Jelly is a clear, smooth fruit preserve made by cooking fruit juice with sugar and a gelling agent—usually pectin—until it thickens. Unlike jam, jelly contains no fruit chunks or pulp. It's known for its firm but spreadable texture and its glossy, translucent appearance.

Early forms of jelly can be traced back to ancient civilizations that boiled fruit juice with honey to preserve it, much like early jams. In Europe, fruit jellies were prepared by straining juice from cooked fruit and boiling it with sugar. These clear preserves were considered elegant and were often served at royal or noble tables.

As sugar became more affordable, jelly recipes appeared in cookbooks and became popular in well-off households, especially in England and France.