeds to thicken it up instead of excess sugar.
• The same recipe can be used for fresh or frozen berries.
• It can be made with other fruits too, a mix of berries, peach, apricot, pineapple etc!
• The recipe does not need any complex ingredient or canning.
• It is a refrigerator jam and keeps well refrigerated for a week or so.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Strawberries: The main ingredient here is strawberries. When in season, I like to use fresh berries. However, using frozen berries is a great option too. To prepare the berries for the jam, simply wash them, air dry and cut the leaves and hardy stem off. Then the berries are all ready to make this strawberry chia jam.
• Chia Seeds: The other key ingredient here is chia seeds. The thickener in the recipe, we cannot skip the chia seeds. Without them the jam will only be a strawberry syrup!
• Sugar: Though we do not use sugar as a thickener here, we do add some sugar to the jam. Even the sweetest strawberries will need some sugar to make it jammy. Step it up or down based on how sweet the berries are and how sweet you like the jam!
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is great to balance out the sweetness and brings in so much flavor to the otherwise sweet jam. I like to add that to all my jams. Skip it only if there are allergies. Otherwise I strongly recommend using it!
• Other ingredients: We can also use vanilla extract, spices like cinnamon, cloves or star anise etc. are great to add to the jam. These bring a lot of flavor into the jam and gives it a great taste.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

Step by Step Instructions to make 

1- Wash and dice the strawberries. In the base of the Instant Pot add the berries and sprinkle sugar over it.

2- Let the sugar rest for 10 minutes. 

3- After 10 minutes add water. Close the lid of the Instant pot and set the mode to pressure cook, time to 3 minutes and pressure to high. Set the vent to sealing.

4- Let the berries cook till the end of the cooking time. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick release. 

5- Open the lid and add in lemon juice and chia seeds. Mix well and let the jam cool to room temperature.

6- As it cools, it will become thick as well. Transfer to and airtight jar and refrigerate. Use as required for up to a week.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Sealing Ring: Often times the sealing ring of the instant pot has the smell from the previous cooking. Before making the jam, make sure the sealing ring is clean and free from any strong smells. It helps to use two different rings; one for sweets and one for savory dishes.
• Frozen berries: We can easily use frozen strawberries for the recipe. Both store bought frozen berries or fresh strawberries that are frozen in peak season work. The method remains the same for both. Plus, so not thaw the berries before using in the recipe.
• Replacing Strawberries: Any juicy fruit like berries, kiwi, pineapple, peach etc. will work with chia seeds to make this jam. Mix them up or use them just one at a time, the option is yours!
• Sugar substitutes: The sugar in the recipe contributes to the thickness along with the sweetness. While it is easy to replace with honey or sugar substitute, the consistency does change a little. Be aware of that.
• Skipping the Chia seeds: While chia seeds are quite amazing in the recipe, we can make the jam without these too. Simply cook the berries and place the instant pot on 'sauté' mode. Then add some corn starch slurry and cook will the slurry thickens the jam.
• Making a smooth jam: If you like the jam to be smooth, blend it with an immersion blender after it is made. it does help getting a super smooth jam!
• Storage: Store the jam in a clean jar and use a clean spatula or spoon to transfer it. The jam keeps well for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. As it is not canned and does not use preservatives, it will have to be frozen to keep it longer.

Pairings

The strawberry chia jam is perfect to use in so many ways.

• Add some with salted butter on toast. I often use freshly baked whole wheat bread or sandwich bread to enjoy my jam.
• Add it to make desserts like cake, pudding or jelly.
• With thepla or dhebra.
• On yogurt to make a parfait.
• Serve it with milk, granola and cereal.
• On pancakes or waffles with some butter and whipped cream.
• As an ice-cream topping.

Recipe FAQs

More Strawberry Recipes to try