Spot the Difference: Jam, Jelly, Compote, Fruit Paste and Marmalade (2024)

Posted by Quincey Jones Jelly Preserves on 30th Apr 2023

Jam, jelly, compote, fruit paste, and marmalade are all types of fruit preserves, but they are made from different ingredients and have different textures and flavours.

  • Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit and sugar, and has a chunky texture.
  • Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar, and has a smooth, translucent texture.
  • Compote is made from whole or large pieces of fruit that are cooked in a syrup made from sugar and water. It has a thicker texture than jelly.
  • Fruit paste is a thick spreadable mixture of fruits and sweeteners that is usually made by cooking the fruit down to a thick consistency, it may be smooth or chunky.
  • Marmalade is made from citrus fruits, such as oranges or lemons, and has a chunky texture with visible pieces of fruit.

All of these preserves are used to enhance the flavour of various food items and also used as a spread on breads and crackers.

Quincey Jones Jelly Preserve started with just Quince Jelly and Quince paste but has expanded its range considerably. To see all our availableJams and Jellies click here. To see all our availableMarmalades click here.To see our range ofFruit Pastes click here.

Spot the Difference: Jam, Jelly, Compote, Fruit Paste and Marmalade (1)

Quincey Jones Jelly Preserves make small batch, 100% Natural low sugar jams and preserves.Home-cooked, small batch and low sugar jam is well regarded to be better than supermarket jam for a few reasons:

  1. Ingredient quality: Small batch jams are made with fresh, high-quality fruits, whereas nearly all supermarket jams may contain added preservatives, artificial flavours, or a higher proportion of sugar to fruit.
  2. Sugar content: Small batch jams (as is Quincey Jones Jams) are made with less sugar than supermarket jams, which makes them healthier and less sweet. This can also help to preserve the natural taste of the fruit.
  3. Customisation: Small batch jams can be made to unique tastes, which means you can add or reduce sugar, use different fruits, or add different spices, liquors or ingredients to create individuality and express taste creativity.
  4. No artificial preservatives: Our jams are made without the addition of any artificial preservatives. These can be harmful to health and can also change the taste of the final product. This is why Quincey Jones Preserves does not include them. We use natural lemon juice as a natural preserver.
  5. Freshness: Home-cooked jams like ours are made in small batches, which means they are often fresher than supermarket jams that have been sitting on store shelves for an extended period of time.

To see our whole range ofpreserves including Chutneys, Relishes and Pickles too see here.

Spot the Difference: Jam, Jelly, Compote, Fruit Paste and Marmalade (2024)

FAQs

Spot the Difference: Jam, Jelly, Compote, Fruit Paste and Marmalade? ›

Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit and sugar, and has a chunky texture. Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar, and has a smooth, translucent texture. Compote is made from whole or large pieces of fruit that are cooked in a syrup made from sugar and water. It has a thicker texture than jelly.

What is jam vs jelly vs marmalade vs compote? ›

While other fruit spreads are often sugar-forward, marmalade has a lovely balance thanks to the bitterness from the citrus peel. Whereas jams and jellies are cooked for relatively long periods of time, compotes are cooked quickly, usually without the addition of outside thickeners.

What is the difference between jam and marmalade and jelly? ›

Jelly: fruit juice + sugar. Jam: chopped or pureed fruit + sugar. Marmalade: whole citrus (either chopped or left intact) + sugar.

What is the difference between jam jelly and marmalade PDF? ›

Jam is prepared from the fruit pulp by boiling with sufficient quantity of sugar to a moderately thick consistency, while the jelly is prepared from clear fruit extract. Marmalade is a fruit jelly wherein the slices of the fruit or peel shreds are suspended.

Is marmalade a compote? ›

(Citrus rinds contain a ton of pectin, which is why marmalade oftentimes has a firmer texture more similar to jelly.) Compote, a cousin to preserves, is made with fresh or dried fruit, cooked low and slow in a sugar syrup so that the fruit pieces stay somewhat intact.

Why is marmalade not called jelly? ›

The high pectin content of the fruits used in jellies (for example, apple and quince) and marmalades (usually citrus) means that the larger amount of liquid will still gel to form the jelly. The difference between a marmalade and a jelly is that the pulp is strained out of a jelly, and left in a marmalade.

Is fruit jelly and jam the same? ›

Jelly: Jelly is made with strained fruit juice. There are no pieces of fruit in jelly. Jam: Jam is made with mashed fruit. Preserves: Preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit.

Which is healthier jam or jelly? ›

Jam and jelly have virtually the same nutritional value, fruity taste, and spreadable texture. Thus, you can use them interchangeably. That said, some studies have analyzed the nutritional profile of jams after 9 months in storage and observed no significant losses in their antioxidant content.

Is peanut butter and jelly a jelly jam? ›

It can be made with any type of juice, but the traditional PB&J uses concord grape jelly. It's a soft set that's spreadable with a knife or the back of a spoon. Different from jam, which contains fruit puree or preserves that have pieces of fruit.

Why do Americans call jam jelly? ›

What is the American English for jam? Well, the word jam is used in the US, though the more common term is jelly. In US English, the technical distinction is that jams contain both the juice and flesh of the fruit, whereas jellies don't contain any of the flesh.

Is strawberry spread the same as jelly? ›

If there is less sugar in a fruit spread, that means that it won't meet the FDA's definition of “jelly” or “jam.” That's why Smucker′s® Natural Fruit Spreads products have “fruit spread” in the name, because they don′t contain enough sugar by that standard.

Why is it called preserves? ›

Preserves. The word preserves is often used as an umbrella for all sorts of preserved fruit spreads. Sometimes, though, people use the term to refer to preserved whole fruit or fruit cut into large uniform sized pieces. The fruit can be stored in its own juices, syrup or even water.

What is the difference between jam jelly and fruit butter? ›

In a nutshell, fruit butters include whole fruits and are cooked much longer than jams and jellies.

What do Americans call compote? ›

compote in American English

1. fruit stewed or cooked in a syrup, usually served as a dessert. 2. Also: compotier.

Is compote the same as jelly? ›

Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar, and has a smooth, translucent texture. Compote is made from whole or large pieces of fruit that are cooked in a syrup made from sugar and water. It has a thicker texture than jelly.

What is 3 fruit marmalade? ›

Made from grapefruits, oranges and lemons in equal portions, with medium cut peel. Beautifully balanced like a smooth fruit salad. The Wilkin family have been farming at Tiptree, Essex, since 1757, and making quality preserves there since 1885.

What is chutney vs jam? ›

Both a jam and a chutney will contain sugar, although a jam would be much sweeter, with the chutney having a more acidic, tangy flavour from the addition of vinegar. To preserve a chutney a combination of vinegar and sugar are used, whilst in a jam it is the sugar alone which acts as the preserving agent.

Why is strawberry jam and not jelly? ›

Jams and jellies are both soft, sweet spreads made from fruit, sugar and pectin. The main difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit whereas jelly is made with fruit juice.

What is the difference between compote and coulis and jam? ›

Key Differences

Coulis can be made by pureeing fruits or vegetables, whereas compote is prepared by cooking down fruits until soft. Coulis is basically a fruit in pureed form, but compote has additional ingredients like spices and dried fruits, which lend a complex flavor.

Can compote be used as jam? ›

Uses for compote

You can think of compote like jam or jelly (but better). Serve it over: Ice cream. Yogurt or whipped cream.

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