jelly and jam
 

just what is the difference between jelly and jam?

Jelly is made from only fruit juice. Jam is made with boiled, mashed fruits, iirc.

That's essentially what I thought too, but I wasn't going to phrase it as well.
I woulda said something like "Jelly has no bits in it. Jam has the bits."
But it may not be so black-and-white, i.e. perhaps some jams, though made with the fruit, may be filtered clean of fruit bits...

Jam is a thick mixture of fruit, sugar (and sometimes pectin) that is cooked until the pieces of fruit are very soft and almost formless. It is used as a bread spread, a filling for pastries and cookies and an ingredient for various desserts.

Jelly is a clear, bright mixture made from fruit juice, sugar and sometimes pectin. The texture is tender but will be firm enough to hold its shape when turned out of its container. Jelly is used as a bread spread and as a filling for some cakes and cookies. In Britain, jelly is the term used for gelatin dessert.

And you forgot one other...

Preserves are fruit cooked with sugar and usually pectin, used as a spread for bread. Preserves differ from jam in that the chunks of fruit are medium to large rather than the texture of thick puree.

So, when you were thinking of "has the bits", you were thinking of preserves. Neither jam nor jelly has actual bits.

nice answer, thanks

cant.... stop.... staring

oh, and is jello like the hospital dessert, or is that the same as jelly?

its so confusing.

in oz, jelly is the common dessert.
jam is both the 'with bits' preserves and the 'no bits - firm' spreads (both types).

jello doesn't exist down here.

I like jelly... never cared for the soggy fruit bits on my toast

bundy, Jell-O is a name brand given to a gelatin dessert (and yes, it's served in hospitals frequently).