Preserved Vs Jam Vs Jelly: What's the Difference? - Pureed (2023)

Shutterstock

ThroughNancy Mock/June 27, 2021 2:00 p.m. EST

What do you like to spread on your toast? Jam? Jelly? Preserved? If you tend to use these and other terms interchangeably when it comes to a small jar of pickled fruit, don't worry: you're not alone! After all, they're all made out of fruit, they're sweet and spreadable, and you can "stand" them in mason jars to get through the winter, right? Well, there are actually differences between all of these types of preserved fruit, and what sets them apart is worth exploring so you can find the jamChutneyor jam that will make your meal truly spectacular.

While all these spices start withFruit,The differences arise depending on which parts of the fruit and other ingredients go into the mix. CorrespondingEsser,Jelly is made from only fruit juices, which is why it is clear with no chunks or pieces. Jam is made from whole fruit that is mashed and boiled, so seeds or pieces of fruit may be included in the mix.fine cookingsays canned foods are also thick and undercooked, but contain larger chunks of fruit or even whole berries. All three can also contain little or a lotZucker,plus pectin, which makes the sauce firmer.

Here's a closer look at jams, jellies, and preserves, as well as some other fruit sauces you've been wondering about.

Shutterstock

Let's start with jelly. CorrespondingBritannica,Jelly is made using only fruit juices by compressing the pulp and straining out any solid pieces.Eat this, not that!shares that pectin turns the juice into jelly. Pectin is a fiber that is naturally found in fruit and can also be purchased to add. When cooked with fruitSaftand an acid like lemon juice, pectin thickens the mixture so it can form a firm jelly.The spruce eatspoints out that some fruits contain so much naturally occurring pectin that cooks may choose not to add more. These fruits include apples, grapes, currants and cranberries. (AsEsserpoints out that firm, wobbly canned cranberry sauce is a type of jelly!)

According to Eat This, Not That! sieving makes the jelly transparent and easy to spread after setting. Because jelly is made only from the juices of the fruit and with no pulp or pieces, it is considered to have less pure fruit flavor than jams or preserves. It's more commonly used as a spread condiment or as a side dish, and less commonly in recipes that call for a bold fruit flavor.

Wondering about the lamb side, mint jelly?Simply recipessays it can be made by infusing apple juice with mint or something similarMartha Stewarts, with just water, mint, lots of added pectin and green food coloring.

Shutterstock

With jam, you get more of the real fruit in the mix.Enjoy your fooddescribes jam as "chunky" and also with a texture different from jelly because it's fluffy enough to spoon out of a jar. The fruit can be cut into small pieces, pureed like raspberries and blackberries, or crushed to release their juice and pulp, like blueberries and elderberries. Next, the fruit is cooked with sugar into a thick, sweet mixture.The Pioneer Womanindicates that pectin can be added to jam. But while the goal with jelly is to set the fruit sauce, with jam, pectin only helps thicken the sauce.

Eat this, not that!says jams are an ideal choice if you like a thicker fruit spread, as they contain the pulp of the real fruit and even seeds in berry jams.stone wall kitchendescribes the texture of their pear and cinnamon jam as "rustic...like homemade".

jams,Like jellies, they can be preserved by canning, a process in which jam-filled jars are vacuum-sealed in a hot water bath.The kitchenshares that frozen jams are also a popular way to preserve jam. They're also less work because they don't need to be cooked. The fruit, sugar and pectin are stirred together and left at room temperature for hours to set. Then the jam is stored in the freezer until needed.

Shutterstock

Preserves are even closer to real fruit than jam. While jam is made from fruit that has been pureed or cut into tiny pieces,EsserCanned stocks have large chunks of fruit or even whole fruits like berries. Canned food can have a texture similar to jam or have a more runny base.fine cookingnotes that preserves can sometimes look like large chunks of fruit held together in a firmer, jelly-like base. Nonetheless, the chunkier texture, with large or whole chunks of fruit, is what separates preserves from jam.

This recipe fromFood.comfor Cherry Preserves requires whole, pitted cherries that are cooked with pectin and sugar before being placed in jars for canning. Chef Vivian Howard's recipe (shared withPBS) for canned figs and lemons is very specific that thefigshandled and cooked with care so that they retain their shape in the finished jam.

One of the most well-known brands of store-bought canned food isGood mother,used the charming red and white checkered lid. While some people use the terms marmalade and preserves interchangeably, Bonne Maman is pretty clear that their specialty is preserves made from large chunks of whole fruit.

Shutterstock

Although marmalade is a type of preserve because it contains significant pieces of fruit in the mix, it is unique because it is made from citrus fruits. CorrespondingThe spruce eats, jams have a long history and were originally made with quince. But the most popular and well-known type of jam is orange. Bitter oranges from Seville, Spain are popular citrus fruits for making jam as they are naturally acidic and this pairs well with the sugary cooking liquid.

master classsays that jam is made by boiling citrus fruits and their peels first in water to soften them and remove excess bitterness, and then in sugar to sweeten things.Seriously eatssays that the citrus zest not only gives the jam a strong flavor and texture, but it's also high in pectin to help thicken the jam. It can be stored in mason jars just like jelly and jam.

The Spruce Eats reports that jam is also made with sweet oranges, as well as other citrus fruits like lemon,kumquats,and grapefruit. Sometimes other flavors like rhubarb or ginger root are also added to create even more intriguing jam flavor profiles. They also note that while non-citrus jams are sometimes called jams for marketing reasons, true, traditional jams are made with citrus.

Shutterstock

Canned food seems to take a little bit of all of that and add even more!Seriously eatssays canned foods can be made with a variety of fruits, including citrus fruits, as well as dried fruits and chopped nuts. In thisSerious Eats Rezeptfor canned carrot cake, there are veggies too! Grated carrots are served with diced apple, pineapple,raisins,Walnuts and warming spices like cinnamon. The smaller size of canned fruits means they can be jam-like after cooking, but with dried fruits and chopped nuts, they have more texture than jam.The kitchensays the flavor and texture pairs well with cured meats and cheeses. So you might want to consider putting canned goods on cheese orSausage board.

But we have already wondered enough about the differences between jam, jellies, jam etcFood & Winethrew in that crease. They say because technically jams should only be made from one type of fruit, if you've picked a jam with more than one fruit (like mixed berries or blueberry cherries) then so be itactuallya jam – even if it doesn’t contain any nuts or dried fruit.

Is your head already spinning? Well, wait a minute: there's one more thing to share with you!

Shutterstock

Correspondingmaster class, Chutney is a condiment that's a bit like a relish and a bit like a jam. Native to India, it is unique among jams, jellies and preserves because it is spicy and very often savory. Like the others, chutney is prepared with fruit, but it can also be prepared with vegetables such as onions, peppers or garlic.Seriously eatssays that there is actually a huge range of chutneys including some with yoghurt, nuts, tomato, coconut,Tamarind,and mint. Chutneys are also typically made with vinegar, which works with the sugar as a preservative, the masterclass notes.

Major Grey's, a mango chutney made with raisins and chopped onions, is a type of bottled chutney that's easy to find in stores. (FoodReference.comsays that "Major Grey" is probably just a made-up character in the style of the British military who served in India.)

Chutneys vary greatly across India; According to Serious Eats, they're region-specific based on what's grown there. Fresh chutneys are more common in India and are made from fruits, vegetables and herbs ground together. The cooked chutneys, especially with fruit, were the favorites of the Brits living in India. They brought these chutneys back to England and quickly became very popular.

MasterClass suggests trying chutneys with grilled meats, creamy cheeses, and as an accompaniment to flavorful samosas.