Always Jam Today

I was recently watching that trippy Alice in Wonderland from the ’80s featuring all those stars of yesteryear. The one scene that stood out is when Carol Channing, as the iconic White Queen, turns into a sheep. It may have been nightmare fuel as a child (and fever-dreamish as an adult), but before she goes baa-baa, she sings a song about jam and how you can have it tomorrow or yesterday but never (ever) jam today. Now I love me some Carol Channing, but we’re going to prove her wrong by not only making jam today, but by making it with only five ingredients and any berry you choose—be it strawberry, blueberries, or raaaaaaaaspberries! From Super Shortcut Instant Pot® by Jeffrey Eisner, photograph by Aleksey Zozulya.

Duration

50 Minutes (5 to 9 hrs with cooling time)

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

4-6 servings, 50 minutes (5 to 9 hrs with cooling time), any berry you want, cold water, cornstarch plus, juice of 1 lemon, pressure cook, vanilla extract, white sugar

Servings

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

2 pounds any berry you want
1 cup white sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch plus
3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Add the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla to the Instant Pot and stir until the berries are coated. Let rest for 10–15 Minutes so the sugar draws the juice out from the berries, creating the liquid needed for the pot to come to pressure. Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, and hit Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 1 minute. When done, allow a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until a slurry forms.
the lid comes off the pot, stir the mixture—the berries will be a perfect, softened consistency. Now, to thicken into jam! Hit Cancel followed by Sauté and Adjust so it’s on the More or High setting. Once bubbling, stir in the cornstarch slurry and let bubble for 2 minutes, until thickened into a jam-like consistency. Hit Cancel to turn the pot off.
Transfer the jam to mason jars (I use 4- and 8-ounce sizes) and let rest uncovered for 15 minutes. Then, place a lid on top of each jar and pop in the fridge to cool completely (another 4–8 hours—overnight is best). When ready to serve, spread it on biscuits, scones, toast, muffins, you name it!

Notes

Jeff’s Tips:
We don’t need pectin to make this jam because the cornstarch slurry does the trick! If using frozen berries, rinse them under a colander so they thaw out before pressure cooking. However, you may need an immersion blender in the beginning of Step 3 to mix the jam. This jam will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and can be frozen for up to 6 months.
To Serve 1–2:
Just follow the recipe as is. One can never have too much jam on hand!

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