It started with a jar of homemade grape spread brought into the radio station by Country 88.9 FM host Ty Hildebrand. Was it jam? Or was it jelly? It’s something many Pembina Valley kitchens have been debating for generations.
Jam vs. jelly: What’s the difference?
The distinction is simple but tasty:
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Jam is made with crushed or chopped fruit, cooked down with sugar until thick. You’ll see and taste bits of fruit pulp.
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Jelly is made from fruit juice that’s been strained free of pulp, creating a smooth, translucent spread (Smucker's).
So, if your toast is topped with chunks of strawberry or saskatoon berries, you’re eating jam. If it’s clear and spreads like a jewel-toned glaze, it’s jelly.
Manitoba’s favourite flavours
Here in Manitoba, our gardens and wild harvests give us plenty of options for the perfect spread. Whether it's strawberry, raspberry, wild blueberry, saskatoon, plum, choke cherry, apricot or even rhubarb, those are only a few of the numerous Manitoba-made jams we find at local farmer's markets and grocery stores.
And of course, grapes, sometimes from backyard vines, find their way into jars too.
Fun facts to spread around
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Canadians eat about 1.4 kg of jam per person per year on average (Statistics Canada, 2020).
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Jam and jelly are some of the earliest “convenience foods,” dating back centuries as a way to preserve fruit past its season (Encyclopedia Britannica).
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The word “jam” comes from the idea of “jamming” fruit into a jar. While jelly, from the Old French gelée, refers to its gel-like texture (Etymology Online).
Your turn, Pembina Valley!
Ty’s grape experiment has us curious...what’s your go-to jam or jelly? Do you swear by raspberry with seeds, smooth grape jelly, or maybe a family recipe passed down through generations?
We’d love to hear your favourite flavours, memories of making preserves with family, or even tips for getting that perfect “set” in your jars.