Closer to a custard or the filling for a lemon pie. The jar I have here (Dickinson’s brand) has both eggs and pectin. It’s good on toast, just like jam or marmalade, but I prefer lime most days, if I can find it.
Not truehttp://www.snopes.com/language/misxlate/berliner.asp
It’s the same in the UK, except t’other way about – i.e. any preserved fruit spread will typically be referred to as “jam”, even if it’s technically jelly (or preserve, or conserve etc).
And as far as I can tell, that’s the extent of the transatlantic difference; probably down to the fact that jelly is comparatively more popular in the US, while jam is more common in the UK.
Except that “Jelly” in the Isles can also mean gelatin dessert, while “jam” in the US never means anything except fruit spread like what you’d put on toast. The last time I mentioned a “peanut butter and jelly sandwich” to Brits, they got very confused at the notion of gelatin on a sandwich, but a Brit referring to jam wouldn’t confuse an American at all.
Yes, quite right. I was only thinking in terms of fruit preserves, but as you say (and as was mentioned earlier) in the UK the word “jelly” does have that wider range of meaning, and most people here probably would think of the dessert first, in most contexts.
I’ve got to say, I’ve always been a little surprised by the confusion, though: it’s not as though jelly (in the fruit-based spread sense) is that uncommon here – any supermarket will have a variety on the shelves. You’d imagine that people might think, “Jelly in a sandwich? Oh… THAT sort of jelly!” But apparently not.
Mmmm… Ginger Marmalade. 
'Mericans don’t eat ice cream with their Jell-o? (Seriously? You eat one or other but on combined?)
“Jelly-tip” is a very popular ice cream on stick here – vanilla ice cream with the top end made from a raspberry jello-like substance and covered in chocolate. The same company makes tubs of ice cream with the jello and choc flakes stirred through. 
Yes seriously.
We sometimes put whipped cream on jello, or even stir whipped cream, sour cream and/or cream cheese into jello, which results in an opaque desert. Overacheivers sometimes layer jello with creamy layers. We sometimes put cut up fruit in our jello (when half set, so the fruit “floats” in the jello). Sometimes we even put vegetables in our jello - orange jello with grated carrots and sometimes pineapple, raisins and/or walnuts was a big thing on picnic tables in the 1970’s. Someone once even did thiswith Jello, but we don’t like to talk about it.
But no…never ice cream. It sounds kind of gross, to be honest, although I’d be willing to try it. I just can’t imagine that combination of textures and temperatures being appealing.
I too am an American who would never even dream of eating Jell-o with ice cream. How preposterous!
This is certainly the case in South Africa - the term “Jelly” only and ever means the gelatin dessert.
Which you can have with ice cream (especially if you’ve just had your tonsils out) but is much better served with pouring custard. Which is, I believe, not that common in the US.
This is true - custard and jelly is a most tasty dessert.
I’m still really surprised to discover Americans don’t eat jelly and ice-cream. I was going to say that’s like eating sandwiches without butter/margarine/olive spread, but apparently the Yanks don’t do that either.
Sez who? Cold cut sandwiches with butter is one of my fondest childhood memories.
Yep, all of these are familiar more or less; I have in front of me the “Edmonds Cookery Book”, the quintessential Kiwi cookbook (1st ed was in 1955, this one is from the 19th printing): Banana Mould: Jelly crystals, cream, mashed banana…
OK… these, not so much.
Oh dear goodness… that’s triggered flashbacks of an unfortunate local commercial experiment with savoury yogurt that had bits of vegetable chopped into it. :eek:
Fair enough, cultural differences and all, but cool as I get to learn something new every day.
Looking further through the Edmonds book there are more than a few jelly desserts (or “cold sweets” as there are termed therein), some of which use evaporated milk, whipped cream, and even one with grated carrot.
It should be noted that the Edmonds company manufactured jelly crystals – along with many other baking goods – and their recipe choices somewhat reflect their range. 
I’ve never had a sandwich (or hamburger, for that matter) in the US which had butter, margarine, or olive spread applied to it. The very idea was met with bemusement by most of those I spoke with.
Then again, I do come from a country where a Real Hamburger 
includes beetroot. 
Says a load of people on here. In the UK, saying that sandwiches with butter is a favourite childhood memory would get the same bemused looks as if you’d said the same about sandwiches with bread.
I don’t anyone under 50 in the UK would be confused by the term peanut butter and jelly - it’s in so many TV shows and the meaning’s obvious.
Nope. I have a lovely jar of lime Marmalade in my fridge.
Butter on sandwiches (other than grilled cheese, of course, but that’s different) is uncommon to most Americans, but I don’t think anyone would consider it alien, in the same way as gelatin with ice cream. The former would elicit a response of “Huh, OK, I guess I could do that”, while the latter would be “Wait, what? Are you sure?”.