Sometimes little mysteries like the difference in jam and jelly — along with marmalade, chutney, and fruit butter — just ought to be solved.

Fortunately some preserve-making experts from Lu Austin, Frawg N’ Turtle, and Lost Loon Farms were kind enough to help us out.

First of all, the term preserves covers all of the above.

“Preserves is a term simply meaning fruit that is preserved through a canning method,” says Tucker Hoffman of Lost Loon Farms. However, some people do use jams and preserves interchangeably when they really just mean preserves.

Jelly

“Jelly is made from the juice of the fruit only. Fruit is crushed, strained, and then is boiled with sugar and pectin in order to make a spreadable product,” Tucker says. Because all of the chunks of fruit are filtered out, anything from apricot to pear jelly has the same smooth finish when spread.

Jam

“Jams are purées made with fruit; they are thick, but not as firm as jellies,” says Jeff Klean of Lu Austin Preserves. They actually contain crushed fruit pulp, so finished gourmet jams contain bits of fruit and sometimes seeds. If you spread preserves on your toast and it’s a little chunky and uneven, call it jam.

Marmalade

“Marmalade is typically citrus-based and incorporates not only the fruit, but the rind as well. This gives marmalade a balance between sweet and bitter,” says Kevan Kipp of Frawg N’ Turtle.

They can be made with a single citrus fruit (e.g., orange marmalade) or with several (e.g., pineapple and lemon marmalade).

Chutney

“A chutney is a condiment made from fruits and/or vegetables that are cooked in vinegar, sweetened with sugar and in many cases, dried fruits, then flavored with spices. Their texture can vary from very smooth with chunks of fruit to more of a pulpy texture,” Jeff says.

Because of the vinegary-sweet-n-salty flavor, a peach or apple chutney makes a great marinade for meat.

Fruit Butter

To make a fruit butter, the fruit is cooked down to form a very thick purée. Perhaps the most popular of these preserves is apple butter spread.

“Apple butter is darker and thicker than apple sauce…[and] a different spice profile can be used, which may include…cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice,” Kevan says.

Now that you know the difference in jam and jelly, and the like — which one would you say is your favorite?

If you like German potato salad, you’ll love these potatoes. They have a similar flavor, but the recipe’s not as complicated.

I know a lot of people like to leave the skins on their potatoes. For this recipe, I think they’re better peeled – the potatoes absorb the flavor better. I also suggest cooking the potatoes with the skins on and peeling later. Cooked red potatoes are simple to peel – the skins pull off easily. Also, I like the texture of potatoes cooked in their skins better for this type of dish.

I used one of Frawg N’ Turtle’s specialty sauces in this recipe–the Original Apple Mustard spread. If you want a spicy potato dish, substitute their Hot N’ Horsey Apple Mustard, a horseradish mustard sauce, for some or all of the Original Apple Mustard.

Ingredients

• 1 pound red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, medium dice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Frawg N’ Turtle Original Apple Mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water. Peel and cut them into bite-sized pieces. You can do this well ahead of time and refrigerate until you need them, or do this right before they’re needed. Your choice.

Heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until they are soft but not browned.

Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are warmed through. Add the vinegar, mustard, and honey. Stir to combine the ingredients and coat the potatoes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Continue cooking, stirring as needed, until there’s no more liquid in the bottom of the pan.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm.

Shop Frawg N’ Turtle’s Fooducopia store for their specialty sauces.

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Donna Currie is a Colorado-based food writer who operates the blog Cookistry.

Instructions

Boil the wine and shallots in a heavy medium saucepan until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and boil until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix the crab meat, 1/2 cup crushed potato chips, breadcrumbs, and the next seven ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Using 1/4 cupful crab mixture for each cake, form mixture into sixteen 2 1/2 inch diameter cakes. (Can be prepared six hours ahead. Cover sauce and crab cakes separately and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, before serving.)

Place the remaining potato chips in shallow dish. Press each cake into chips, turning to coat evenly.

Heat two tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add crab cakes to skillet and cook until golden brown and heated thoroughly, adding more oil, about five minutes per side. Transfer crab cakes to paper toweled line plate to drain.

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Register with Fooducopia and receive a free cookbook filled with recipes inspired by some of the country’s most creative artisan food producers.