Introduction
Fruits are a very important part of our life. Doctors suggest we, eat fruits daily. And it is also true that it has many health benefits. But there are few people who do not like consuming raw fruits. And these are the people who prefer consuming fruit products. Some people like consuming both raw fruits and fruit products.
Sometimes, what happens is that over time people get sick of eating fruits continuously. And this is the time when the use of food products comes into the picture, which not only provides us with multiple tastes but also gives us essential nutrients such as fruits. Many products can be derived from fruits. We will talk about two such fruit products which have widely affected the food industry. And these two products are jams and preserves. Both jams and preserves are prepared from the fruit. But the way of making, or the way of consuming. And multiple factors make both different from one another.
Jams vs preserves
If you go ask a chef, they will tell you that jams and preserves are prepared differently but the same fruit is used. Jam is cut into pieces or crushed, and mixed with sugar, and other essential components. Whereas, preserves are formed from clusters of fruits, and it is not crushed as jams. In fruit preserves, you will find small pieces of fruit, but the jam is found in a uniform texture, without the presence of small pieces of fruit.
Difference between jam and preserves in tabular form
| Parameters of comparison | Jam | Preserves |
| WAY OF PREPARING | Jam is prepared from crushed or chopped fruits. | Preserves are prepared from whole or large fruits. |
| TEXTURE | Jams have a smooth, uniform, and clear texture. There is no presence of small fruits in the mixture. | Preserves have a chunky texture, where small pieces of fruits are visible. |
| SUGAR CONTENT | Jams have more content of sugar than preserves. It has more sugar, which makes it spreadable, sweeter, and easier to blend. | Preserves have less content of sugar when compared with jam. |
| COOKING TIME OR PREPARATION TIME | Fruits are cut into small pieces in jams, which makes jams consume less time. | Fruits are in large chunks, which require a comparatively greater amount of time than jams. |
| PECTIN CONTENT (PECTIN HELPS FRUITS TO SET AND FORM GEL) | In jams, pectin is to be added, to help it set. | In preserves, pectin is not a need, as pectin is already present in the whole piece of fruit. |
| COLOUR | They tend to have a more uniform colour as the fruits are chopped or crushed. | Jams have multiple shades of fruit colour as the whole fruit is taken. |
| STORAGE | Jams are stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks or in the freezer for long periods. | Preserves are contained in jars and can stay for long periods. As it forms large pieces of fruit. |
| COOKING (HOW IT IS PREPARED) | It is prepared by simmering the fruit and sugar, until it takes the desired form. | It is prepared over low heat to prevent fruits from breaking too much. |
| SEED CONTENT | Fruits from which jams made are usually seedless or have a low seed content. | It may contain more seeds due to the presence of whole fruit pieces. |
| FLAVOUR INTENSITY | It is clear from above that jams have a more intense fruit flavour as fruits are to be crushed and chopped, to release more fruit taste. | It has a milder taste as compared to jams. Due to the presence of fruits in large pieces. And fruits are not crushed or chopped as it is done in jams. |
| USAGE | It is better suited to spread over loaves of bread, toast or toast and sometimes can be used in baking or cooking. | The chunky texture of preserves makes them useful as fillings in cakes, pastries or as a topping for ice cream. |
Jams
Introduction
Jams are a type of spread formed from crushed or chopped fruits. Fruits mixed with sugar, some added pectin if needed and other essential ingredients. There are various types of fruit jams, some of them are:
1. Strawberry jam- This type of jam is a famous and popular jam. And it is made from fresh strawberries. Strawberry mixed with granulated sugar and pectin.
2. Mixed fruit jam- It is a type of jam made from a combination of multiple fruits. Fruits can either directly from the refrigerator or the fruit is freshly picked. Fruits can be anything, depending on what the consumer chooses to use.
3. Blueberry jam- It is a type of jam made from fresh blueberries and lemon juice. This jam has a sweet and tart flavour.
4. Peach jam- It is a type of jam made from fresh peaches, sugar, and lemon juice. This jam has a sweet and juicy flavour.
And many jams are available in the market, but above are some famous and common.
Preparation of jams:
Jams are available is almost in every store and it is a very famous spread all across the world. Some people enjoy sweet flavours combined with other tastes. And there are many jam lovers, who enjoy preparing it at home and storing it in freezers for longer periods. We will discuss some steps in brief, which we can use to prepare a particular flavoured jam:
1. Prepare the fruit: Wash it thoroughly with fresh water, and remove stems, seeds, or other unwanted pieces of stuff. If you are making jam using large fruits, then chop them into smaller pieces.
2. Cook the fruit: Mix the fruit with sugar and other ingredients (suppose, lemon juice used for peach jam and blueberry jam), then boil it. Provide the mixture with slow heat and wait till the mixture is thickened. The time can range from 20 minutes to one hour, totally depending on the fruit.
3. Test it, before you serve it: Spoon a small amount of jam and pour it onto a chilled plate and wait for it to cool. If you see it set and observe wrinkles when you push it with your finger. It is ready. But if the mixture is getting runny, continue to cook it and check some time later.
4. Can it, to save: If the testing is completed, put the jam into sterilized jars and seal it with a lid. Then, the sealed sterilized jars are processed in boiling water, so that it forms a vacuum seal, and the jam is preserved.
5. Pectin, if needed- In some types of jam, we add pectin to the mixture, which helps it to get thicker. Pectin is a natural thickener and is found in fruits like apples and citrus.
Things used to prepare a jam
1. Sugars- Many types of sugars are used to prepare jam. Generally, granulated sugar is used to prepare jam. But there are other sugars to give an additional taste to the jam, we add brown sugar, maple syrup and vice versa.
2. Acidic Fruits- There are fruits which have low pectin content and it requires the addition of lemon juice or some other acid ingredient to get the mixture set. Such fruits are strawberries, raspberries and vice versa.
3. Thickening agents- There are multiple thickening agents other than pectin. They all are used for the same purpose, i.e., to get the mixture thicker. Some of them used are gelatine or agar agar.
Preserves
Introduction
Preserves are pretty much like jam, made from fruit and sugar. The mixture and ingredients sound the same. But there are many differences. We pour large pieces of fruit into the mixture. It is not chopped, as in the case of jams. And, if you do not cut the fruits into smaller pieces, then they must retain pectin content. Generally, they do not require any added pectin, as the mixture is already thicker.
As we know, preserves are also prepared using fruits. Some fruits which are used to make preserves are berries, citrus, tropical fruits, and stone fruits. Preserves retain the natural taste of fruit as the larger pieces of fruit are taken to prepare it. This is not the case with jams.
Different types of fruits give rise to various kinds of jams. Some preserves are peach, strawberry, apricot, blueberry, and orange marmalade.
It is also vital to put in the correct amount of sugar. Maintaining a sugar-to-fruit ratio is essential. If you add more sugar, then it will make the preserve thicker and sweeter.
Taking care of the texture of the preserves is also vital. In order to maintain the texture, we cut the fruits into larger pieces, which is not the case in jams. This is why we cook the preserve for a shorter period than jam.
Some extra ingredients are to be added to the preserves. These are lemon juices, spices, and alcohol sometimes.
Preparation of Preserve:
- Prepare the fruit- First, we remove the unnecessary parts of fruits like stems, seeds, etc. Then, large fruits are sliced into smaller pieces or some are taken directly.
- Cook the fruit- A pot is taken, where fruits, sugar and flavourings are added. The pot is boiled and brought to shimmer. It is cooked for 30 minutes to one hour until the mixture gets thickened and soft.
- Test to check- You pour it into a plate and let it cool. If it does not form any wrinkles while pushing it with a finger then it is ready. If a little wrinkle is seen then it is made to cook again.
- Can the mixture- Once the jam is ready, we transfer it to sterilized cans and seal it. It is then processed in boiling water to create a vacuum seal.
Once canned, it is stored in a cool and dry place away from the sunlight. There are multiple uses for preserves, where we can spread them and eat them. Preserves are very versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes to add a distinct flavour.
Difference between Jam and Preserves (in points)
- Fruits in jams are chopped and clustered into small pieces, whereas, in the case of preserves, fruits are taken as large pieces or whole pieces.
- There is no added pectin present in preserves, whereas, jams have added pectin that helps the mixture gets the mixture to thicken and gel and save it from getting thin.
- Jams take a little less time to get cooked than preserves, as preserves contain large pieces of fruits, which take time to get settled.
- The amount of heat given while cooking the jam is more as compared to preserves. Giving a simmering heat to the mixture gets it thicker and set better.
- The most interesting thing about their differences is that both jams and preserves use the same fruit, but the making process is quite different. Using the same fruit, but differing in the product delivered and at the same time equally famous and preferable by the people is fascinating.
- As discussed above, the number of additives or the amount of fruit used is quite different, which also marks the difference between the two. And at the same time, jams have the soft pulp of the fruit whereas in preserves we do not see that. Preserves are most on the chunkier side.
Conclusion
During this article, you might have seen a wide number of differences between jams and preserves, from the texture to their origin. It is very confusing to tell the difference between the two for people. Though in this article we have exclusively defined both terms and told the ‘why’ behind their importance. They might appear the same to some people, but it is a different take. If you have reached the end of the article and still not eating jam or preserve. Run!
References
- Discover the Delicious Differences Between Peanut Butter and Honey and Jelly - cookindocs.com
- Jam Vs. Jelly: Spreading The Word About The Differences | Dictionary.com
- Fruit preserves - Wikipedia
