The Mystery of Jam: Is It a Confection or Food?

31 May 2023

Author: Dave Tod, Sales Manager

strawberry jam

Jam is a sweet ‘food’ – which is thick in consistency and made by cooking fruit along with sugar.  However, a controversy has grown about which category it fits into due to its versatile role when complimenting the flavour of other dishes.

Commonly referred to as a condiment or spread, it is placed firmly in the category of foods by some food writers and experts.  However, on the other hand, many debate that the confection category owns jam due to its popular use in the creation of cakes, with the famous Victoria Sponge cake using strawberry jam as a main ingredient.

So, what would you consider it? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, jam is a “sweet, soft food made by cooking fruit with sugar to preserve it”.  Some would argue that the line is drawn there, as it states in the definition, it is a food.  However, the same dictionary source states that a confection is “a sweet food”, so where does that leave the final decision?

Ultimately, it’s up to you what you class it as.  BCH can help whether you argue it is a food or confection, but either way, we can ensure it is cooked to the very best standards.  BCH offers Vacuum Jam Systems that enable the food manufacturer to improve the quality by producing large batches at a lower cooking temperature.  The process helps to retain more of the natural flavour and colour as well as the whole fruit content.  The production process is from pre-mixing and heating of ingredients to the final manufacture of jam prior to filling.

Contact us now for more information on our Jam Processing Systems:

t: +44 (0) 1706 85 2122 e: info@bchltd.com