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.
Judy
Can I can this jam? Normal water bath 10 minutes for 1/2 pt jars?
Marisa Moore
I haven’t tested canning this jam so can’t recommend it. This particular recipe is designed to be a refrigerator or freezer jam. It’s a small batch and goes quickly in my house!
SHERYL ERIKSEN
CAN ONE DOUBLE THIS RECIPE AND BE OKAY?
Marisa Moore
Yes. It doubles easily. Just make sure the peaches are fully ripe or even a bit overripe. Hard, unripe peaches are also drier and can reduce the liquid in 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!
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
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.)
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.
Cindy
Love this recipe. Perfect first try.
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.
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
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.
Jen
This is delicious!!! Really easy recipe too. Thank you!
Diane
Came out perfect! Thank you for this easy recipe. I had a bunch of over ripe peaches that i would have tossed.
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!
Robin
Oops, ” apple cider”, not “sooner cider”. “clove”, not close! “Spices” , not “slices”.
Terrible smart phone corrections!
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.