Jams &  Spreads

So what's the difference between jam, jelly, marmalade, conserve and fruit spreads?  Not a lot really!  It depends on where you come from in some cases.  For Aussies, we seem to follow our UK cousins.

Jelly in the US is jam to us.  Our jelly is prepared differently.  The fruit is boiled then the pulp is strained through a very fine mesh and the resulting juice is sweetened and boiled further until a jelly forms.

Marmalades are usually made with citrus fruit and typically have a tart or sour flavour.

Conserves are usually made with whole soft fruits and are chunky in texture.

Fruit Spreads have become popular for their lower sugar levels and may have artificial sweeteners.  If made at home, their keeping qualities are not as good as jams which have lots of sugar to improve the length of time they will store in the pantry.

Jams are made with fruit pulp and juice.  The texture is less chunky than conserves - more homogenous and they are very sweet.

Refer to Jams 101 for tips about making jams and marmalades.