I go to the grocery and see these options for multiple flavors – I just don’t understand the detailed differences among the 5 options. Are there additional options as well?!?!
Wikipedia to the rescue!!
"*JAM* is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with certain fruits or vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin. Most jams are cooked. Uncooked or minimally cooked (less than 5 minutes) jams, called "freezer jam" (because they are stored frozen) are popular in parts of North America for their very fresh taste.
In the United States and Canada, jams are invariably made from mashed or ground fresh fruits (or in the case of vegetable jams, from cooked vegetables), and are never filtered. In United Kingdom and most Commonwealth countries, there are filtered and unfiltered jams, with the former resembling what Americans and Canadians call jelly. In this case the word "jelly" is usually reserved for a sweetened gelatine dessert. (An exception is bramble jelly, a seedless blackberry jam).
True North American *JELLY*, however, is not filtered jam but is made by cooking transparent to translucent fruit or vegetable juice with sugar until it reaches the jelly stage (95-105° Celsius), after which pectin is added to help the jelly achieve a firm set.
North American cuisine also distinguishes preserves, butters, and conserves from jams. *PRESERVES* use whole fruits, or large pieces of fruit or vegetable. *BUTTERS* are made from certain orchard fruits, such as apples, pears, or apricots, lightly flavoured with such spices as cinnamon and/or cloves. A *CONSERVES* is a preserve made with two or three contrasting fruits, or with two fruits and a fruit or nut butter, or a mix of fruits and nut. A jam made with citrus fruit and peel is called a *MARMALADE*."
I think that covers just about all of them except spreadable fruit, which I think is an American invention to trap consumers into paying more!! It may have to do with "no added sugar", but I found this definition under "spreadable fruit" at Hormel:
"Often referred to as a preserve, this fruit spread can be used like a jam or a preserve to be spread on crackers, bread, toasted foods, or baked goods. It is made in a variety of fruit flavors, all having a very smooth texture that is slightly denser than jams and much heavier than jellies. Spreadable fruit can be used as a filling for cookies, bars, pastries, cobblers, and other similar foods. Typically, fruit fillings have a heavier bodied texture than spreadable fruit, but both may serve similar purposes."
Hope this answers your questions.
February 25th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Jam-fruit cooked down and set with gelatin
jelly-fruit cooked down and strained set with gelatin
Preserves- whole or cut fruit canned for use as fruit, no gelatin
marmalade- citrus fruit set with gelatin
spreadable fruit-stewed fruit less sugar usually and set in gelatin
References :
February 25th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
It’s the sugar content and artificial flavors and processing.
jelly > jam > preserves > marmalade > spreadable fruit
References :
February 25th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Wikipedia to the rescue!!
"*JAM* is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with certain fruits or vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin. Most jams are cooked. Uncooked or minimally cooked (less than 5 minutes) jams, called "freezer jam" (because they are stored frozen) are popular in parts of North America for their very fresh taste.
In the United States and Canada, jams are invariably made from mashed or ground fresh fruits (or in the case of vegetable jams, from cooked vegetables), and are never filtered. In United Kingdom and most Commonwealth countries, there are filtered and unfiltered jams, with the former resembling what Americans and Canadians call jelly. In this case the word "jelly" is usually reserved for a sweetened gelatine dessert. (An exception is bramble jelly, a seedless blackberry jam).
True North American *JELLY*, however, is not filtered jam but is made by cooking transparent to translucent fruit or vegetable juice with sugar until it reaches the jelly stage (95-105° Celsius), after which pectin is added to help the jelly achieve a firm set.
North American cuisine also distinguishes preserves, butters, and conserves from jams. *PRESERVES* use whole fruits, or large pieces of fruit or vegetable. *BUTTERS* are made from certain orchard fruits, such as apples, pears, or apricots, lightly flavoured with such spices as cinnamon and/or cloves. A *CONSERVES* is a preserve made with two or three contrasting fruits, or with two fruits and a fruit or nut butter, or a mix of fruits and nut. A jam made with citrus fruit and peel is called a *MARMALADE*."
I think that covers just about all of them except spreadable fruit, which I think is an American invention to trap consumers into paying more!! It may have to do with "no added sugar", but I found this definition under "spreadable fruit" at Hormel:
"Often referred to as a preserve, this fruit spread can be used like a jam or a preserve to be spread on crackers, bread, toasted foods, or baked goods. It is made in a variety of fruit flavors, all having a very smooth texture that is slightly denser than jams and much heavier than jellies. Spreadable fruit can be used as a filling for cookies, bars, pastries, cobblers, and other similar foods. Typically, fruit fillings have a heavier bodied texture than spreadable fruit, but both may serve similar purposes."
Hope this answers your questions.
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=35841