This small-batch instant pot peach jam requires no pectin and no refined sugar! Sweetened with honey and a splash of vanilla, this easy pressure cooker jam is ready in less than 30 minutes and can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
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This pressure cooker peach jam can be eaten on biscuits, toast, or stirred into oatmeal or yogurt.
Instant Pot Peach Jam. My new favorite thing.
Easy Homemade Peach Jam
I took a canning class several years ago. That summer, I made peach jam and blueberry jam and enjoyed them throughout the year. I spent hours in the kitchen cooking fruit, making sure that the jam had the proper headspace, sterilizing jars and making sure that I got a good seal on the jars. I sourced pectins, bought cases of canning jars and a little canning kit to lift said jars out of big pots of boiling water. Sound scary? To me too. I was especially afraid that I’d spend all of that time creating jam then I’d end up in the hospital with botulism poisoning. Real talk.
But many jars of homemade peach jam later, I’m still here. Botulism free. And today, I’m excited to now have a shorter, faster process to make this Honey Vanilla Peach Jam!
This month’s Recipe Redux challenge has us making a summer recipe in the slow cooker. The idea is to beat the heat by cooking without heating up the kitchen. And as I write this from Austin, TX where it’s currently 101 degrees… it’s certainly a fitting theme. This was a fun challenge for a couple of reasons. One: I never use the slow cooker in the summer. I’ve always associated it with cold weather meals. And two…
It finally pushed me to pull out my Instant Pot. I got my Instant Pot last year during Amazon’s Black Friday sale. It was half price. I justified the purchase because I could get rid of my slow cooker – maybe sell it and save some shelf space. It arrived that Sunday. I was ready to “IP” all the foods. Then I saw all of the parts, the awkward instruction manual and “cookbook” and realized I needed to watch a few YouTube videos to figure out how to use the thing. I became overwhelmed and it collected dust. That is, until this week.
How to Make Peach Jam in the Instant Pot #InstantPot #EasyRecipesTo make this recipe, I simply combined fresh peaches with honey and a splash of vanilla in the Instant Pot and used the pressure cooker and saute functions. It saved a ton of time on clean up and the peaches cooked quickly once all loaded in. This one is not shelf stable. As I explain in the recipe, it will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks and can also be frozen for at least six months.
How to Make Peach Jam in the Instant Pot
- Start with fresh, pitted peaches. You don’t have to peel the peaches for this recipe! That makes this peach jam so easy.
- Add the peaches, lemon juice, and honey to the inner liner of your electric pressure cooker and cook on manual for 1 minute allowing the pressure to release naturally.
- Once the pressure is released, put the pressure cooker on saute mode. Cook the peaches down to thicken to a jam-like consistency.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and add in the vanilla extract. Let it cool and store in jars in the refrigerator.
I will admit that my first pass took a little longer than I expected. But that may be due to the fact that I was afraid to open it and spent several minutes googling “how to open the Instant Pot” for fear of injury.
Notice that I did not remove the skins. I like the extra body and rosy color they give the jam. And they literally melt right in. Plus that speeds up the prep process and adds a little extra fiber to the mix!
See how the skins just melt right in? It’s really like magic!
If you’re wondering about the definition of jams and jelly versus preserves, because I was too, check out this piece from Cooking Light.
Don’t know about the Instant Pot yet? Bless your heart for getting this far in the post! But it’s basically a multicooker with (verified) claims to cook rice, make yogurt, saute, slow cook and pressure cook among other tasks.
Since this post has been live, I’ve received a few questions so I wanted to take a few beats to answer those.
Can I use frozen peaches for jam?
Yes. You can use frozen peaches for this jam. Because frozen fruit contains more water, you may need to increase the saute time by 3-5 minutes.
Is this jam shelf stable?
No. This peach jam must be refrigerated or frozen for safety. I didn’t test this recipe to be shelf stable. It may or may not have the right amount of acid or sugar to keep it safe at room temperature.
How long does refrigerator jam last?
When stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, this jam will last about one week. You can freeze this jam for much longer. And I prefer that method.
Make a huge batch of jam and freeze into small individual jars. Thaw one jar in the fridge the night before you want to eat it. And yes. You can freeze jam in glass jars. Just make sure to leave some space at the top as the jam will expand as it freezes.
Ready to cook some jam? Grab the easy recipe below!
Be sure to tag me on Instagram @marisamoore when you make this recipe. And be sure to check out other healthy summer slow cooker recipes here.
How to Make Instant Pot Peach Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds fresh (very ripe) peaches (6.5 cups, pitted and chopped)
- ½ cup honey (more up to 1 cup, if desired)
- 1 lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add peaches (about 1-inch chunks), lemon juice, and honey to the Instant Pot. Set the valve to "sealing." Start the pressure cooker in manual mode for 1 minute at high pressure. Release pressure naturally. Carefully open the lid using an oven mitt or pot holder.
- Switch to sauté mode and set to “less.” Stirring occasionally, saute about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the jam has thickened.
- Turn off the IP. Stir in the vanilla extract. Now you can use an immersion blender for a smoother consistency or leave it chunky for a more rustic feel.
- Store the jam in jars (see size note below) and refrigerate for a week.
Kelli McGrane
I love this! You basically combined my two favorite flavors – vanilla and peach – into a spreadable goodness! I don’t have an instant pot, but this is giving me great inspiration to make a chia-jam version 😉
Marisa
Thanks, Kelli! It’s exactly that. I’m sure you can make it in the slow cooker or on the stove top too!
Kathryn
This is such a great idea! Love the fresh peaches idea 🙂
Marisa
thank you, Kathryn!
Sara
I LOVE peaches Marisa! And this looks incredible! I can’t wait to make some too!
Marisa
Can’t wait for you to try it, Sara! Do you get good peaches in Chicago?
Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian
Me and the hubby just got back from Italy where I re-fell in love with having toast and jam for breakfast. Can’t wait to make this with all the peaches that are currently growing on my neighbor’s tree!
Marisa
Oooh you’re so lucky to have peaches growing next door!!
Diane Boyd
Clearly I’m a laggard; don’t have an instant pot. But your post is sparking my curiosity. Lovely jam and photos.
Marisa
The IP does seem to be making strides. It’s nice to have so many functions in one appliance.
Janise
Thanks for this great post! I’m working on a batch now. Do you know if you can do more than one batch at a time? Thanks!
Janise
Can I double it? Just to clarify my comment. 😉
Marisa
Hi Janise. Thanks for stopping by! Yes. You can double this recipe but the boil down or sauté time will likely be longer.
Karen Christopherson
I had the same IP fears as you, Marisa. I too bought my IP on Amazon’s Black Friday last year. The last thing I made in it didn’t turn out well at all and made me “pot shy”. I have peaches, strawberries and cherries to make into jam today and was having a hard time
getting motivated. But I want to make sure I understood what you meant by “not having a long shelf life”. Does that mean even if I use my usual canning method it will not last on the shelf? Just wondering since I have more shelf space than freezer space.
Marisa
Hi Karen. Great question! This makes a quick freezer or refrigerator jam as written. Though I added lemon juice, I wouldn’t use this recipe for canning a shelf stable jam. The Ball canning website has some great recipes though so maybe check there if you want to make a more traditional, shelf stable jam.
Sophia
Not sure what I have done wrong but the skins definitely did not melt right in, in fact the peaches didn’t really break down at all. I am trying another quick pressure cook round, but we shall see.
Marisa
Hi Sophia, I’m sorry to hear that. Are your peaches ripe? If they are hard I can imagine they’d take much longer, and the flavor won’t be the same. After my manual cook time, I found that the peaches were mostly broken down and very juicy. If the peaches were ripe, maybe your machine needs a little more time to cook? Also, make sure the vent is closed.
Dawn
Sophia, are you sure that your Instant Pot came to pressure? Because if they didn’t break down at all, that’s what it sounds like may have happened. It may have not had enough liquid to do so.
Karman | The Nutrition Adventure
Love that you kept the peach skins on! More color, more fiber, less effort!
Jodi
Can you substitute something for the honey? Could you use pure maple syrup?
Marisa
Definitely. That would be really delicious. Maple syrup is a bit thinner so you might need to cook it down a bit longer to get the right consistency.
Cristina
How much maple syrup or sugar can we use instead of honey?
Marisa
Hi Cristina,
You can sub equal parts maple syrup. I haven’t tried it with regular sugar but I’d guess you can use the 1/2 cup but you will likely need to reduce the open cooking time since the mixture will have less liquid.
Marivonne
Is there a sugar free version? Or can you recommend how using a sugar substitute would affect this recipe?
Marisa
Hi Marivonne! I have not tested this recipe with a sugar substitute so I cannot say how much to use not how it would work. If I had to guess, I’d say it would likely work but you might need to reduce the sauté/reduction time a bit since there will be less liquid.
Kat
Can you substitute any fruit for the the peaches…… we love peaches but other fruits, as well.
Marisa
I haven’t tried it with other fruits but I bet you could swap in fresh ripe plums or figs with similar results. Apples and pears may need adjustments. Let me know if you try something else. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Kat
Thanks for the reply! I’m working on this today. Decided on peach/mango/jalepeno jam! I’ll let you know! 🙂
Kat
Marisa
Oooh. The jalapeno sounds like a nice add. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Robbie
How did it turn out? And how many jalapeños did you add? I’m doing the peach one now. It’s taking a while to sauté out the water. How long did it take you?
Karen
It took me about 20-25 min to absorb liquid. The peaches didn’t break down so much on mine so I put in a blender-don’t have immersion stick
Martha
This is so delicious and so easy! I had no idea you could make jam so delicious without any refined sugar. Now I need to scour your site to see what other magical recipes you have. Thank you Marisa!!
Marisa
Thanks! So happy to hear you like it!
Irene
Hi, can you explain why this recipe is not shelf-stable? I can’t water-bath-can it?
Marisa
Hi Irene, I totally understand wanting to capture all of those great peaches before the season ends. However, I’m not a canning expert and didn’t test the recipe for traditional canning and storage. So, I don’t know if that will work and cannot recommend it. I wanted this to be an easy option for a flavorful freezer or refrigerator jam. I suggest finding a recipe that’s been tested and proven to be shelf stable.
Maggie
This is literally the first recipe I have made with my new instant pot! I tested it last night but I had some organic peaches that I wasn’t going to be able to finish in time before they were overripe. I didn’t have a many as the recipe called for so I supplemented with some strawberries. I was also a little low on honey so I added a little bit of granulated maple sugar. The results are amazing and will be so good mixed in with my oatmeal or yogurt! The house smells great too!
Marisa
Don’t you just love the Instant Pot?! And how versatile this recipe is! Your version sounds yummy!
Anne|Craving Something Healthy
OMG I have the same botulism fears and will only do refrigerator canning! Thinking I need an Instant Pot 🙂
Katie
Hi Marisa! I’m learning about canning. Can you tell me why this recipe isn’t shelf stable? Could I just do a hot water bath? I’m looking to make a shelf-stable peach jam.
Thanks so much!
Marisa
Hi Katie,
Good question. I took a canning class a few years ago. The teacher stressed the importance of using the right amount of lemon juice and always using recipes designed for canning to be safe. Since I created this one to be an easy freezer or refrigerator jam, I didn’t check the acidity. I’m far from a canning expert and didn’t test this peach recipe for traditional canning and storage. So, I don’t know if it will work.
Katie
Oh awesome! So it’s the lemon juice that makes it shelf stable!
Stef
I was curious about this, too, so I was reading the comments. I’ve now done more research and the canning websites state that yellow peaches can be canned without the use of acid, with or without syrup. Yay! Because I really want to can this jam!
The threshold is 4.6.
Peaches 3.30 – 4.05
Peaches, canned 3.70 – 4.20
Peaches, cooked with sugar 3.55 – 3.72
****Note that white peaches are less acidic so not necessarily safe.
Brit
I am onto making batch 2 and 3! We love it, thank you! However, I am finding that most of the liquid does not cook off. And while the peaches are super soft, I wouldn’t consider them entirely melted. I have doubled the sauté time and still so much liquid. When I immersion blend them I am simply left with a bit of a runnier jam, which I am mostly fine with. But curious as to why this is happening. Any insight?
Thanks
Marisa
Hi Brit. Thank you! I think because this recipe doesn’t use pectin, it’s prone to be a bit more runny. My first batch definitely had extra liquid. After sauteeing for a while, I poured the excess liquid into a bottle and used it as syrup for tea! Next batch, I didn’t have that problem but I didn’t adjust the ingredients either. I find that refrigerating it helps it set well.
Michele
I’m excited to try this, but had a question. Can you make it without any sweetener at all, or will that screw up the recipe? Thanks!
Marisa
Hi Michele, Since it’s a refrigerator jam, you definitely can make it without a sweetener. This recipe is really only lightly sweetened. The final result just depends on the sweetness of the peaches you find. Let me know how it goes!
Michele
I finally got a chance to try it and it was delicious. We didn’t use it as a jam, but rather an ice cream topping (and some of us just ate it straight as a dessert). I used about 1 T. of honey and it was perfect. Thanks for the great recipe!
Marisa
Wonderful! It’s perfect as an ice cream topper and stirred into oats too. Thanks for letting me know how it turned out. Really appreciate it!
Michele
Thanks! I still haven’t had a chance to try it, but I’m hoping to make it this week and then I’ll let you know.
Southern Belle
Can I do this with frozen peaches? I have several bags in the freezer that I need to use.
Marisa
Though I haven’t tried it, you probably can use frozen peaches. I would guess you’ll need to saute a little longer to get rid of the excess liquid likely to result from frozen fruit vs fresh.
Harpreet
Will fresh apricots work instead of the peaches?
Marisa
I haven’t tried this recipe with apricots so I don’t know. Apricots tend be a bit drier and I don’t think will release as much juice when cooked. Maybe keep an eye out and adjust the saute/cook time if you try it out. And please come back and let us know how it turns out!
Robbie
It turned out really good. Thanks for sharing.
Marisa
So happy hear it! THanks for letting me know, Robbie!
Wendy
Turned out great!
Marisa
Yeah! So happy to hear it! I’m about to make my last batch for the season!
APRIL L TENNEY
Just finished a double batch of your wonderful recipe! I was a little short handed on the honey so had enough for one cup then added 1/2 cup light corn syrup. Took awhile though to thicken but so worth it!
Marisa
Ahhh. Happy to hear that worked out! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. Enjoy the jam!
Dana
This jam is AMAZING! I have made about 8 batches and everyone I share it with raves about it. I live in Colorado and our Palisade peaches are extra delicious this year. I’m on my third 18 lb box…just can’t get enough. Besides toast, I put the jam on homemade yogurt, on top of crackers with goat cheese and mixed in with cottage cheese. Thank you for sharing!
Marisa
Lucky you to still be enjoying fresh peaches! I haven’t had Palisade ones before but sounds like I have to try them! Thanks for sharing your win. That goat cheese and peach combo is AMAZING! Enjoy!
Jean
Make cold start yogurt and needed something to go with it. It’s March in Canada , peaches not abundant right now! Lol So I made with a bag of frozen peaches. Used the same 1 min pressure and then natural release, but only saut d for 8-9 min. Worked out great! Can’t wait for it to cool to try it with the yogurt. Thanks for the recipe
Marisa
Peach season is still a few weeks away here too. Thanks for sharing that frozen peaches work well in this recipe. I have yet to try it that way but maybe I’ll give it a go if I can’t wait until Georgia peaches are ready. 🙂
Dyl Osborn
I love my Instant Pot! Our 3 peach trees are loaded this year, so I found your recipe yesterday. So easy. Two things:
1. I use Stevia whenever I can. I buy liquid form at Trader Joe’s. Used about 15-20 drops Just go by taste.
2. The IP.saute got hot too quickly, so I transferred to a skillet on stove for cooking down. I have a simmer burner on my gas stove.
Thanks! Dyl
Marisa
Thanks for sharing your stevia tips! I’m sure it will come in handy for some.
I love that this recipe can all be done in the IP. I haven’t experienced it in making this recipe a few times but if by chance the peaches are drier and therefore yield less liquid, I can see the sauté function causing the jam to cook too quickly.
Caz
Delicious made it with 3/4 c mesquite honey! Can’t wait to try next batch using jalapeno or ginger!
Marisa
Thanks for the note. And yum! Using mesquite honey is GENIUS!
Cherylie
Easiest, most delicious, and TOTALLY gift-worthy outcome!
Nancy Alexander
I love the idea of being able to make my own jam using frozen peaches, but I was wondering if granulated sugar can be substituted for the honey?
Marisa
Hi Nancy! Yes. You can definitely sub granulated sugar for the honey. It should dissolve easily – just monitor the time when you’re sauteeing as it may burn a tiny bit easier.
Christine Meyer
How long does is usually take for your Instant Pot to release naturally? Mine is taking awhile.
Marisa
For this one about 10 minutes but sometimes longer depending on the liquid/volume inside.
Robin
I just got my box of peaches and was anxious to start finding recipes. I came across yours and decided to give it a try. I didn’t have any lemon so I decided to substitute vinegar. I used a blend of sooner cider, pomegranate and white vinegars. Then I decided to slide it up a bit so I added cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and close. Deciding that the vanilla might not be the best choice in this particular blend of slices, I opted to substitute rum extract.
I can tell you that the outcome was delicious. Next time I’ll have lemon on hand and give your unadulterated recipe a try. I just wanted to say, don’t be afraid to try something new.
Robin
Oops, ” apple cider”, not “sooner cider”. “clove”, not close! “Spices” , not “slices”.
Terrible smart phone corrections!
Libby
So good, so easy, it’s foolproof. Can not wait to stir it into my oatmeal tomorrow morning…and save a jar in the freezer for the dead of winter when everything is gray! What a day brightener it will be!
Diane
Came out perfect! Thank you for this easy recipe. I had a bunch of over ripe peaches that i would have tossed.
Jen
This is delicious!!! Really easy recipe too. Thank you!
Jeannette
Can you water bath can this after cooking in the IP?
Marisa
Sorry but I haven’t tested it in a water bath for traditional canning.
Pam Drake
Peaches are my favorite fruit, and when my eye catches the word Peaches on a page of a magazine, or internet, I check it out! Cant wait to make this to use in your Date Night Bourbon Peach Glazed Salmon for Valentine’s dinner tonight! (I’m also tweaking that recipe using rum instead of bourbon. I do realize the flavor of the rum will make it taste different. I’m a curious cook who loves to experiment!) I’ll be using frozen, cubed peaches. I don’t have an instant pot, so doing it all “old school”! Will be back to let you know the results of the jam, and then I’ll head over to the other recipe and let you know how that turned out! HAPPY LUV DAY!! <3
Sue
Very easy and good. It’ s more like a peach butter than a jam, bit delicious. It will be great in cooked into morning oatmeal as well as on toast or a roll.
Cindy
Love this recipe. Perfect first try.
Natalie
I made this last night for the forst time. I love the fact that you taste the peach first and than Arne vanilla is second. I see that it is a freezer jam but once you let it defrost are you able to put it back in the freezer given that it’s only good for a week in the refrigerator?
Marisa
Hi Natalie,
Generally speaking it’s not good to freeze and refreeze both for quality and sometimes safety (depending on storage conditions). If you don’t think you’ll be able to eat it all in a short time, maybe try freezing in smaller portions.
Sue
I made this using 1/4 C peach bourbon and a cinnamon stick along with the honey, vanilla, and lemon juice. It needed to sauté a bit longer because of the added liquid (see directions for using frozen peaches.) I also sautéed on normal for about 5 min before switching to low because my peaches were so juicy. It was delicious!
Note: I think this would be ok to process for shelf stable jam as long as you use yellow peaches (white ones are low acid) and add at least 1/4 c of lemon juice to up the acid content and to keep peaches from turning dark. Process the jam in a boiling water bath for 10 min. After looking at other recipes using honey, I think the 1/2 c. called for in the recipe would be enough sugar content too, but I don’t have scientific, chemical proof of that. If you have concerns, just freeze the jars or process them in a pressure canner. I have limited freezer space, so I’m going to process mine in a pressure canner (please note, a pressure canner is different than an instant pot! Don’t try to pressure can in an instant pot.)
Gloria C
Delicious and easy. I did double the recipe in my 8qt Instant Pot and used my immersion blender to make it texture of Peach Butter and not not overly sweet – yay!. Skins were all but invisible, as you has said. Thank you for sharing the recipe
Debbie F.
Thanks Marisa. Super easy and quick! I intend to use this as a filling for some fried pies like my Grandma made!