Jam vs. Jelly: What’s the Difference?
And what’s the difference between preserves and jam?
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By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.
You've probably enjoyed both jam and jelly and might use the terms interchangeably. But there are technical differences between these fruit spreads. Here’s what you need to know.
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Jam vs. Jelly
Jams and jellies are both soft, sweet spreads made from fruit, sugar and pectin. The main difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit whereas jelly is made with fruit juice. As a result, jam and jelly have different characteristics:
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Texture: jam has a semi-firm consistency, and the cooked-down fruit lends it a chunkier texture. Jelly has a firmer consistency than jam and is uniform in texture.
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Appearance: jelly is more translucent than jam.
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Uses: both jam and jelly are used as spreads; jam can also be used as a filling for pastries, pies and other baked goods and desserts.
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Ingredients: Jams are always made from fruit, but jellies can also be made from other ingredients such as vegetables, tea, wine, liqueurs, flowers and herbs.
Note that these terms are sometimes used interchangeably depending on the country or region.
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What Is Jam?
Jam is a thick, gelatinous mixture of chopped or mashed fruit, pectin (a thickening agent) and sugar that’s boiled until the fruit is soft, but still holds its shape, and obtains a semi-firm, spreadable consistency. Jams’ spreadable consistency make it a great topping for toast, biscuits, bread and scones. Jam can also be used as a filling for pies, cookies or pastries, or swirled into frozen desserts such as ice cream and yogurt bars. Making jam is an excellent way to preserve excess spring and summer fruit. For more info, check out our primer on How to Make Jam.
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What Is Jelly?
Jelly is made from cooking fruit juice, pectin and sugar until it sets into a firm consistency. Sometimes jelly is made from straining the solid parts out of crushed fruit and then heating the juice with sugar and pectin until it sets to a gelatinous consistency. Common types of fruit jellies include grape, apple and apricot. Jelly can also be made with other ingredients such as vegetable juice, tea, wine, liqueur flowers (such as lavender) or herbs (such as mint). Jelly is used as a topping for toast, biscuits, pancakes or muffins.
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Preserves vs. Jam
Both preserves and jams involve cooking fruit down with sugar until it’s soft and spreadable. The main difference between preserves and jam is that preserves are made with large pieces of fruit or whole fruit whereas jam is made with chopped or crushed fruit. As a result, preserves have a chunkier texture than jam and may even contain whole pieces of fruit suspended in the gelled mixture. Marmalade is a type of preserve that contains the rinds of citrus fruits.
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