What is the difference between jelly jam and preserves? And What is Jello?

Jam, jelly, and preserves are all made from fruit mixed with sugar and pectin. Jell-O, on the other hand, is completely different. Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article to learn more.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:23):
with today's question, what is the difference between jelly, jams
and preserves and what exactly is jello? Jelly, jams and
preserves are all made from fruit mixed with sugar and pected.
The difference between them comes from the form that the
fruit takes, so in jelly the fruit comes in the

(00:45):
form of fruit juice. In jam, the fruit comes in
the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruit, and so
it's less stiff than jelly as a result. In preserves,
the fruit comes in the form of chunks of fruit
in syrup or in a jam. Pecton is an undigestible carbohydrate.
In other words, it's a fiber. It's found in the

(01:07):
cell walls of most fruit. When heated with sugar and water,
it gels, and that gives jelly and jam and preserves
their thickness. Jello, on the other hand, is entirely different.
It's made from gelatin, which is a protein made from
animal skins and bones. The protein gels after you boil it.

(01:28):
Jello usually has some natural or artificial colors and flavors added,
and that's why it has fluorescent colors. Do you have
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