This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 27 August 2022. Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose dry fruit jelly preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread.
There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the method of preparation, type of fruit used, and place in a meal. The term preserves is usually interchangeable with jams even though preserves contain chunks or pieces of the fruit whereas jams in some regions do not. Closely related names include: chutney, confit, conserve, fruit butter, fruit curd, fruit spread, jelly, cheese and marmalade. In the English-speaking world, the two terms are more strictly differentiated and, when this is not the case, the more usual generic term is ‘jam’. The singular preserve or conserve is used as a collective noun for high fruit content jam, often for marketing purposes.
