Jam vs Jelly: Recently a joke about the difference between Jam and Jelly arose in social media platforms. The joke was so funny that at that moment I was left having various ideologies about the difference between the two. So what is the difference between Jam and Jelly? At first, this question may sound an easy one but not all people may know the difference between the two. Let us have background information about jam and jelly. Fruits are usually very important as they offer vitamins into our bodies. Humans have for long survived on fruits such that they have formed a profound companion of his or her diet. Fruits today are usually easier to preserve than before. However, during early times it was usually a tradition for people to preserve fruit extracts before winter. These extracts served as food reserves during the winter when there were no fruits readily available for consumption. Fruits were preserved in the form of jams, preserves, and even jellies. Jams and jellies are still used today as food and mostly applied to wheat related foods. Jelly is made from fruit juice by crushing the fruit. The liquid from the fruits is then collected, boiled and pectin and sugar added as well as the larger chunks removed. Pectin is an indigestible carbohydrate found from the walls of most fruits. Pectin is responsible for jelling on solidification. The sugar is added to sweeten the jelly or jam and sometimes acts as a preservative. These kinds of fruit products have for long been used as spreads on bread, sandwiches and other wheat products. Both the jam and the jelly are delicious and it`s very hard to choose between them. The differences between jam and jelly include:
So What is the Difference between Jam and Jelly?
1. The Jelly joke is smoother when compared to jam
Solid chunks from fruits are removed from the jelly but for jam, the fruit fibers and seed may still be present. This elimination of fruit chunks leads to the smoother and finer syrup found in jelly.
2. Jam is stiffer than jelly
Jam usually comes in the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruits which make jelly softer than jam. Jelly is thus more fluid than jam. Inverting a container having half of the jam and the other having half of jelly would prove this difference in ease of flow.
3. Easy to spread jelly than jam
A great difference is also noted in the ease when one is spreading Jam to when one is applying jam. Everyone loves spreading as much jam or jelly on bread. However, Jam does not spread more easily over bread than jelly. It is due to the fruit chunks that make the texture of jam rougher than that of the jelly.
4. Jam is made entirely from whole edible fruits but jelly is prepared from the juice from fruits which can be less concentrated
Jam is made wholly from fruits while jellies are as a result of fruit juices. Pectin is also made available in most jellies but absent in jam. The concentration of natural fruit extract in jam is higher than in jelly. Some manufacturers of jelly may even reduce the juice concentration by adding little water to realize increased profits. This is very rare for jam as it must be made from the entire fruit with nothing removed.
5. Jam has more nutrition value than jelly
Since all of the fruit extracts are contained in jam, jam houses most of the crucial nutritious elements. The fiber that is not removed in jam is also crucial when it comes to nutrition as it ensures a continuous flow of food down the alimentary canal. Jam can, therefore, serve well as an alternative for most nutrition enthusiasts compared to the jelly.
6. Another difference in the preparation of contents in jam and jelly respectively
During the preparation of jam, fruits are boiled but for jelly, the juice from the fruit is boiled together with pectin. Pectin gives jelly the gelatinous feel when it cools. Preservatives may also be added to increase its lifetime without going bad.
7. Less equipment required in jam preparation than for jelly
Preparation of jam is easier than of jelly as the later requires more sophisticated tools. Removing food chunks can require special equipment during preparation. However with the right tools making either of these is as easy as A, B, C, D. This difference during preparation must, therefore, be put into consideration for a significant difference between jam and jelly to be noticed.
