Fruit spreads naturally have much in common. But there are huge differences between jelly, jam, preserves and marmalade, making some more appropriate for certain recipes and occasions than others. While the average person may be incapable of discerning them from one another, each is a unique fruit spread offering different tastes, consistencies and nutritional benefits.
Jelly
In America, jelly is the most popular and widely known fruit spread. Its characteristically congealed consistency is the product of a reaction between sugar and pectin, an indigestible carbohydrate that is a good source of fiber. As jelly is made from boiling the liquid of strained crushed fruit, it would otherwise be too watery to be used as a condiment without pectin, which makes the spread more thick. Although jelly is almost always sold as a single flavor, the most common being grape, almost all types of jelly will come from a mixture of fruit juices.
Jam
Jam is the second most popular American fruit spread, the most popular flavor being strawberry. Unlike jelly, jam includes pieces of crushed fruit and pulp along with fruit juice, making the consistency thick without including pectin. However, jam is similar to jelly as both products add sugar to enhance the fruit’s natural taste. Conversely, because jam uses entire pieces of fruit rather than strained fruit juice, it has a higher content of vitamins and minerals than jelly. There are a number of different fruit spreads labeled which are technically jam. For example, conserves are technically just a jam composed of various sorts of fruit, sometimes with nuts added.
Preserves
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not differentiate between preservatives and jam, as preservatives are frequently composed of jam and larger pieces of fruit. However, preserves can also use syrup instead of jam as a base, which would then make them more similar jelly. Some of the most popular kinds of preserves include berries, such as raspberry and blackberry.
Marmalade
While jelly, jam and preserves may have a similar taste, marmalade is characterized by bitter citrus, the most common flavor being orange. This is because marmalade is the only fruit spread of the four to include fruit rind, in addition to large pieces of fruit. Even though preservatives are thought to be more like jam, marmalade can be called either a citrus preservative or sweet jelly. Other common flavors of marmalade include lemon and combinations of ingredients in addition to orange, such as orange-ginger marmalade.
WORKS CITED
Amendt, Linda J. Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades & More. New York, NY: HP, 2001. Print.