2-Ingredient Plum Jam in Instant Pot or Stove

This 2-ingredient Plum Jam recipe is like capturing the fresh flavors of summer in a jar!  Whether you make it in your Instant Pot or stove, fresh plums and sugar is all you need to make this pot of deliciousness.  No pectin required!

Easiest Jam Recipe Ever!

In this simple 2-ingredient recipe, I start with ripe and juicy plums, washed and chopped around the pit with peels intact. I don’t bother peeling the plums as the peel literally melts away as the jam cooks. )

I toss the plums with sugar and pressure to get a head start. The sugar helps the plums release their juices and natural sweetness, which is why it is important to start with ripe plums, as they are sweeter.

I cook the jam down till it reaches a thick, spreadable jam-like consistency and then leave it to cool. After it cools, I pour it in mason jars.

I refrigerate one jar for immediate use and freeze the rest of them. That simple!  This flavorful, sweet and slightly tart homemade jam is one of my favorite things about summer!

No Pectin Jam Recipe

Since plums are naturally very high in pectin, there is no need to add any additional pectin. The jam thickens beautifully as it cooks down and even more as it cools. The best part is that you can customize the consistency and thickness to your liking!

My Plum Tree

There is a big plum-tree in my backyard that bears hundreds of plums every year, way more than we can consume and give away to friends. So every summer, during those 3-4 weeks in June, we get super creative with plums 🙂

Some of our favorite plum recipes are to incorporate them to salads, to marinades, pancake batter (try that sometime), and even grill and serve them with vanilla ice cream.

This summer, to preserve their delicious flavors and enjoy it year round,  my kids and I made some plum jam. We made so much jam, that even after giving away a few jars, which our friends loved, we definitely have enough homemade jam to last the whole year. 🙂

How to Make Plum Jelly with this Recipe

If you want to make plum jelly instead, after pressure cooking, saute until you reach a jelly-like pourable consistency.   Strain the mix through a strainer or straining cloth.   Some plum jelly recipes add pectin to make jelly’s thicken.

Variety of Uses for Plum Jam

This jam is so good, that I could just eat it by the spoon 😉  Here are a few ways my family enjoys plum jam.

• It makes for a great breakfast spread on an English Muffin.
• Smear it with cream cheese on a slice of multi-grain bread for a yummy and filling snack.
• I also like to serve it on my cheese platter, paired with creamy brie, some goat cheese with crackers.
• Additionally, we mix it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoning, and it makes for a great marinade for pork or chicken.
• Finally, one of our family’s favorite uses is to jazz up a simple vinaigrette with a dollop of plum jam.

Cooking Time Variation

You can make this plum jam recipe on the stove-top, or in the pressure cooker. 

Both methods take about the same time. The cooking time also depends on how juicy and sweet the plums are, and, how big a batch you’re making.

In general, using a pot with a larger surface area will be quicker than using a sauce pan.

Stove-top Recipe for Plum Jam

1. Wash and dry the plums.  Pit them and cut them around the seed.  Toss the fresh plums with sugar in a stockpot or pasta pot.
2. Add the plum and sugar mixture to the pot.  Start on a medium-high heat and when the fruit comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring every 5 minutes or so.
3. You can mash the fruit to your liking using a potato masher.  The jam is done when it has reduced down to a jam-like consistency.
4. For 10 cups of fruit, it takes me about 45-55 minutes, depending on how ripe the fruit is.

Instant Pot Recipe versus Stove-Top for Plum Jam

Ever since I got my Instant Pot, I prefer to cook jams and chutneys in that instead of the stove.

Pressure cooking the fruit and sugar gives me a head start on the cooking process.  I wait for the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes (NPR 10), after which I release the remaining pressure manually.

So, it takes around 10 minutes to come up to pressure, cooks for 1 minute, then 10 minutes of NPR.  But, for these 21 minutes, I don’t have to babysit the pot. That’s hand-off time for me.

After that, it takes about 20-30 minutes to reduce on SAUTE mode.  So, cooking Plum Jam in the Instant Pot takes about 45 minutes for 10 cups of fruit.

That’s about the time it takes me to make it on the stove-top too, but the BIG difference is,  that I don’t have to stand by the stove stirring, for those 45 minutes.

So, I would say pressure cooking the jam in the Instant Pot has a clear advantage for me.

How to Make Plum Jam in an Instant Pot

Making this jam is a very easy and straightforward process and can be done in any programmable pressure cooker like Instant Pot, or Mealthy Multipot. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Wash and dry the plums.  Pit them and cut them around the seed.  Toss the chopped plums with sugar in the cooking pot of the Instant Pot.

Step 2: Turn on SAUTE and let is sit for 2-3 minutes stirring once in between. This time is enough for the plums to start releasing juices. Within minutes, you’ll have enough liquid in the pot. Cancel Saute.

Step 3: Close the lid and set the vent to sealing position. Pressure cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 1 minute.

Step 4: Wait for the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (NPR 10). After that carefully, turn the knob half-way to venting position, to allow a slow release of pressure. prevents the liquid from squirting out from the pressure knob. Once the pin drops, open the lid.

Step 5: Turn on SAUTE and let the jam reduce down to a thick spreadable consistency.  Stir every 5-7 minutes.  The jam will continue to thicken once it cools down. Depending on the quantity and the juiciness of the plums, this can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes.

Step 6: Let the jam cool down completely before adding to the jars. If preserving for longer, use the canning procedures by your preferred brand. Else, store the jam in the refrigerator. I pop a few jars in the freezer and take them out as needed.

Customize the Consistency – Smooth or Chunky

My family likes chunky jams and preserves. This recipe gives you a chunkier jam.  If you prefer a smooth consistency. Reduce it, and pass it through a Food Mill or a large Food Strainer. The result will be a smooth, syrupy yumminess, which will thicken as it cools down.

Pro-Tips for this Recipe

• Start with super-ripe plums as they are more juicy and sweet. This gives you a sweeter jam without adding a ton of sugar.
• Use your largest and widest pot to make this jam. That’s because the larger the surface area, the shorter your cook time will be.
• Towards the end, the fruit splashes as it boils, I’m sure you don’t want it all over your cooktop, so, using a splatter screen comes in handy with a recipe like this.
• Use a tall wooden spoon or a silicone spatula with a long handle as that protects your hands from the splashes when you are stirring.
• Plums are naturally high in pectin, so this recipe does not need any extra pectin.
• This recipe gives you a chunkier jam.  If you prefer a smooth consistency, reduce the plum-sugar mixture, and pass it through a Food Mill or a large Food Strainer.

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