whats the difference between jams, jellies and preserves?

I couldn't tell you exactly, moon, at least not yet. I'm going to be canning (preserving) fruits and veggies this year for the first time so I may be able to have a better answer for you later in the season. I believe the difference is in how much of the actual fruit is left in. Jellies have no seeds or pieces of the fruit. Jams tend to have seeds of the fruits left in and preserves have actual pieces of the fruit left in them. I'll definitely be learning more on this subject later this year, actually in the not-too-distant future because my strawberries will most likely be the first to ripen and be ready for canning. I LOVE strawberry jam and that has seeds in it. I've also had strawberry jelly and that's okay but just doesn't seem right to me wihout the seeds, so I stick to the jam. I've had orange preserves that had pieces of the rind left in so I can only assume that would be the difference. I guess it's really a matter of personal taste and how much of the actual fruit you like in the stuff when you eat it. What was that commercial a few years back where someone said, "Please pass the jelly" and all the high-faluten, fancy-schmancies at the table were aghast. Was that a Smucker's commercial? I can't remember, only that the others at the table were shocked when the guy asked that question.

a jam is made with real fruit and a setting agent. jellies are flavoured preservatives and a setting agent. Preservatives are geletine made from hooves etc and a setting agent. james bond is a secret agent. john malcolm-bloodstein iv is an estate agent and moira mcdougall is my local news agent

I thought I knew the difference, but I figured I would look it up just to be sure I was right. Jam contains both fruit juice and pieces of the fruit's (or vegetable's) flesh In the U.S. and Canada, the term jelly refers to a type of clear fruit spread consisting of firmed fruit (or vegetable) juice made with pectin The term Preserves is usually interchangeable with Jam. Some cookbooks define Preserves as cooked and gelled whole fruit (or vegetable), which includes a significant portion of the fruit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam

not relaly sure if there is a difference tween jams & preserves.. maybe preserves dont contain the pectin and its just whole preserved fruit? i do know that jelly is just the juice of whatever fruit, no seeds no pulp etc. my parents used tomake the stuff every year after sending us kids out into the woods to pick berries by the buckets full. we were a hunt/gather sorta bunch.. if we couldnt find it in the backyard and beyond.. we didnt have it lol

From what i understand in making jellies and jams - Jellies are made of the juices of fruits and such and jams are made out the whole thing. Like strawberry jam has the seeds in it but jelly they strain it all out. Not quite sure about the preserves part.

i thinks its just the same or the jam is more fruity i gues

Jellies are made with primarily juice and have the fruit solids filtered out. Jams have more of the fruit solids in them, but are still spreadable. Preserves are mostly solid fruit in a sugar syrup. Preserves aren't really spreadable on a sandwich, but can be spooned over something like a biscuit. They are more the consistency of the filling in a cobbler.

The difference seems to be the texture of the final product. When pectin is cooked with sugar it results in a gel. Jellies are made from just the juice, jams are made from crushed or pureed fruit and preserves have larger pieces of the fruit, something like canned fruit but in a sugar gel instead of syrup. Here is a glossary of the different types should be of help. http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/MAIN/jams/jam2/jam-types-and-definitions.asp