Jam or Jelly
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Jam or jelly, marmalade, and fruit butter and spreads: This is where you learn how to can the sweet stuff! Sweet spreads made with fruit are high acid foods and can be safely water bath canned or even better use a steam canner to process with much less water.
Jams Recipes
Jam Recipes
Apricot Jam
Sweet Cherry Jam
Orange-Rhubarb Jam
Spiced Peach Jam
Strawberry Jam
Low-Sugar Grape Jam
Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
Peach-Nectarine-Plum Jam
Jelly Recipes
Jelly Recipes
Chokecherry Jelly
Crabapple Jelly
Dandelion Jelly Recipe; Tastes like Honey?
Corn Cob Jelly Recipe
Fruit Butter Recipes
Fruit Butter
Fruit Butter
Apple Butter Recipe
How to make pear butter using a slow cooker.
Plum Butter
Apricot Butter
Peach Butter Recipe
Apple Butter Recipe in Quarts?
Other sweet Spreads
Orange Marmalade
Plum Sauce Recipe
Tutorials You Might Need or Want
Low Sugar Jam: The One Thing You Need to Know
A Jam and Jelly Maker? YES! Learn more about this time saving product.
Making Jam without Pectin, Canning homemade no-pectin added jam.
Pomona’s Pectin is a very low-sugar alternative for canning.
Water Bath Canning with Printable Checklist. How to Use Your Canner.
Steam Canner: Ever heard of steam canning? Learn how to use one here.
What is the Difference?
Jam vs Jelly vs Preserves vs Marmalade vs Fruit Butter…
It can be a bit confusing to preservers to figure out the differences between jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, fruit butter, and other sweet fruit spreads.
Jam
Jam is a classic favorite, loved for its vibrant flavor and texture. It’s made from crushed or pureed fruit, cooked with sugar and often pectin, a natural gelling agent. What sets jam apart is that it includes fruit pulp and is generally thicker than jelly, making it ideal for spreading on bread or using as a filling for pastries
Jelly
Jelly is made from fruit juice that’s been strained to remove solids, leaving behind a clear and smooth consistency. Jelly tends to be firm and easily spreadable, making it a popular choice for sandwiches and toast. Its transparency showcases the vibrant color of the fruit juice used. The clearer you can make it the better a jelly maker you are!
Preserves
In preserves, whole pieces of fruit are suspended in a thick, syrup mixture. This spread is perfect for those who love lots of chunky fruit.
Marmalade
Marmalade, uses citrus fruits like oranges and lemons or grapefruit. It includes both the juice, pulp, and the zest or peel of the fruit. Including the thinly sliced rind in the finished product results in a tangy and slightly bitter flavor profile.
Fruit Butter
Fruit butter is a slow-cooked blend of fruit, sugar, and spices, simmered until it reaches a smooth, buttery consistency. It doesn’t contain actual butter but gets its name from the creamy texture. Fruit butter is excellent when you want a spread with a richer, spiced flavor. Apple, Peach, Pear, Apricot butter are common varieties.
Chutney:
Chutneys are savory-sweet condiments made from a variety of fruits, vegetables, and spices. Often including raisins, they add a flavorful kick to dishes, especially with cheese or meat.
The differences between jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, fruit butter, and other sweet spreads depends on your personal taste and how you plan to use them. Whether you’re looking for a smooth and clear texture (like jelly), a lot fruit (as in preserves), or a tangy, citrusy kick (marmalade), there’s a sweet spread for every possible need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Small air pockets are normal. As long as it is not excessive, the bubbles are not moving (like fermenting), and you are sure you used the correct processing methods and time, there is no problem.
As soon as it cools and sets up it is ready to eat. Actually as soon as it cools even if it is not set up you can go ahead and use it. Occasionally it will take a week or so to set up.
If you have kept it in the fridge overnight, then yes, it is okay. Often I prepare something one day and reheat it and process it the next day. Be sure you reheat it before you jar it. You can’t jar it one day and then try to process the jars the next. Your jars won’t be hot when they go in the canner and you risk them breaking because of the temperature change
You can try to double jam recipes however you risk the jam not setting up properly. The best way around this is to have 2 batches going in different pots at the same time. They can then all be processed at the same time.
In my opinion yes, jam is easier to make than jelly. But others may disagree. I find it hard to get that clean clearness that ‘good’ jelly is supposed to have. Jams use the whole fruit and the texture can be as you like it. My preference is jam… but I’m sure don’t turn my nose up at jelly either!
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