Difference Between Jelly and Marmalade

Across all cuisines in the world, some sort of fruit concoction is sure to be found. Jelly and Marmalade are two of the most prominent ones.

They are fruit-based preserves that are sometimes used in desserts, roasts, on slices of bread, or sometimes simply to enjoy fruit flavors off-season.

Jelly vs Marmalade

The difference between Jelly and Marmalade is that Jelly is made with fruit juices and can be made with any juicy fruit whereas marmalades are made only with citrus fruits. Jelly uses artificial thickeners whereas Marmalades do not because they naturally thicken. Jelly uses only fruit Juice whereas marmalades use the whole fruit.

Jelly is a fruit concoction made from fruit juice, sugar, and thickeners such as pectin. They are used in sandwiches along with peanut butter, or to bring acidity to stews.

Its consistency is very soft but still firm enough to hold the shape of the container in which it was cooled down, creating a wobble effect.

Marmalades are fruit concoctions made by boiling whole citrus fruits with peels in water and adding sugar. It is then cooked until it reduces to a thick consistency with a varied texture including fruit rind and pulp.

The most popular marmalade is made from oranges which are the most consumed citrus fruit.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Jelly	Marmalade
Consistency	It has a thin, smooth, and fragile consistency that wobbles when force is applied.	It has a thicker and coarser texture because of fruit pulp and peels.
Ingredients	It contains fruit juice, pectin or gelatin, sugar, and water.	It contains entire fruit segments with peels and rind, water, and sugar.
Method of Preparation	The ingredients except thickener are boiled and then thickener is added and the mixture is cooled in molds.	All the ingredients are boiled and cooled at room temperature.
Origin	It originated because of a lack of bacon for the Hungarian troops who ate this fruit product instead.	It was created by the Portuguese in the late 15th century.
Health	Jellies have more sugar content and artificial thickeners as well therefore they are not very healthy.	Marmalades have dietary fiber, less sugar and are completely natural and healthy.

What is Jelly?

Jelly is a semi-solid concoction made from the juices of fruits, coffee, vegetables, or any other liquid. The process of making jelly involves various steps.

In the case of fruit jelly, the fruit juice is boiled with sugar and when it reaches a certain temperature, thickeners such as pectin or gelatin are added and the mixture is poured into molds

and allowed to cool down either in refrigerators on in the open.

The result is a semi-solid and semi-transparent delicacy that has a fruity taste and has a very soft texture which creates a wobble when hit with a spoon.

Jelly is strictly made only from fruit juices and, therefore, has a uniform and light texture. They can be flavored with anything but fruits and berries are the most common.

They are spread on bread, eaten with ice-creams, or served as dessert on their own. Cranberry jelly is widely served with Roasted Turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

Jelly desserts were first recorded in an 18th-century book and approximately 250 years later, they have the favorite of children and also a traditional presentation on many days of significance.

Jellies have a very smooth texture and are very sugary, therefore, they shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities, to maintain health.

What is Marmalade?

Marmalade is a fruit concoction or a method of preserving fruit. Marmalades are made from citrus fruits such as oranges, kumquats, lemons, etc and they can also be made with several citrus fruits at once.

It has a method of preparation similar to jellies. The most preferred fruit for marmalade production is Seville Oranges which have a high pectin content, which is a thickener.

Fruits such as oranges are segmented and boiled with large quantities of water and sugar, including their peels and rind, and then cooled down and allowed to set.

Marmalades have a shelf life of about a year if refrigerated and stored properly. They have a thick and varied texture since the fruit pulp and peel are never strained out.

Marmalades have existed since ancient times when Romans acquired their preparation from Greeks. The presence of peels and rind introduce bitterness to the marmalade which people like.

Marmalades are eaten by applying on toasts and also with stews or roasts. It contains more dietary fiber and less sugar than other jams and jellies which makes them a healthier option.

Orange marmalade is the most popular kind, followed by Yuzu marmalade made which is Made in Japan. Different regions of the world all have different variations and recipes which all have different shelf lives.

Main Differences Between Jelly and Marmalade

1. Jellies are of a thinner consistency than marmalades which are thick and are also much smoother.
2. Jellies do not have any pulp and are made purely out of fruit juice whereas marmalades are made of the whole fruit including peels and pulp.
3. Jellies use artificial thickeners such as pectin and gelatine whereas marmalades are naturally thickened using the pectin present in oranges.
4. Marmalade is a term used only for citrus fruit preserves whereas jellies can be made out of a wide assortment of ingredients.
5. Marmalade is typically pieces of fruit suspended in light-colored gel and is more tart whereas jelly is darker colored as it is reduced fruit juice.

References

1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JPgkEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT7&dq=jelly+and+marmalade&ots=Rfaz4q1I9U&sig=Ivr43_ScCQByJBvbeG3uPwyGJ88
2. https://search.proquest.com/openview/fcc65ac8dfbc5e5a3df4123c4f5ec4a3/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2040557