Jam
A thick, spreadable preserve made by cooking crushed or chopped fruit with sugar until it sets.
- Fillings, creams, frostings and sauces
Also called: jelly, preserves, gelée
Jam sets when pectin from the fruit, sugar and acid form a gel. Cooked jams usually reach the set point at about 220°F (104°C) at sea level, or when a little jam placed on a chilled plate wrinkles when pushed. Fruits low in pectin, such as strawberries, often get added pectin or lemon juice.
Jelly is made from strained fruit juice and is clear; preserves contain larger pieces of fruit; marmalade is made with citrus peel. Jam is used to fill cakes, thumbprint cookies and tarts.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
- RecipeStrawberry jam filling
- RecipeRaspberry jam filling
- RecipeBlueberry jam filling
- Dessert BuilderStrawberry shortcake layer cake
Tools for this
Ball Wide Mouth Pint Mason JarsAirtight glass with room for whole beans to steep or rest.See it on Amazon
Farberware Stainless SaucepanA heavy base heats evenly so dairy and sugar don't scorch.See it on Amazon
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONEReads in about a second, so you can hit sugar and chocolate temperatures exactly.See it on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that help with this technique.
Related entries
Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Jam (Q1269), Wikidata