It’s popularity continues to grow. And for good reason. The Instant Pot is truly an amazing appliance that deserves every bit of space it takes up.

For instance, did you know you can make jam in the Instant Pot? Yup. And here’s a recipe from the wonderful site, Traditional Cooking School (www.traditionalcookingschool.com) that uses NO pectin and just 2 ingredients. That's how easy Instant Pot jam is!

2 pounds blueberries (fresh or frozen; other fruit may be substituted)

1 pound raw honey

1. Add blueberries to inner pot of pressure cooker. Pour in honey.

2. Put pressure cooker on low heat (Keep Warm function if using Instant Pot or other electric cooker) until honey melts. If using frozen berries, this part may take a while, but don't worry. It's worth it!

3. Stir occasionally.

4. When melted, turn pressure cooker to high heat (Saute function on Instant Pot) until honey boils. There will be white-pink bubbles all around the blueberries.

5. When it boils, quickly put on the lid of your cooker, checking that the seals and all components are in good shape, including being in the sealing position.

6. If using an electric cooker, hit the Cancel button, then set to high for 2 minutes.

7. If using a stovetop cooker, bring to high pressure and maintain pressure for a cook time of 2 minutes.

8. When cooking time is over, if using an electric cooker, hit the Cancel button to turn off the heat, and unplug.

9. With a stovetop cooker, remove from heat.

10. Let depressurize naturally.

11. When depressurized, remove lid and turn pressure cooker back on to high heat (Saute function on Instant Pot).

12. Let boil until some of the water has evaporated off, and the jam is nice and gelled when dripped off a spoon. Make sure to scrape the bottom frequently to ensure even gelling.

13. Pour jam into clean half-pint jars.

14. Store in the refrigerator.

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And here’s a killer idea. Use it to make cheesecake. Wardee Harmon, lead teacher at the Tradional Cooking School has a daughter that likes to cook. This clever young lady came up with a scrumptious recipe that actually works in any pressure cooker. You can adapt the crust and flavor to your liking… the sky's the limit! Rounds of applause for this ingenious recipe!

ORANGE AND DARK CHOCOLATE INSTANT POT CHEESECAKE

NUT CRUST:

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour or ground nuts

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (or a few pinches of stevia powder)

3 tablespoons melted grass-fed butter (any butter will work, but grass-fed is always healthiest)

FILLING:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar, whizzed fine in blender (or powdered stevia to taste)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 4 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons orange zest (optional)

1/4 teaspoon orange essential oil OR 2 teaspoons orange extract

TO MAKE CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine all ingredients.

3. Then press mixture into 7" springform pan

4. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Remove from oven; turn off oven.

TO MAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING:

1. Blend all ingredients together in blender until smooth.

2. Then taste and adjust sweetener.

3. Put 2 cups of water and trivet in pressure cooker.

4. Cover with a glass lid or plate to prevent evaporation.

5. If using an electric cooker (such as the Instant Pot), put it on sauté so it can begin pre-heating. If using a stovetop cooker, turn on the burner to medium to begin pre-heating.

6. Next, pour filling into 7" springform pan with crust (see above instructions).

7. Cover with a piece of parchment paper followed by a piece of aluminum foil.

8. Crimp down loosely.

9. Use sling to transfer (carefully) to pressure cooker.

10. Then cover the pot, checking the seal and components to make sure all is well.

11. If using an electric cooker, set to high for 25 minutes. If using a stovetop cooker, bring to low pressure and maintain for 35 minutes.

12. When cooking time is over, if using an electric cooker, hit the Cancel button to turn off the heat, and also unplug it. With a stovetop cooker, remove from heat.

13. Let pressure release naturally.

14. When pressure is released, transfer the cheesecake carefully out of pressure cooker and put on cooling rack.

15. Then remove the covers.

16. If any water is pooled in the center, siphon off with a spoon.

17. Use a butter knife to separate cheesecake from sides of pan.

18. Replace covers.

19. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly.

20. Then remove from springform pan as desired for presentation.

21. Finally, top with shavings of dark chocolate.

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Another wonderful Instant Pot use is as a bread proofer. Turns out, the yogurt function is the perfect warm environment for proofing yeast and bread dough. The warm environment cuts the rising time, and the constant motion removes the need to knead!

And who knew you could use it to pop corn? The Instant Pot is basically the microwave of the modern era—a magic appliance that seemingly makes everything easier. So it’s no wonder that it also has revolutionized popcorn. It’s helpful to have a glass lid (purchased separately) for this recipe, so you can tell when the kernels have popped.

Coconut oil works well (2 tablespoons), but you can also use vegetable oil, and seasoned salt (1/2 teaspoon) adds a nice flavor zing. Turn on the Instant Pot, push the saute button, and then the adjust button, which will set your Instant Pot to a higher saute setting.

Wait for 2 to 3 minutes until the pot heats up. Add the coconut oil, and when it melts add ½ cup popcorn. Add seasoned salt, and stir around to make sure the popcorn is coated with oil and salt. Put a lid on the pot, and once it’s popped 2/3rd's of the popcorn, turn off the Instant Pot.

A couple things about popping corn in an Instant Pot, though: First, this is a bit slower than what you’d have in a traditional popcorn popper. But it works and the end product tastes yummy. Second, don’t try to substitute butter for the coconut oil. Theoretically you’d think that would work, but butter’s smoking point is so low that the result isn’t good (ask me how I know this).

While using the Instant Pot does take some practice, it’s worth your while to experiment with it, using your own recipes (which is what some clever cooks did to come up with the above ideas). Just know that any pressure cooker needs some amount of liquid to build pressure. You need at least 1/2 cup to 1 cup of liquid for your Instant Pot to work. For dry foods, more is needed, but if you are using water-containing foods (vegetables, for instance), less is needed.

So why not give your favorite chicken or pot roast recipes a try? The roast will be fork tender and you’re chicken will shred in just 10 minutes; seafood will be done in 4 minutes. You can also make desserts, such as cakes and puddings, cheese, yogurt, broths, stocks and stubborn grains like quinoa, sorghum and steel cut oats in just minutes.

For all the above ideas and more, you do need a “pot in pot” (PIP) however. Basically, this is just another pot that goes into the inner pot. You need this for casseroles, cakes and if you want to cook multiple things at once. These are the ones most Instant Pot experimenters use the most:

1 quart casserole dish

7 inch springform pan

Steamer basket

If you have any Instant Pot experimenting success stories, we’d love to hear ‘em. This appliance isn’t just another fad—it’s here to stay. So let’s mess around with it more and share the good news!