What’s the difference between jam and fruit spread?

There’s nothing healthier for breakfast than bringing fruit to the table, perhaps a tart, and abandoning industrial products full of sugars and hydrogenated fats that certainly do not help maintain a balanced diet.
And what better way to do this than by following the path of flavor: through jams, preserves, and compotes. We often mistakenly use these terms interchangeably as synonyms; one is worth the other: nothing could be more wrong!

The difference between preserve and marmalade: a will of Pertini

According to legal provisions and more specifically under the European directive no. 79/693 of 1979, adopted by the Italian legal system in 1982 with the D.P.R. June 8, 1982, no. 401 precisely at the will of President Pertini, these terms must be used according to precise meanings dictated by stringent criteria that mainly concern the choice of ingredients and the percentage in which they respectively compose marmalade, preserve, and compote. The goal of this directive has primarily been to establish common definitions and rules for the interested products but also, perhaps in a more indirect way, to protect the consumer by providing them with the tools to always choose with awareness and hence always aim for the best products.

The difference between marmalade and preserve, compote: the numbers

The term marmalade refers to a product prepared by mixing sugar and citrus fruits such as orange, tangerine, lemon, cedro, bergamot, or grapefruit, in which the percentage of fruit is at least 20%; the parts of citrus fruits that can be used to prepare marmalade include pulp, puree, juice, aqueous extracts, and even the peel. In contrast, the term preserve indicates the product containing sugar and exclusively pulp or puree of all types of fruit that are not citrus. The percentage of fruit in this case, on the other hand, cannot be less than 35% although it may fluctuate below the minimum threshold depending on the fruit used. The extra preserve instead differentiates itself by reaching a fruit content percentage of 45%.

When it comes to compote, the delimitation of this term is primarily derived not from regulations but from custom, and therefore, in this case, it is considered that the percentage of fruit should not be less than two-thirds, rising to 70%. In reality, what specifically differentiates compote is the presence of a significantly lower quantity of sugar. In practice, when you find the label indicating fruit compote, you are purchasing a product that does not have a sufficient sugar content to be called either marmalade or preserve.

The more general term conserve refers to any food, of animal or vegetable origin, treated and packaged in such a way that it can be stored for a long time without its characteristics being altered over time; consequently, broadening the boundaries of the previous delimitations, one could refer to a fruit-based product such as preserve, but also to a tomato sauce.

The excellences of the territory for unique jams and preserves

To create truly unique preserves, jams, or compotes, the most important thing, beyond possible regulatory limitations, is undoubtedly the selection of raw materials, particularly the fruit. For preserve, we are talking about the most classic versions such as those with strawberries, cherries, peaches, apricots, but also about more elaborate ones created by mixing different ingredients that together can create truly extraordinary products.

An example can be the preserve of pear, orange, and vanilla, created with extreme skill by Le Spiazzette, a reality located in the heart of Marche, in the Sibillini Mountains. Speaking of compote, a product of excellence is certainly the compote of Rosa Apple from the Sibillini Mountains, another incredible product created by the skilled hands of Le Spiazzette; it is essential to emphasize, for instance, that this compote is produced using an excellent ingredient, namely the Rosa Apple of the Sibillini Mountains Slow Food Presidio, a traditional variety from the hilly area at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains, part of the Apennine mountain range.

Another truly excellent and entirely special choice is undoubtedly the compote of Visciole and Pears with Ginger scent from Corte Luceoli, produced using only visciole from Cantiano, an ancient medieval village in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, considered the best as they have grown spontaneously in that area for centuries, even since Roman times.

Finally, when talking about marmalade, our first choice is undoubtedly represented by the products of Frantoi Cutrera, a dynamic family business located in Chiaramonte Gulfi, a small village in the southeastern part of Sicily, in the province of Ragusa. Sicily, a land of sea and citrus groves, amidst its numerous qualities, provides the raw material to produce the best marmalades like the marmalade of Femminello Lemon, a particular variety of lemon especially widespread in Ionic and Tyrrhenian Sicily, or the marmalade of Late Mandarino di Ciaculli Slow Food Presidio which owes its name to the borough where it was discovered and to the ripening period, later than the more common varieties of mandarin.

All these products are created using true excellences from the Italian territory that can boast a long tradition behind them, which is still preserved today, trying at the same time to bring a breath of innovation in order to create always new products that are truly extraordinary and can satisfy the tastes of everyone, even the most demanding. Spaghetti & Mandolino has always sought to offer a wide range of products by searching far and wide across Italy for genuine rarities in a jar that originate from the ancient recipes and centuries-old traditions of some of the most beautiful Italian villages. Thus, thanks to the passion and experience of the best artisanal producers, authentic flavors and sophisticated mixes are created that will allow you to make your breakfast, snack, or treat truly unforgettable moments.

Ilaria Chesini