Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com where smart Happens. Hi Marshall Brain with today's question, what is the difference between jelly, jams and preserves and what exactly is jello? Jelly, jams, and preserves are all made from fruit mixed with sugar and pectin. The difference between them comes from the form that the fruit takes, so in jelly, the fruit comes in the form of fruit juice. In jam, the fruit comes in the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruit, and so it's less stiff than
jelly as a result. In preserves, the fruit comes in the form of chunks of fruit in syrup or in a jam. Pectin is an undigestible carbohydrate. In other words, it's a fiber. It's found in the cell walls of most fruit. When heated with sugar and water, it gels, and that gives jelly and jam and preserves their thickness. Jello, on the other hand, is entirely different. It's made from gelatin, which is a protein made from animal skins and bones.
The protein gels after you boil it. Jello usually has some natural or artificial colors and flavors added, and that's why it has fluorescent colors. Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The hou Stuff Works iPhone app has arrived. Download it today on iTunes.