History and Overview of Jam and Jelly

The U.S. produces about 1 billion pounds of fruit spreads (jams, jellies, preserves, fruit spreads, marmalades, fruit & honey butters) annually.  Per capita consumption is approximately 2.2 pounds annually. 

Although, the exact date is unknown, the making of jam and jelly probably began centuries ago in the Middle Eastern countries, where sugar cane grew naturally.  It is believed that the returning Crusaders first introduced jam and jelly to Europe.  By the late Middle Ages, jams, jellies and fruit conserves were popular there.  The use of sugar cane to make jam and jelly can be traced back to the 16th century when the Spanish came to the West Indies where they preserved fruit.

In the United States, early New England settlers preserved fruits with honey, molasses or maple sugar. Pectin extracted from apple parings was used to thicken jellies.

Jerome M. Smucker first pressed cider at a mill in Orrville, Ohio during 1897. He later, made apple butter, which he offered in crocks along with his personal guarantee of quality.

In 1898, the National Preservers Association was established to establish and maintain standards of excellence for the preserve industry and to promote the industry to consumers and manufacturers.

A grape jam patent was first issued to Paul Welch in 1917 for the puréeing of grapes. He called the product “Grapelade.” The entire production was purchased by the U.S. Army and shipped to France for consumption by the troops during World War I. When the troops returned to the States after the war, they demanded more of this “Grapelade,” and as a result, it started to be produced in quantity.

The Food and Drug Administration established Standards of Identity for what constitutes jam, jelly, preserves and fruit butters in 1940.

What are the Differences Between Jam, Jelly and Preserves?

Jelly is a clear, bright mixture made from fruit juice (no fruit pieces), sugar and pectin or acid that forms a gel. Using a “10 pound scale” of ingredients, fruit juice content cannot be less than 4.5 pounds with 5.5 pounds of sugar.

Originally, sugar cane was used as the sweetener. However, today, high-fructose corn sweeteners are used interchangeably with sucrose due to the benefits each brings to different product formulations. Getting the correct balance of sugar and fruit juice is important. If you add too much sugar, the jelly will be sticky. If you don’t use enough sugar, your jelly will be tough.

Sugar is used in jams, jellies and preserves because it acts as a preservative. In this application, by binding available water, sugar prevents against the growth of harmful bacteria. To perform this role, sugar must be present in high concentrations. Sugar also serves as a gelling aid along with other ingredients.

Over the years, other non-nutritive sweeteners in addition to saccharin have been approved for use in fruit spreads, including aspartame in 1989, sucralose in 1998, neotame in 2002 and acesulfame potassium in 2003.

At ArmadilloPepper.com, you can select from traditional favorites such as Apple Jelly, Black Raspberry Jelly, Blueberry Jelly and Passion Fruit Jelly.

Today, Pepper Jelly is becoming increasingly popular. Though debatable, the State of Texas claims Jalapeno Pepper Jelly first originated in Lake Jackson, Texas (http://www.shgresources.com/tx/facts/) in 1978.  It may be hot, sweet, or a combination of these flavors. Some popular peppers used in Pepper Jelly are green and red bell peppers, jalapenos, and habaneros. In North Florida, they also make Datil Pepper Jelly. A blend of peppers is another common method for making Pepper Jelly.  ArmadilloPepper.com carries a wide variety of delicious pepper jellies ranging from sweet to hot.

Jam is a thick mixture of cut or crushed fruit and sugar (and often pectin) that is cooked until the pieces of fruit are very soft and almost formless -- the texture of a thick purée. The fruit is heated with water and sugar to activate the pectin in the fruit. Using a “10 pound scale”, Jam is made with 4.5 pounds of fruit solids combined with 5.5 pounds of sugar.

Typically Jams are made with a single type of fruit, but some producers do make multi-fruit jams. At ArmadilloPepper.com, we carry several traditional fruit jams, just like Grandma used to make, including Blueberry Jam, Blackberry Jam, Peach Jam, Pear Jam and Strawberry Jam.

Preserves are very similar to Jams, but preserves can contain large chunks of fruit or whole fruit and are cooked in a thick syrup.

Marmalades are similar to Preserves, but are citrus and contain fruit rind.

A Conserve is much like a preserve but usually contains more than one kind of fruit and often nuts.

Fruit Spreads are newer (within the last 20 years) and do not meet the jelly or jam Standards of Identity and as a result are grouped as “fruit spreads.” These products are usually made with fruit juice concentrates or low-calorie sweeteners replacing all or part of the sugar.

Fruit Butters are made by cooking fresh fruit with spices until it becomes thick and smooth. The process includes cooking the fruit until soft and then using a blender to mildly blend until a smooth consistency. This step is followed by cooking the resulting pulp and adding sugar until reaching the proper texture. Traditional favorites are Apple Butter and Peach Butter.

As you might imagine, Jelly is more popular among children, while preserves are favored by adults. It is estimated that the average child eats 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by high school graduation.

For additional information on making and preserving jellies and jams, refer to the University of Nebraska's Fruit Jellies Food Processing for Entrepreneurs Series" document.