Easy Homemade Plum Jam without Pectin (Instant Pot)

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Even if the idea of canning scares you, if you own an Instant Pot, there’s simply no reason you can’t make this delicious jam!

My easy homemade jam uses less sugar to highlight the natural sweetness of ripe plums, a fruit that is luckily high in natural pectin. Making this jam requires very little prep, and it may be canned, frozen, or even stored in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Ingredient notes

• Fresh plums — You’ll need four pounds of plums for this recipe. Ensure they are ripe — they should be soft to the touch but not squishy.
• Granulated sugar — A good jam has the perfect amount of sugar to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit. That being said, most jam recipes use equal amounts of sugar to fruit. In this recipe, I used less sugar and thought it was perfectly sweet enough. You may adjust to your taste.

• Lemon juice — Lemon juice reacts with the plum pectin and helps with gelatinization. There’s some discussion on whether fresh or bottled juice is best when canning low-acid foods. Bottled lemon juice has a more controlled acidity, which is better for canning. However, if you are freezing the jam, fresh lemon juice is perfectly fine.
• Ground cinnamon — Provides the perfect amount of subtle warmth that melds perfectly with the sweet flavor of plums.

Choosing the perfect plums for jam

I think black and red plums make the best jam, but you may use whatever variety of plums you prefer. In our area, black ruby plums and blood plums are popular.

The most important thing when choosing plums for jam is ensuring they are ripe enough. The plum will not be as sweet or tasty if it is still firm. On the flip side, you don’t want plums that are so soft they have begun to rot.

How to ripen plums

The perfect plum will have softer skin and will give slightly when touched. If your plums are still pretty firm, you may speed up ripening by placing them in a clean paper bag with a banana and fold over the top.

Leave the bag on the counter at room temperature. But don’t place it in direct sunlight, as it may cause the plums to over ripen.

How to make homemade jam with fresh plums

Gorgeous red plums create a beautiful and tasty small-batch jam in the instant pot — without adding any additional pectin!

STEP 1 | Prepare the plums

Like peaches and apricots, plums are a stone fruit with a hard pit inside that holds the seed. You’ll want to remove the pits, but their skins are soft enough that there is no need to peel the plums.

Rinse and dry the plums, then use a sharp paring knife to slice and chop them into smaller pieces.

STEP 2 | Add sugar and mix

Place the sliced plums, along with the sugar, lemon juice, zest, and cinnamon into the Instant Pot and stir gently to combine.

STEP 3 | Saute to release the juices

Set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE mode and cook the plums for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and some juices have been released. Then, press CANCEL to stop the cooking.

You should have about a cup of liquid in the pot from the juices, so if it looks more dry, add a little water before going to the next step.

STEP 4 | Cook the plums

Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 1 minute (it will take about 10 minutes for it to come to pressure and actually start cooking).

When done, leave the pot alone for 10 minutes — this is called a natural pressure release — then press down the valve to release the remaining pressure.

STEP 5 | Blend the fruit

The plums should be perfectly cooked and softened when you remove the lid. Blend the flesh and skins with an immersion blender or potato masher for a smoother jam.

STEP 6 | Boil and thicken

Leave the lid off, and again set the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function.

Bring the jam to a full rolling boil, then continue to cook and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon for an additional 10 to 12 minutes.

STEP 7 | Cold plate test

Perform a cold plate test by taking some hot jam on a metal spoon and pouring it onto a cold plate.

If the jam retains its shape, it’s ready to go! If not, cook for another 5 minutes and try again.

STEP 8 | Ladle into jars

Allow the finished jam to cool for a few minutes, then spoon into sterilized jam jars (I recommend half-pint jars for jam) or freezer jars. Wipe the rims of jars to remove any jam drips and top with the sterilized lids and rings.

Proceed with water-bath canning or let the jam cool completely before storing it in the freezer or refrigerator.

Your jam will last up to a year in the freezer and for up to 6 months when stored in the refrigerator.

Preserving jam with water-bath canning

The benefit of water-bath canning is two-fold. First, boiling water helps prevent the growth of bacteria so food is safe to eat and acts as a vacuum to ensure the lids seal properly.

Below is my concise list of very basic canning equipment and steps. You can get more detail in this Basics of Canning Guide.

Essential canning supplies

• Boiling water bath canner with a rack
• Sterile glass preserving jars, plus new lids and bands
• Jar lifter

Simple steps for water bath canning

1. Fill a water bath canner halfway with water, and heat to a slow simmer.
2. Preheat jam jars in hot water (180°F), and keep lids and bands at room temperature.
3. Fill the jam jars one at a time, leaving one-half inch of headspace.
4. Wipe the jar rim clean, place the lid, and tighten the band with your fingertips.

5. Place the jars in the canning rack, ensuring water covers them by 1 to 2 inches.
6. Cover the canner with a lid and bring the water to a rolling boil. Process or boil for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the jars, set them upright on a towel, and leave undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then, check the seals.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

Pair your finished jam with a batch of Blueberry Waffles or Orange French Toast for a delicious breakfast treat that’s bursting with the distinct flavor of these classic stone fruits.

Pair this jam with a wide variety of other foods for a pop of sweet and tangy fruity flavor!

• Spread your plum jam recipe over toast, English muffins, bagels, scones, and more for a delicious addition to any breakfast.
• Use as a topping for an ice cream sundae to add a fruity twist.
• Drizzle plum jam over a slice of cake. You can also combine plum jam with buttercream frosting to make a gorgeous plum frosting.
• Press homemade jam between two cookies to make a homemade sandwich cookie!