Looking at shelf after shelf of fruit in jars at the supermarket, you may notice that many are called by different names. Not only will you see jams and jellies, but also preserves, conserves, marmalade, compote, and fruit butter – perhaps even more.

Knowing the difference between all these types of fruits in jars is important because it’ll let you know what to expect when you actually buy one – and how you can use it.

“What is Jam?”

Most people readily recognize jam, and odds are you’ve probably eaten it – but do you know what it is exactly? To put it simply, jam consists of fruit that are chopped or crushed then cooked with sugar until they become soft, lose their shape, and thicken.

In some cases additional pectin and acid is added as required.

The FDA has a bunch of regulations that determine what can be legally labelled as jam, but the short version is that it must consist of a single fruit and contain at least 45% fruit to 55% sugar (for some fruit it is 47% fruit to 53% sugar).

Jam works great when spread on pretty much anything from toast to cake or pastries.

“What is Jelly?”

Unlike jam, jelly is made from made from fruit juice that has been strained to get rid of seeds and pulp. The fruit juice is boiled with sugar which will release its natural pectin, though additional pectin as well as acid may be required. Once done, it is left to set.

Just like jam, the FDA regulates the use of the term ‘jelly’ and requires that it contain fruit juice in the ratio of 45% fruit juice to 55% sugar. It should end up looking clear and with a firm yet jelly-like texture.

Jelly is great on French toast and a fixture in many types of sandwiches – being the ‘J’ in the quintessential PB&J.

“What are Preserves?”

Preserves are fairly confusing – mostly because there is no fixed definition for them. Most people tend to use preserves as an umbrella term for any sort of preserved fruit spreads. However some use the term more specifically to refer to fruit cut into relatively large pieces then preserved in its own juices, syrup, or water.

The line between preserves and jam in particular is difficult to distinguish – especially for smaller fruit that tend to not stay whole when being preserved.

How is it used? Well, that largely depends on the type of preserves. If the preserves are jam-like then using it as a spread is great. However if it consists of large pieces of fruit then it can be used as the filling for cakes or pastries, mixed into yogurt or oatmeal, or even eaten on its own.

“What are Conserves?”

Remember how jams are made up of a single fruit? Conserves are not – but aside from that they are basically the same thing.

In short, you could look as jam as a type of conserve – but not every conserve is a jam. For example a strawberry conserve made up of just strawberries could be considered a jam as long as it meets the other FDA requirements we discussed earlier.

Aside from possibly having a blend of several types of fruit, conserves may also contain other ingredients such as bits of nuts, coconut, or raisins.

Conserves are so similar to jam that they work just as well spread on anything from toast to cake or pastries. However some types of conserves with additional ingredients may be particularly delicious on biscuits or English muffins.

“What is Compote?”

Compote is actually technically a desert in its own right. It is made from fresh, dried or even frozen fruit that are slowly cooked in a sugary syrup. Other ingredients are often added while compote is being cooked, including liquor, spices such as cinnamon, cloves or star anise, candied fruit, grated coconut, or even vanilla, orange, or lemon peels.

If eaten as a desert, compote is normally topped off with whipped cream. However sometimes it is also used to top off a stack of pancakes, or as a sauce for duck meat.

“What is Marmalade?”

Although not as strictly regulated, marmalade nowadays typically refers to a soft jelly that is filled with pieces of fruit rind. Normally citrus fruit are used to make marmalade – including oranges, lemons or grapefruit.

Marmalades tend to have a sweet and sour flavor, coupled with a slight hint of bitterness from the fruit rind. The fruit rind also contains ample amounts of pectin which is why additional pectin is normally not required when making marmalade.

Aside from being used as a spread for bread, scones or other pastries – marmalade is also an excellent option to add some flavor to cured meats.

“What is Fruit Butter?”

Fruit butter is very different from any other type of spread due to the fact that it is not jellied. Instead, the fruit pulp is pureed then cooked with sugar slowly at a low heat until it starts to thicken.

The FDA mandates that ‘fruit butter’ can only be made from eight types of fruit: Apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, prunes, grapes and quince. While not as sweet as many other fruit spreads, fruit butter has a rich, full-fruit and slightly roasted flavor.

One of the best ways to enjoy fruit butter is by eating it with crackers or yogurt – or maybe both.

Conclusion

See the differences between all these jars of fruit? Each type is unique in its own way, and now that you know what makes them different it should be easier for you to find what you want the next time you’re confronted by multiple shelves of fruit spreads.

Keep in mind that there are other types of fruit preserves out there that have differences of their own too. If you find that you enjoy preserves in general, you may even want to start sampling different varieties to see which one suits your palate the best.