Jam verus Jelly...It's a Choice!

By Christa D. Reed, Editor-in-Chief

The other day, as I was packing my youngest son’s lunch with his favorite choice of sandwich, the beloved PB&J, I started thinking about something that I just couldn’t get off my mind.  While spreading some grape jam across his bread I started thinking about what the real differences between jam and jelly exactly were.  I know it may not be one of the world’s most pressing questions but still, have you ever stopped to think about the real differences between jam and jelly?

After doing a little research I was surprised to learn that jelly is merely an imitation of jam.  Jelly is made strictly from the sugary juice of the fruit with additional additives and no real substance.  Jam, on the other hand, contains both fruit juice and whole fruit cut into pieces or crushed and then preserved. Good jam has a soft even consistency, a bright color, a good fruit flavor and a semi-jellied texture that is easy to spread but has no free liquid.  Jam is made with real bits of fruit where jelly is not.  Jam is a preserved substance that gets better and better with time and jelly just turns into a runny liquid.  Jam is the real thing and jelly is not. 

As we begin our 28^th year as the premiere publication for parenting twins/multiples, we are so proud of our magazine and website and everything we have accomplished over the years.  In many ways we are like jam…providing information in our magazine that offers even consistency, bright color, has good fruit flavor and is easy to spread.  In other words, our magazine has helped thousands of families over the years tackle the most challenging parenting issues in the most consistent and ‘real’ way.  We have published the most up-to-date research data and other important studies on raising twins; answered your tough parenting questions and we continue to provide real-life advice parents need when raising two, three or more children at one time.  We believe that we do this in a way that not only educates our readers but also entertains parents needing respite from the day-to-day challenges they face.

We are the “real bits of fruit” you find versus a sticky imitation that is filled with additives and not made with anything real.  So in many ways, TWINS™ Magazine is very much like jam because we have proven to be a consistent, full-flavored preserve that is filled with substance and just gets better and better with time. Therefore, when the question comes up jam versus jelly the answer seems very clear…jam is the real thing and jelly is not.

Our 28^th year will bring some exciting and interesting topics for the magazine and we will continue to dedicate all of our content to specific twin-related issues. Thank you to all of you for your continued loyalty and support for TWINS™ Magazine.

  Bio/Byline:  Christa D. Reed has been the Editor-in-Chief of TWINS™ Magazine since December 2007 and is also a professional Media/PR specialist.  Christa lives in Colorado with her husband Aaron and four boys, including a set of fraternal twins.