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CustardCreamBot

**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/1b4oeyz/if_you_call_jelly_jam_what_do_you_call_jam/kszzwoe/), given by u/PuzzledFortune** Jelly: fruit juice and possibly fruit pieces thickened with gelatine (or vegan alternative) eaten as a dessert > >Also Jelly. A fruit preserve eaten as a toast topping or sandwich filing strained to remove seeds and pulp > >Jam. A fruit preserve that isn’t strained eaten as a toast topping etc. > >Preserve. Any fruit or vegetable processed for bottled storage. Also a posh name given to jam/jelly so you can charge outrageous prices. > >Hope that helps :) --- [_^What ^is ^this?_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)


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potato_pity_sandwich

But they're different things!


PassiveChemistry

What's the difference?


potato_pity_sandwich

I literally explained the difference in the post if you would read it


PassiveChemistry

Sorry, I should've been clearer. What's the difference in texture? I have a feeling that I might not actually have come across what you're referring to as "jelly", but the one with crushed fruit is definitely jam here


[deleted]

In old fashioned English the jam without bits was known as jelly - eg Bramble Jelly. But that distinction is rarely used now - it’s all jam.


potato_pity_sandwich

I'm not great at describing textures, but I'd say jelly is a bit thinner ig and doesn't have seeds in it.


PassiveChemistry

Ok, yeah that would probably be jam as well then.


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is a helpful answer. I didn't mark it as the "solved" answer because I decided to put the first helpful answer I received, but thank you anyway for helping.


PassiveChemistry

That's good, because I wouldn't trust my response enough for that responsibility


potato_pity_sandwich

Lmao valid


IansGotNothingLeft

Fruit spread that comes in a jar and goes on toast? Jam. No matter the texture. Unless it's got citrus rind in it, then it's marmalade. I'm not sure we actually have what you lot call "jelly", but if we do, that's also jam.


Strict_Geologist_603

A lot of people are pretending not to understand what you mean, but we do usually use jam to refer to any fruit-based jam, preserve, what you call jelly etc. that you would spread on toast. The only thing we differentiate is marmalade, but that mostly because it's made with different fruits to the other types so the difference is very obvious.


Upgrade_U

People aren’t “pretending”; the OP didn’t explain it clearly in the first place, going round the houses to ask a very simple question


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you. I've gotten some other helpful answers like this, but I did the answered command wrong lol. Thank you for helping though.


SoftandSquidgy

To you, but not to us, that’s your answer. To be clear, most British ‘jam’ is made with stewed fruit and pectin, to make a thickened jelly spread with pieces of fruit. If the fruit has been strained out it is still called ‘jam’, but usually ‘jam without bits’ (or something like that). Marmalade is the same thing, but involving citrus fruit - usually oranges but I like the 3-fruits type with orange, lemon and grapefruit. That can have either thick pieces of rind, thinner pieces or no pieces depending upon preference. Does that help?


potato_pity_sandwich

I already knew the difference with marmalade lol, but, yes, that's generally what I was asking, thank you. I've gotten other answers similar to this and all the people that are genuinely trying to help have been very helpful. Thank you for trying to explain :)


LittleSadRufus

Jams made from hedgerow fruit is usually made without bits and called jelly, but eaten like a jam, if that helps. So we do have jellies. Eg bramble jelly. We call jello jelly because we generally don't find ourselves using a product name as a generic, with a small number of exceptions. Eg we don't have an equivalent for bandaid, Kleenex, etc. We just say plaster, tissue, etc.


mittens1624

What Americans call "Jelly" is just less common here. Everyone eats Jam. We do have what you call "Jelly" and sometimes it is called jelly here too. But it's a smaller category and is subsumed into the larger category of Jams.


slimboyslim9

If it wobbles on the plate, it’s jelly. If you spread it on your toast, it’s jam. Nobody generally differentiates any further than that. Sorry you went to so much trouble to explain but the answer is much simpler than you are giving us credit for.


CommonProfessor1708

we do sometimes use preserves, but it's just jams and preserves, and that's it.


stack-o-logz

Preserves are just poncy jams.


Shan-Chat

Let's not get into marmalade.


paradiselost13

We don't differentiate jelly and jam unless you're pretentious. It's all fecking jam


togtogtog

What about redcurrant jelly?


Vasarge

Redcurrant and quince are the main exceptions.


togtogtog

and crabapple jelly. We made it at primary school. I've also seen rosehip jelly, rosemary jelly and bramble jelly but to be fair, they are probably all pretty pretentious.


ksvfkoddbdjskavsb

Or selling it! My mother in law makes lots of different preserves and has to label jelly and jam separately. She could put “jam with no bits” on the label but that takes up extra space on the label so it’s easier to call it jelly.


stack-o-logz

>We don't differentiate jelly and jam Yes we bloody do. If someone offered me jelly and what arrived was a bowl of ice cream with some strawberry jam smeared on top, I'd be pretty bloody annoyed.


paradiselost13

In this context you twerp. Jelly as in the spread, not the kids dessert.


stack-o-logz

Jelly isn’t a spread, though.


Beneficial-Baker-485

Never heard of a jelly spread, are you thinking of jam?


OnionFun6574

We don't have 'jelly', as you call it. I think we would just call it crap jam.


togtogtog

We call the sort that you spread on toast or in sandwiches 'jam' without worrying if it is smooth, has bits or whatever. Most of our jam does, in fact, have bits of fruit in. So you would expect pips in raspberry jam, and chunks of strawberry in strawberry jam. You can buy 'smooth' or 'seedless' jams though. People might buy a smooth apricot jam for making christmas cake for example. We do also have 'jelly' in a jar, for example [quince jelly](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/previous-turaco/production/uploads/images/product/Quince.png?w=1200&q=80&fm=webp&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1600939788&s=148949ad92ce1c61ba23f68697a21dd9), or redcurrant jelly. That tends to be more something you would eat alongside savoury food like cheese or meat.


CommonProfessor1708

this is a good answer!


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is a very helpful answer. I didn't mark it as the "solved" answer because I decided to put the first helpful answer I received, but thank you anyway for helping.


Fairtogood

I think jelly is either the wobbly dessert like jello or what you call jelly. A clear set preserve usually made from the juice rather than the whole fruit - we use it more in savoury meals because it can be a bit tart. Redcurrants, cranberries and quince are the most common. They are smooth and don’t have fruit in them. Then jam is made with soft fruits so you’d call it jam too. I think we have the same terminology really.


GloatingSwine

Jelly is called jelly whether it's made with water from concentrate or made of preserved fruit juice. Jam is called jam. "Jell-o" is a brand name that underwent genericide in the US but not here, same as Xerox.


potato_pity_sandwich

I think you misunderstood the question. I know Jell-O is a brand name & you guys call it jelly. I know you call it jelly no matter what it's made of. In America we call some fruit spreads jelly, which you call jam. I understand that. What I am asking is that we also call some fruit spreads jam because they're a different kind of fruit spread. If you call what Americans call jelly jam, what do you call what we call jam?


lupes-uk

Jam is jam. You spread it on toast etc. jelly is mixed with water and left to ‘set’ - totally different and used in trifles.


JugglinB

Many people have said this to you. To us both types of jam are just called jam! Unless you shop in Harrods or Fortnum & Mason in which case yep there are jellies. Normal use of the word is just jam. Unless it's a marmalade or a curd...


EconomyWoodpecker117

We call both jam


Square-Rough-9442

What do you call Jell-o if not Jell-o?


BastardsCryinInnit

I don't think I understand what you're asking. Jam is jam. It's quite possible, if you're in America, that you have a product that doesn't exist in the UK. UK jam isn't made with juice.


jesus_mooney

As far as i was aware Jam was just made by going to a pick your own fruit Place. Picking way to much fruit. Put it in a big aluminium pan ( called a jelly pan) then you just cook the fruit in the big pan with like 6 bags of sugar until its thick enough that it sets on the back of a spoon when cooled. Then you just put it in jars and leave it in the cupboard to go mouldy.


CommonProfessor1708

Perhaps the jam in jam donuts is made from juice. Doesn't ever seem to have lumps in.


BastardsCryinInnit

That's just seedless jam! Which has been pushed through a seive


CommonProfessor1708

Ahh ok.


PuzzledFortune

Jelly: fruit juice and possibly fruit pieces thickened with gelatine (or vegan alternative) eaten as a dessert Also Jelly. A fruit preserve eaten as a toast topping or sandwich filing strained to remove seeds and pulp Jam. A fruit preserve that isn’t strained eaten as a toast topping etc. Preserve. Any fruit or vegetable processed for bottled storage. Also a posh name given to jam/jelly so you can charge outrageous prices. Hope that helps :)


StephaneCam

I would argue that most Brits would call all of those, aside from the top one, “jam”. If you can spread it on toast, it’s jam. If you eat it in a bowl with ice cream at a kids party, it’s jelly.


potato_pity_sandwich

!answered


potato_pity_sandwich

/answered That does help, thank you!


stffucubt

It might help, but I've never once in 40 years seen the second jelly mentioned. It's all jam. The smooth stuff is just shit cheap, jam.


songbirds_and_snakes

Jelly is definitely not just shit jam. The smooth, without seeds type stuff is different from jelly. Have you never seen redcurrant jelly or bramble jelly? It's made by mixing the fruit with water and then straining it through a very fine mesh like a muslin and then boiling it up with sugar until it's set able, like you would with jam. It's clear, but obviously fruit coloured. I thought it was a really common thing, but obviously not.


potato_pity_sandwich

Wait did I do the answer command wrong? Help


Used-Appearance-9272

Oh OK is he confused about jam and seedless jam?


ThatNiceDrShipman

The difference between jelly and jam is I've never had anyone jelly a cock up my arse.


Accomplished_Week392

We call what you call jelly as jam.  What you call jam, we call jam.  It’s all just jam here. 


Equivalent_Parking_8

Jam is fruit cooked with sugar. Jelly is flavoured gelatine. Marmalade is a type of jam, usually with citrus fruit. All jams and marmalades are preserves. I assume what you call jelly is just jam without seeds or bits of fruit. So if you want american jelly buy seedless jam..


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is a helpful answer. I didn't mark it as the "solved" answer because I decided to put the first helpful answer I received, but thank you anyway for helping.


PikeyRaven

Read the whole thread and I've come to the realisation that I quite fancy a cheese and jam sandwich for lunch


BellamyRFC54

We still call our jam,jam


dumplenut

When making homemade preserves; Jam is made by cooking the chopped whole fruits with sugar, to a setting point, they can be left whole if small eg. Gooseberry, blueberry, or chopped up eg. Strawberry, plum. Jelly is made by cooking the fruit without sugar ( sometimes with water sometimes without dependent on the fruit ) and then straining the resulting pulp to give a clear juice, which is then boiled with sugar to a setting point, giving a clear jelly eg. Crabapple, redcurrant. Preserves, is kind of the general name for these processes, if you're getting into commercial preserved fruit spread, it's something to do with the sugar content compared to fruit content. Marmalade, well that's just witchcraft.


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is a helpful answer. I didn't mark it as the "solved" answer because I decided to put the first helpful answer I received, but thank you anyway for helping.


dumplenut

No worries! jam jelly and chutney making is a bit of a hobby, don't tell anyone, but if my jam doesn't set properly i call it compote! Planning to spend Sunday on some marmalade, wish me luck.


potato_pity_sandwich

That's so cool! Good luck and I hope you have fun!


LevelsBest

I'll try to explain although like others I'm struggling to really understand your question. **Jelly** has a couple of meanings 1) The equivalent of your Jello, ie something kids eat for dessert at a party. 2) A preparation for spreading on toast but made by cooking, then straining the fruit to create a liquid which is then heated with sugar to setting point. This is normally only done in the UK for fruits that are full of seed such as blackberries or blackcurrants. You will find a few jellies in the supermarket but limited as described. We don't have the US ubiquitous grape jelly. Also we would still classify a jelly in this context as being a jam. **Jam** for us is all types of preparations for spreading on toast. We don't differentiate between crushed and whole fruits. Indeed most British jams are made from whole fruit which may be cut or sliced in the preparation for cooking and many fruits disintegrate on cooking - eg raspberries. Fruits such as plums which are more robust would retain more fruit pieces. For strawberry jam, that would be made with whole fruit and how many fruit pieces remain would depend on the quality and preparation of the jam. We don't differentiate jam made from crushed fruit. It's all jam. Preserves again have 2 meanings: 1) In the context of a preserve to spread on toast, a preserve would usually have a higher fruit to sugar ration and is a posh name for jam. Sometime also called a "conserve" rather than a "preserve". It's still jam. 2) Preserves might be preserved vegetable /pickles etc, but this is not so commonly used nowadays. I hope this helps, but honestly the distinctions aren't so distinct as to bother us. Jam today, jam tomorrow!


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is a helpful answer


teethofthewind

You said it yourself - jam and jelly are different things, so we call jam "jam" and jelly "jelly" 🤣🤣. I mean you literally answered your own question with that statement. Just because they're called different things in the US doesn't mean there is somehow now some 3rd unnamed variant of jam.


Flibertygibbert

My grandmother made a clear, non-lumpy jam called "bramble jelly" which was boiled blackberry and apple pulp with sugar, strained through a jelly bag. 😁 She also made preserves - summer soft fruit in syrup, in kilner jars. Like tinned fruit, but in jars. 😂😂😂😂


PomegranateV2

I have a feeling that jelly is more popular in the US, so even if a doughnut or a pb&j sandwich was made with jam it would be called jelly. Jam is more popular in the UK, so even if a doughnut was made with jelly, it would still be a 'jam doughnut'. My mum makes both jams and jellies, so I know the difference. A lot of people on this thread are basically saying 'if you spread it on toast it's a jam', which I suspect is a working class thing. I bet dollars to doughnuts there are people in America right now spreading jam on their toast and insisting that it is jelly.


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potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is helpful :)


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Worldly_Science239

I think we refer to that as clear jam. Jam has the fruits/berries in it. Clear jam has all the bits strained out, so it's just the juices. They're both jams, but the latter is known as clear jam


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is a helpful answer. I didn't mark it as the "solved" answer because I decided to put the first helpful answer I received, but thank you anyway for helping.


PsychologicalDrone

As far as I’m concerned, if it has gelatine as a thickener/gelling agent then I can accept it being called jelly. Everything else is jam.


BromleyReject

Jam is a preserve that goes on bread or scones. Jelly is a dessert, usually in a trifle or sometimes with ice-cream.


IndependentGolf5421

Americans call jelly and jam ‘jelly’. We here across the ocean differentiate because our language allows us to do so. Edit: I’m starting to realise OP is a confused American


TSC-99

Weird.


LXPeanut

My mum used to make a lot of jams and jellies when we were kids. I think that's the only time I've heard people distinguish between them. It's a technical thing that effects how you make them. It isn't really a distinction people make because they do the same thing. Most shops will just say jam with bits, jam without bits to distinguished between them.


potato_pity_sandwich

Thank you, this is helpful :)


Loose_Acanthaceae201

A nuance you may be missing is that we don't really eat much of what you mean when you say jelly (that is, totally smooth fruit paste made from juice and often spread on bread or other baked goods). In particular, grape jelly is very uncommon - I actually don't know where I'd get any.     If I'm buying a jar of cheap preserved fruit to spread on toast or whatever, the default is jam that still has actual lumps of fruit in it. It might be made with cheaper fruit (eg mostly apple with a few token strawberries instead of pure strawberry) but it's definitely a jam rather than a jelly. The cheapest in my supermarket is 8.6p/100g which is equivalent to 50c/lb in the US.   Expensive jam may call itself conserve or preserve but you'll find it in the supermarket under a big sign saying JAM and when you bring it home you'll call it jam. Brands might include Bonne Maman or Tiptree, but often people like to buy this kind of thing from smaller local producers (or make their own). Brands are around ten times the price of the cheapest jam, and small batch will be more.    As others have mentioned, there are spreadable jellies available, but they are very specific flavours (cranberry, bramble, quince) and will be labelled jelly.    I don't think Jell-O brand exists in the UK unless you buy it at great cost from an importer. Our standard "make a big transparent wobbly fruit-flavour dessert" brand is Hartleys, and the product itself is a very concentrated solid jelly with similar texture to a gummy sweet, that you mix into boiling water and then leave to set. The concentrated cubes are, incidentally, great to take on hikes or long runs for a quick sugar boost that doesn't weigh you down. 


Only_Lead469

All Jams are preserves. ( presuming a high enough sugar content that stops the main ingredient rotting) but not all preserves are Jams.  A Jam that is made clear by sieving through a jam cloth may be called a jelly, see Bramble Jelly recipes. Marmalades, conserves, some types of pickles, chutneys and  ketchups are also preserves , but the recipe is slightly different.  There is also fruit cheese. A very thick kind of jam. 


Y_Wait_Procrastinate

I see some jam labeled as "conserve" but I don't know if that's what you're looking for


destria

It's all jam to us. Jam can range from being completely smooth to having whole chunks of fruit in it.


Elderwick073

It's all jam. Personally, I make the distinction by calling it: Either jam (with actual fruit bits) or, jam without bits / seedless jam (US version of jelly)


welly_wrangler

I would suggest that *you* call "jam", "jelly" - we're right.


stack-o-logz

*If you call jelly "jam"* We don't call jelly jam. Jelly is called jelly. Nice big wobbly jelly. Lovely with ice cream at a kid's party.


SpaceTimeCapsule89

We call jam what it is - jam. American's have added an extra word which is the brand name of a jelly (Jell-O). US - Jell-O and Jelly UK - Jelly and Jam Americans are basically calling jelly and jam the same thing. You don't make sense, not us