# US 'Jelly' - usually seedless or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205 "2002-07-22T12:28:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/1 "2002-07-22T12:28:14Z")
I know you generally call Jelly what we call Jam and that what we generally call Jelly, you call Jello, but I’d like to know if your Jelly is usually a seedless concoction. See, in the UK, we call the seedless versions of blackberry jam bramble jelly and there’s often a seedless raspberry ‘jelly’ available too (obviously neither of which contain whole pieces of fruit, so it’s easy to see why it’s so called, even to me). But does, say, American strawberry jelly contain seeds and/or chunks of whole fruit? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/2 "2002-07-22T12:33:12Z")
Jelly is usually seedless, and jam usually has seeds. ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/3 "2002-07-22T12:40:25Z")
I think that jelly doesn’t have seeds or pieces of fruit–it’s made entirely from juice and sugar (and pectin, of course). Jam or preserves, on the other hand, is made from the chopped or mashed up fruit and whatever juice chopping or mashing produces. And sugar and pectin, of course. Whether because of the individual characteristics of different fruits or tradition, certain fruits tend to be made into jams, and certain ones are more popular for jelly. So I’ve never seen strawberry jelly or raspberry jelly–but strawberry jam and raspberry jam are quite popular. Other USAn’s MMV, of course, but that’s the way I’ve always seen things labelled, and that’s what it says on the little boxes of pectin I buy when I make strawberry jam. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/4 "2002-07-22T13:02:10Z")
I’ve seen strawberry jelly…I think it was in one of those Goober Grape/Goober Strawberry conconctions. Anyhow, **Bren** is correct. Jelly never has pieces of fruit in it. It’s made from the juice. Jam - fruit and seeds, boiled down with sugar (as above). Pectin is only needed with certain fruits. Plums, rhubarb, apricot and the such gel fine without added pectin. Jelly - clear and absolutely smooth. Tastes something like jam without any texture. Made by mixing fruit juice with pectin and sugar. Except for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I see no point to jelly. Jello - Trademark for an artifically flavored gelatin dessert. Does not substitute for jelly. Peanut butter and jello sandwiches do not work. Marmalade - Made from the pulp and rinds of fruits, normally citrus. Preserves - Fruit preserved in large pieces in syrup. Conserve - This word is used in different ways. Sometimes, it’s a synonym for jam. Other times, it’s jam with whole pieces of fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/5 "2002-07-22T13:12:31Z")
Oh. It looks as if the correlation between UK/US terminology is closer than I believed it to be. Consider ignorance to have suffered a small but significant defeat today. ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/6 "2002-07-22T13:49:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > **Except for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I see no point to jelly.** Apple jelly would be rather difficult to eat if it was apple jam. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/7 "2002-07-22T14:01:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*Jello - Trademark for an artifically flavored gelatin dessert. Does not substitute for jelly. Peanut butter and jello sandwiches do not work. > \*\* Spoken like a man who’s tried. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/8 "2002-07-22T15:34:21Z")
Mangetout, try to chew on this (warning, it’s a PDF file): [United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruit and Vegetable Division, Processed Products Branch, “United States Standards for Fruit Jelly,” Effective September 3, 1979](http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/cnfrtjel.pdf) God, you just can’t make this stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/9 "2002-07-22T16:48:06Z")
**BDCoT** , I mean **Bosda** - Umm…I have youth to blame for that. However in college I also discovered that cream sode is not an adequate substitute for tonic water. There’s a reason gin & cream soda hasn’t gained much of a following. **Squish** - I’m dense today. I understand all the words to your sentence, but I’m not sure what they mean as a whole. Help…me…parse… Unless you’re saying there’s no such thing as apple jam, which there is. Or you’re saying apple jelly is not apple jam, which by virtue of definition it is not. I have this feeling that I’m missing something very, very obvious… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/10 "2002-07-22T16:51:38Z")
Oh my Lord. (Sorry for the hijack), but there is at least [one website](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22gin+and+cream+soda%22) which speaks of a drink called “Golden Pheasant” created with gin and cream soda (and perhaps other ingredients.) I will vouch that this is sincerely Not a Very Good Idea. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/11 "2002-07-22T21:16:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > Unless you’re saying there’s no such thing as apple jam, which there is. \*\* There is? I thought it went from apple jelly to apple BUTTER. What’s apple jam? Is it like pie filling? ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/12 "2002-07-22T21:28:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chique \* > \*\*There is? I thought it went from apple jelly to apple BUTTER. What’s apple jam? Is it like pie filling? \*\* Uh, yeah…what **chique** said. Apple _jam_?! ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/13 "2002-07-23T04:33:37Z")
[ul]… \*\*GRAPE POUPON \*\*… …:eek:…[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/14 "2002-07-23T07:44:38Z")
So how popular (generally) is jam vs jelly in the USA? and which flavo(u)rs are top? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/15 "2002-07-23T08:23:53Z")
Well, [Here’s over 500 sites](http://www.google.com/search?hl=hu&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22apple+jam%22+recipe) with apple jam recipes. What the hell’s wrong with apple jam? I mean, if you can make quince jam, pear jam and rhubarb jam, why not apple jam? Yes, it is a bit like pie filling. All you do is take a bunch of apples, peel and core 'em, stew them down with a little bit of water and a truckload of sugar and wait 'til they gel. I never realised this was such a revolutionary concept. ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/16 "2002-07-23T13:22:09Z")
> [@](#): > > So how popular (generally) is jam vs jelly in the USA? and which flavo(u)rs are top? Well, I can’t find a cite to back this up, but it seems to me grape jelly is by far the most popular member of the jam/jelly/preserves family. If anyone can call me on this (or back me up), please do. Also, that Kentucky jelly seems to be doing pretty well… ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/17 "2002-07-23T15:44:22Z")
Wasn’t “Apple Jam” cut by George Harrison & Friends? … Grape is probably the most popular, as it makes the canonical peanut butter and jelly sandwich given to kids. If you look in the supermarket, you will find that some manufacturer has actually come up with the idea of packing the two together so that you don’t have to open two jars, you apparently just dip into this jar containing stratified bands of brown and purple. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/18 "2002-07-23T16:25:33Z")
I believe that strawberry is the most popular jam, followed perhaps by raspberry. Most people in the US don’t eat marmalade on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/19 "2002-07-23T16:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*What the hell’s wrong with apple jam? I mean, if you can make quince jam, pear jam and rhubarb jam, why not apple jam? Yes, it is a bit like pie filling. All you do is take a bunch of apples, peel and core 'em, stew them down with a little bit of water and a truckload of sugar and wait 'til they gel. > > I never realised this was such a revolutionary concept. \*\* Wow… I never even heard of apple jam (and I can imagine the sort of remarks my father would have made had Mama prepared apple jam rather than apple jelly). Quince, pear and rhubarb don’t generally have a lot of juice in 'em which is why I thought you made jam out of them. Apples are loaded with juice, hence apple jelly. Fig jam is yummy, but I hardly ever see it in the stores. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205/20 "2002-07-23T20:42:28Z")
There’s also a tendancy in casual usage to refer jelly, jam, preserves, or any other such concoction as “jelly”. For instance, if I make a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, I’ll use either the strawberry jam or the currant preserves I have in my fridge. Exceptions to this are orange marmelade (which is hardly ever seen in America, anyway) and apple butter. Until I opened this thread, I’d never heard of apple jam or apple jelly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-jelly-usually-seedless-or-not/120205.md?page=2)