Many people talk about jelly and jam as if they're the same thing, but that couldn't be further from the truth. What's the difference between jam and jelly? Well, we're glad you asked...

Jam, jelly, marmalade, or preserve – whatever you're going for, these delicious fruit spreads are perfect for toast, for cakes, and to complement some good ol' fashioned cheese.

But they're not one and the same thing.

Whilst the difference is pretty subtle, jam and jelly are made differently, with jelly being more of an American recipe and jam stereotypically British.

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There's always a bit of confusion as to what these differences are, and we're here to clear things up for you, especially if you're looking to make one of these treats yourself.

TAG24's food guide will take you through the difference between jam and jelly, define each of these delicious treats, and end this debate once and for all.

The major difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made from stewed fruit, combined with sugar and spice, while jelly is made from fruit juice rather than whole fruits.

Then there's marmalade, of course, and the difference here is that this jam-like spread is made from citrus fruits rather than those used for your traditional jams. In other words, you could have an orange jelly, but not an orange jam. That would be orange marmalade.

Jam is a sweet spread, predominantly meant for bread, made of fruit that has been stewed and boiled on the stove. It is usually combined with sugar and a variety of spices, depending on the chosen fruit.

The most important thing to note about jam, though, is that it is made from physical pieces of fruit and not pre-squeezed juice.

This gives it a vastly different consistency to jelly. Instead of being smooth and jelly-like, jam is thick and wet, and doesn't hold in one place unless it is stored in a jar.

In addition, jam is generally not made from citrus fruits, otherwise it would be called something different – marmalade. Different jams can, however, be made from the likes of apricots, plums, strawberries and raspberries.

Jelly is a confiture made from fruit juice, without any solid fruit parts.

Again, the English language stole this one from the French as well. The word "gelée" means "to congeal", meaning that the fruit juice is boiled down with sugar until it forms, well, a jelly.

The main difference between jam and jelly is that, whilst jam is made from solid bits of fruit, jelly is made from only the juice.

You can do this with basically any fruit, including citrus fruits, with the most common and popular including quince, strawberry, grape, and currant.

Marmalade is more or less the same as jam, but made specifically from citrus fruits. The bitterness and sourness that comes from many citrus fruits is replicated in a marmalade, making it a preserve that tastes very different to a jam and has a vastly different texture due to the inclusion of citrus rind.

A preserve is actually any spread that has been made through the preservation of fruit with sugar.

This means that jam, jelly, and marmalade can all be considered preserves as they have all been preserved through the process of boiling with sugar.

Jam and jelly are totally different things, but also innately similar. Whilst the hardcore among us would never dare confuse the two, we don't blame anyone who does. Yes, they are both fruit-based preserves. Yes, there are some pretty important differences.

Whilst jams and marmalade are made from boiled fruit with added sugar, jelly is made purely from fruit juice. As a result, jam and jelly have significantly different textures and tastes. As to which one is better, that's where the debate can start all over again!