What are the differences between a jam and a jelly?
A jelly is made from the fruit juice sweetened with sugar and pectin. A jam is made with small pieces of fruit and sweetened. We will dive deeper into what is the exact difference between a jam and a jelly with a fourth generation jam maker.
What are the differences between a jam, jelly, marmalade, and a fruit preserve?
There are many different types of preserves you can make and create. The possibilities are endless. it can be confusing trying to understand the differences.
You can however become a Jam Wizard with with some knowledge and experience.
Fruit Preserves are both the umbrella term of fruit spreads and a particular variety of them.
Jams, jelly, compote, fruit paste & marmalade are all types of fruit preserves.
But they are made from different ingredients and have different textures. Try experimenting making a fruit butter or compote. The chart below shows endless combinations and jam wizardry.
Confused? Don't worry, we will explain the differences in our blogs and videos with 4th Generation Jam Maker Karan Heffelfinger. Her jam alchemist skills run deep.
Who is the Jam Wizard Karan?
We are here today with the owner of Jam Wizard Karan @jamwizardjams
Karan has been making jams for a very long time, since you were eight years old.
She is a 4th generation jam alchemist.
Karan shares, "I've made jams and jellies dating back a very long time. My great-great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother and now me". In addition, my son and his wife create jams for the business. Just recently, I started teaching my grand daughter at just 8 years old how to make jams and jellies.
Jam Wizard is built with the talents of 6 generations of jam makers!
Karan has seen a lot of changes in the jams and jelly business.
She has made jams all over the world in places like Panama creating exotic fruit jams with coconuts, dragonfruit, jackfruit, and durian. That's bananas! Karan has made jams in the coal regions of Pennsylvania in the classic jam style, studying under many different immigrant jam makers. Karan has also made jams in West Texas which is the watermelon and cantaloupe capital of the world. Today she is working her magic with the newest sugars like monk fruit sugar and allulose.
Her best jam is the watermelon and cantaloupe jams - which Jam Wizard has NOT released yet.
As Karan explains, I sold those jams in Coyanosa, Texas. The cantaloupe, pineapple jam and prickly pear jam were very popular flavors in this region of the world.
Let's get into the differences between jams and jellies on a deeper level.
If I were to look at a spoonful of jam next to a spoonful of jelly, could you tell us what are the visual and physical tells of the differences between the two?
The differences between a jam and a jelly is that jellies are made from small pieces of fruit that is sweetened. A jelly is made with the fruit juice
and sweetened with sugar or pectin.
What is a jelly?
Jelly is spreadable, clear, and translucent. What makes jelly so special is anytime is you can often see jelly just how clear the jelly is because of the lack of fruit chunks or pieces. If you shine a light behind a properly created jelly, the light will highlight it's inner beauty. We can see correctly to the bottom of the jar. In this example, "I Beelieve in You" Jelly is shown where you can see a near perfect example. Our Pony Expresso Coffee Jelly is another unique example where we have innovated using columbian coffee beans and lemon juice to create a jelly that creates an "eye popping" experience for our Jam Wizard fans.
What is a jam?
Jams are generally sweet spreads. In this example we are showing the Utah Rocky Mountain Jam. Jams are created by crushing and chopping fruits and nuts. In this example we chopped strawberries, cherries, and raspberries, but also creatively used crushed pecans. Uniquely, jams can be experimented with using rare sugars instead of white, refined sugar. For example, we make allulose jams which is a rare sugar. Allulose is created by extracting the sugar from figs and raisins. Jams can be innovative and deliver unique flavor profiles that have not been tasted before.
Most jams have added sugar and pectin. When when cooked, it forms a thick, spreadable gel like substance. This jam differs from jelly (which is made from juice) and preserves (made with whole fruit pieces) because it is made from crushed and mashed fruit and nuts to provide that chunkier, softer texture.
What exactly happens to the fruit during this process where you are trying to create these different jams and jellies?
The mixture is boiled to activate the pectin, which helps it thicken and gives it a soft texture that holds its shape, but is less firm than jelly. You are activating the natural pectin that's in the fruit. Then when you (begin to) add the commercial pectin, it starts the chemical reaction. You are creating a colloidal system.
What is pectin?
So we're talking the pectin factor when making jams and jellies. Pectin is this naturally occurring soluble fiber (it is a polysaccharide) that is found in the cell walls of fruits. In the world of jam making, pectin is the magic that acts as a crucial gelling agent. When combined with the right balance of sugar and acid, pectin creates a mesh-like structure that traps fruit juices as the mixture cools, giving jam its signature spreadable texture.
How does the jelly or jam set?
If cooked correctly, a jelly or jam will set through a complex chemical transformation. You will experience both a chemical and physical transformation that is magical as liquid becomes trapped, forming into a solid.
Setting refers to when a jam or jelly hardens slightly as it cools inside the jar. When a jam or jelly sets, you may find sometimes there is slight evaporation in a jar. In other words, even if you fill a jar completely to the top, you may discover later on after cooling occurs, there appears to be less product inside the jar. To some degree the setting is normal. The exact amount of setting and evaporation depends on the type of jelly you are making. When Jam Wizard makes our Pony Expresso Coffee Jelly, there is more setting time and evaporation as compared to our other jellies.
How does the gel differ between a jam and jelly?
The gel on the jelly should be soft. Jelly should be a little soft and spreadable. The jam will become a thicker product. Visually, the jelly will be clear, translucent while the jam remains chunky.
Is there a very difficult process to make jams or jelly?
The 3 factors of pectin, sugar, and acide must be in perfect balance for the jam or jelly to set. Making jams or jellies can be difficult depending on your skills and experience level. Making jelly (is a little bit) easier and not as difficult as jam making. The reason is) because you are starting with the fruit juice from whatever fruit you're going to have. Make sure the fruit your using when making a jelly is unsweetened.
What is the most difficult part of making a jelly that is crystal clear, translucent and transparent?
To make a crystal clear jelly, make sure you have the pure fruit juice. A lot of times with no sugar added so that it enhances clarity and translucency. For perfect jelly, try using slightly underripe fruit with high pectin. Do NOT double the recipe until you perfected the small batches.
Will the clarity or translucency change between flavors of jelly?
Generally speaking, your jelly should maintain a consistent clarity inside the same batch. However the clarity and translucency will change between the same batches if you are mixing fruits from different farmers or producers. There is alot of factors and magic at play here why your jellies make look different inside the same batch. Also the translucency and clarity will change depending on the quality and age of the pectin you are using. Jam Wizard highly recommends all jam and jelly makers build relationships with local farmers to get the freshest, highest quality fruits. Join your local Cottage Food Association. In Utah, Jam Wizard is a member of the "Utah's Own Program". We are able to access relationships with farmers to get the top choices of fruits during harvest season. Sometimes we buy ripe fruits while other times, we want under ripe fruits. It all depends on the flavors and textures we need.
How do I improve the taste of my jam or jelly?
The flavor of a jam versus jelly is based on the type of fruit that you're using. Is it ripe? Slightly underripe is recommended when making jelly. The combination of fruits together along with the type and quality of sugar and pectin will impact the taste. Try changing your source of fruits to create an improved taste. Not all pectin is the same either. Change the type and vendor of pectin that you are using to create a completely different taste.
What should a jelly taste like?
The taste of a properly created jelly should pop out at you. Jam Wizard Karan explains that when you taste a jelly, we always equate it to a fine wine that really you just taste it and you want more of it.
What jams and jelly does Jam Wizard discuss in this blog?
Jam Wizard featured Utah Rocky Mountain Jam. offers a regular sugar version and a low sugar keto friendly, diabetic friendly allulose version. Utah Rocky Mountain Jam makes a donation from every jar sold to the Utah Nature Conservancy 501(c)(3) Foundation.
I Beelieve in You Jelly. is a honey lemon jelly. The I Beelieve In You Jelly makes a donation from every jar sold to the Show Me a Sign 501(c)(3) Foundation.