Jam

Jam is a thick, spoonable fruit preserve with pieces of cooked fruit suspended in a glossy gel. It tastes sweet-tart, spreads easily yet holds its shape, and softens when warmed. Common uses include spreading on toast, filling pastries and cookies, glazing meats, and layering cakes; it's sold in jars and single-serve tubs.\n\nJam evolved as a way to preserve seasonal fruit with sugar, with techniques refined in Europe as cane sugar became widely available. It features prominently in British, French, and Middle Eastern cuisines, and modern production cooks fruit with sugar and pectin before hot-filling for shelf stability.