Difference Between Jam and Jelly
The main difference is texture and fruit content. Jelly is made from fruit juice and is smooth and firm. Jam is made from crushed fruit and has a chunkier, spreadable texture with fruit pieces. Preserves contain whole or large fruit pieces in syrup. All are fruit spreads but vary in how the fruit is processed.
Key Takeaways
- Jelly uses only fruit juice extracted from cooked fruit, combined with sugar and pectin.
- Fruit butters (like apple butter) are cooked longer until smooth and spreadable, with no added pectin.
- Compote is similar but typically less sweet and served as a sauce rather than spread.
Explanation
Jelly uses only fruit juice extracted from cooked fruit, combined with sugar and pectin. The result is clear, smooth, and holds its shape. Because it contains no fruit pieces, jelly has the most uniform texture and spreads evenly without chunks.
Jam uses crushed or pureed fruit, giving it a thicker, more textured consistency with small fruit pieces throughout. It is less firm than jelly and has a fruitier, more robust flavor. Jam is often considered the most versatile of the three.
Preserves use whole fruits or large fruit chunks suspended in a soft jelly or syrup. They have the most pronounced fruit character and texture. Marmalade is a type of preserve made specifically from citrus fruits, including the peel.
Things to Know
- Fruit butters (like apple butter) are cooked longer until smooth and spreadable, with no added pectin.
- Compote is similar but typically less sweet and served as a sauce rather than spread.
- Low-sugar or no-sugar versions use different pectin types and may have slightly different textures.