Jam Vs. Jelly: Spreading The Word About The Differences

If you walk down the aisle of the supermarket past the peanut butter, you’ll find fruity jars of jelly, jam, marmalade, and preserves. Are all of these different names necessary? Do all of those jars have the same stuff in them, or is there actually a difference?

In this article, we will help you out of jam by explaining the difference between jelly, jam, marmalade, and preserves. 

jam vs. jelly

Jelly is a type of food made by cooking fruit juice with sugar until it resembles a soft, elastic spread. Jelly is typically sold in jars and is usually eaten by being spread on bread or toast. 

Jam is a type of food made by cooking mashed, crushed, or chopped fruit with sugar until it resembles a loose spread. Jam is typically sold in jars and is usually eaten by being spread on bread or toast. 

Jelly and jam are very similar foods. They have almost identical ingredients, and both usually contain pectin or a similar substance that gives them their gel-like consistency. Many of the same fruits are used to make jellies and jams, such as grapes, strawberries, and blackberries. The main difference between the two is the form of fruit. Jelly is made using fruit juice, while jam is made using whole fruits that have been smashed or crushed. Because of this, jam can have seeds or pieces of fruit in it, while jelly has the fruit parts strained out of it.   

Because they refer to very similar foods, the terms jam and jelly are often used interchangeably in casual use to refer to fruit-based spreads. That being said, the word jelly is often used to refer to popular foods that specifically contain jelly, such as jelly doughnuts or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

jam vs. jelly vs. preserves 

Preserves are similar to jellies and jams but contain an even higher amount of fruit. Preserves are typically made using whole fruits or very large chunks of fruit. The word preserves is sometimes used as a general term to refer to any preserved fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are stored in jars. When used in this way, preserves is sometimes considered to be the general category of food that both jam and jelly would fall into. 

marmalade vs. jam

Marmalade is another type of preserve similar to jam and jelly. Marmalade is made from chunks, rinds, and/or peels of citrus fruits. Marmalade is most commonly made using oranges, but other citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and grapefruits, are also common ingredients.