Table of Contents
What is Jam?
Jam is food made from chopped pieces of fresh fruits and then cooked in a specific setting. Jam is one of the most eaten things for breakfast. Usually used with bread or rusks, jam comes in different flavors. Its form is in between solid and liquid, but it is mostly thick.
Historically, the making of jam can be traced back to the times in the Middle East and Europe when people used to preserve fruits for later usage. Without changing the form, fruit cannot resist the changes inflicted by the environment. People in the Middle East used to preserve dates like this.
Jam-making is a considerable process. Fresh fruits are first supplied to factories where they are chopped properly. These pieces of fruit are then cooked with sugar and pectin to soften them. After controlled heating and cooking, the jam is made and packed in glass jars and even plastic containers.
The specificity of jam is that it contains crushed fruits; therefore, there are pieces of fruit in every jam. As for the jam composition, it mostly contains fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron, and magnesium. The average amount of calories in each jam is 270-280.
What is Jelly?
Jelly is flavored food made by boiling gelatin (a food derived from collagen) at a given temperature. Gelatin is flavorless in its taste. However, different food colors and artificial flavors are added when the jelly is made to develop its delectable taste.
Historically, jelly emerged in the 18th century in a book by Hannah Glasse. It first came as a layer of a sweet trifle. Since then, jelly has been made and eaten around the world. It is a present of almost every eve, including Christmas, Easter, and Eid (in Muslim cultures).
Jelly is used around the world at almost every dining table, and it is eaten separately as well as an ingredient in many desserts like ice cream. Jelly comes in different colors and flavors, and jelly is mostly eaten by young children because of its sweet taste and soft form.
Jelly is made mostly by extracting fruit juices, followed by making them thick and dry at a given temperature. Jelly is not consumed as hunger-killing food because of its low calories. Even in its making, fruits are not directly added to the jelly mixture.
Difference Between Jam and Jelly
- Jam is made from crushed fruits.
- Jelly is made from the extracted juice of fruits.
- Jam contains pieces of fruit.
- Jelly does not contain fruit pieces.
- Jam is used as a breakfast food.
- Jelly is used for delight and garnishing.
- Jam contains more calories.
- Jelly has fewer calories in it.
- Jam is thick and sticky.
- Jelly is softer and less sticky.
Comparison Table Between Jam and Jelly
| Parameters of Comparison | Jam | Jelly |
| Purpose | Jam is made from fruits to be eaten with bread and rusks | Jelly is a garnishing and a dessert-like food |
| Composition | Fruits are directly crushed and boiled to make jam | Food colors and flavors are added to gelatin to make jelly |
| Calories | Jam contains a high amount of calories | Jelly has a nominal amount of calories and does not kill hunger |
| Common Consumers | Used by both adults and children for breakfast and lunch | Mostly eaten by children in standard form and by adults on occasions |
| Naturalness | Jam has more natural elements in it, like fruits | Jelly is made of gelatin, but it has fewer natural ingredients |