This post originally appeared in an edition of What’s the Difference?, a weekly newsletter for the curious and confused by New York City writer Brette Warshaw. Eater will be publishing all editions that parse food-related differences, though those hardly scratch the surface of the world’s (and the newsletter’s) curiosities: Sign up to get What’s the Difference? in your inbox or catch up on the full archive.
What’s the difference between...
Jam, Jelly, Preserves, Compote, Marmalade, and Chutney?
Jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, compote, and chutney all involve some combination of fruit, sugar, and heat, and they rely on pectin — a natural fiber found most plants that helps cooked fruit firm up — for texture. (Not all fruits contain the same amount of pectin, so powdered pectin is sometimes added — we’ll get into that below.) The underlying difference between all of them? How much of the physical fruit is used in the final product.
On one end of the spectrum, we have jelly: the firmest and smoothest product of the bunch. Jelly is made from fruit juice, which is usually extracted from cooked, crushed fruit. (That extraction process, which involves straining the fruit mixture through a fine mesh fabric, is also what makes jelly clear.) The resulting juice is then heated with sugar, acid, and oftentimes additional powdered pectin to get that firm, gel-like texture. That cranberry stuff you eat on Thanksgiving, the stuff that slides out of the can in one perfect cylinder, ridges intact? Definitely jelly.
Next up we have jam, which is made from chopped or pureed fruit (rather than fruit juice) cooked down with sugar. Its texture is usually looser and more spoonable than jelly, with stuff like seeds or skin sometimes making an appearance (think of strawberry or blueberry jam, for example). Chutney is a type of jam made without any additional pectin and flavored with vinegar and various spices, and it’s often found in Indian cuisines.
Preserves contain the most physical fruit of the bunch — either chopped into larger pieces or preserved whole, in the case of things like cherry or strawberry preserves. Sometimes, the preserves will be held together in a loose syrup; other times, the liquid is more jammy. Marmalade is simply the name for preserves made with citrus, since it includes the citrus rinds as well as the inner fruit and pulp. (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. However, unlike preserves — which are usually jarred for future use — compote is usually used straight away.
So, in short, here’s your cheat sheet:
Jelly: fruit juice + sugar
Jam: chopped or pureed fruit + sugar
Chutney: chopped or pureed fruit + sugar + vinegar + spices
Preserves: whole fruit or fruit chunks + sugar
Marmalade: whole citrus (either chopped or left intact) + sugar
Compote: whole fruit or fruit chunks + sugar (but usually eaten immediately, not preserved)
• What’s the Difference Between Jam, Jelly, Preserves, Compote, Marmalade, and Chutney? [wtd]
FAQs
Jelly is fruit juice, strained to remove seeds, thickened with pectin and/or sugar. Preserves are like jam, but they contain chunks of fruit rather than mashed fruit. Marmalade is a citrus preserve made with thin slices of citrus fruit with the peel intact.
What is the difference between jam and jelly and compote? ›
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 the difference between jam and marmalade and chutney? ›
The only difference with marmalade is that jam is a bit sweeter. In both cases, we end up with a spreadable vegetable purée. On the other hand, vegetable marmalade mustn't be confused with chutney, a sweet-and-sour condiment made with vegetables, fruit, herbs and spices, borrowed from Indian cuisine.
What is the difference between a chutney and a compote? ›
Chutney: A cooked combination of fruit, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Ketchup is a type of chutney. Compote: Fresh or dried fruits that have been slowly cooked in a sugar syrup.
Why is marmalade not called jam? ›
Why is it called marmalade and not jam? The word “marmalade” is borrowed from the Portuguese ''marmelada''. Marmalades contain the peel of the fruit as opposed to the whole fruit which jam is made from.
Why is jam called jam? ›
Jam, on the other hand, is cognate (derives from the same root as) 'to cham', to press or squeeze (cf. 'champ', to chew noisily; also a dish of mashed potatoes with spring onions, as eaten in Northern Ireland). The word is of Scandinavian origin, (cf. Swedish dialect 'kamsa', to chew with difficulty).
Is chutney the same as jelly? ›
Most chutneys are jams, without the pectin and with an addition of vinegar, dried fruit, and spices for savory notes. Indian cuisine often pairs mango-rich and acidic chutneys with spicy mains. There is no added pectin in a chutney, and the added sugar tends to be a little bit lower.
Are chutney and relish the same? ›
Chutney vs Relish
Both condiments are made with chopped vegetables, vinegar, and added spices. Typically, chutney has a softer consistency and contains a variety of fruit pieces. Relish usually contains one type of vegetable and no fruit.
Is preserve the same as jelly? ›
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.
What is a compote? ›
Compote or compôte (French for stewed fruit) is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices.
The word chutney derives from Hindi चटनी chaṭnī, deriving from चाटना chāṭnā 'to lick' or 'to eat with appetite'. In India, chutney refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately; however, several Indian languages use the word for fresh preparations only.
What the heck is chutney? ›
Chutney is a condiment or spread made from chopped fruit cooked with vinegar, spices and sometimes sugar, that can be served fresh or preserved. It's often associated with Indian cuisine.
Which is healthier, jam or preserves? ›
Preserves are the closest thing to consuming whole fruit. They contain chunks of the actual fruit, making them richer in fiber and nutrients. As with jam, though, the sugar content can vary based on the brand or recipe. In terms of health benefits, preserves generally come out on top due to their whole fruit content.
Which is chunky preserves or jam? ›
Fruit preserves are a lot like jam, but they're slightly thicker, thanks to the addition of large chunks or whole pieces of fruit instead of chopped, crushed, or puréed fruit. You'll usually find large bits of fruit suspended in preserves, as well as seeds, in many cases.
Is jam jelly or preserves better for baking? ›
Looking for the most authentic flavor? Jam or preserves will contain the richest portions of fruitiness, while a jelly's flavor will be slightly bogged down by the gelatin. This is why preserves are often called for in cooking and baking, as they contain the largest amount of the fruit's flavor in a mixable form.
Is fruit spread the same as jam? ›
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.
