Question:
Americans! - Difference between jam, jelly, jello?
2012-06-29 12:02:45 UTC
OK this has bugged me my entire life I think... I have heard Americans (film and TV) use these 3 different words - but are they necessarily referring to the same thing?

Here in Britain we have jam and jelly...
Jam comes in jars and is put on sandwiches and toast etc. Usually raspberry, strawberry etc.
Jelly is comes in cubes and made with hot water and then put in the fridge to set. We use this with ice cream and in trifles.

So Americans - please explain!
Eight answers:
SuperBanana
2012-06-29 12:07:45 UTC
Jam and jelly are pretty much the same thing. Jello is a brand. Their 2 main products are basically solid gelatin, flavored in fruit flavors. The others are pudding.
teddy0bear
2012-06-29 12:43:07 UTC
Jam is the same

Jelly is like jam but no seeds and has always seems not quite as smooth as jam is (still spreadable but a little more...chunky?) at least to me anyway and usually has a clear/translucent aspect to it. My favorite is apple jelly :)



Jam and Jelly are made differently too, attached is a link briefly going over each of them.



Jello (technically "Jell-o" I think) is actually a brand name for one of Kraft's products that we have down here. It's basically a power that when mixed with water (and maybe sugar? I forget) and then cooled forms gelatin desserts. The name "jello" caught on surprisingly well that any gelatin desserts that resemble jello are called jello. If there is a jelly that looks a little chunkier then it should be it's not uncommon for it to be mislabeled as jello (if it looks like jello, acts like jello it's jello)



To make it even more confusing, Kraft also releases pudding under the Jello brand making Jello Pudding. It doesn't look like the Jello everyone knows but it is technically Jello Pudding with the brand so...sometimes it's just called pudding :)



I've also attached a link to Jello Art pictures from google as they're cool :)
flynn
2016-12-26 22:08:28 UTC
Strawberry Jam With Jello
Karen L
2012-06-29 12:44:08 UTC
What Americans call Jello is what you call jelly, a dessert made with gelatin/sugar/flavouring. Jello is actually a brand name, like Hoover is one brand of vacuum cleaner but the name Hoover has come to be a generic name for a vacuum cleaner. But hardly anyone ever refers to a "jelly dessert" except the makers of brands that are not the Jello brand. It all gets called jello by the average person, regardless of brand. In North America, jello comes in a powder form, not those cubes that you have. Same process to make it; add hot water, stir till dissolved. I loved your jelly cubes, found them fascinating.



Jam is a spread that goes on bread or toast. It has fruit bits and seeds in it. To make it, you just cook fruit and sugar together.



Marmalade is the same everywhere: jam, but made with citrus fruit, though occasionally you get something called marmalade that uses other fruits and even vegetables sometimes.



Jelly, same uses as jam, is also made from fruit but from the juice only so it's clear with no fruit bits or seeds in it. You cook the fruit, strain the juice out, cook the juice with sugar, and perhaps pectin, to make the jelly.



Then there's the term "preserves". Technically. that means any kind of fruit preserved by cooking with sugar as jams and jellies are, but in practise it usually means jam that has larger than usual bits of fruit in it. It's kind of a grey area, but if someone refers to strawberry preserves, you can be sure it's something you can spread on toast.
2016-02-22 03:03:44 UTC
Americans call jam jelly. British call jelly jam. Jam typically is made out of fruit preserves, but in the UK, it's so common and there isn't an 'alternative' as such, so most jams (unless it's the expensive kind) are seedless. Jelly often has geltine in it, and more added sugar than jam. In the UK 'jelly' is what American know as jello.
gracel313
2012-06-29 12:06:51 UTC
They re 3 different things. Jam is the same as in UK. Jelly is similar to jam, but no seeds and has a texture closer to what you call jelly in the fridge. That goes on toast and is used to make a pb&j sandwich. What you call jelly, we call jello. Except I have never seen it in cubes. It comes a powder that you mix with boiling water, stir until it's dissolved, then you add cold water and put it in the fridge.
W Jr.
2012-06-29 12:11:50 UTC
Jam has seeds in them. Jelly doesnt. Jell-o is a gel snack.
2016-09-16 21:02:35 UTC
That's a tricky question..


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