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preserves

French translation: conserves

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:preserves
French translation:conserves
Entered by: Tony M

02:42 Mar 16, 2017
English to French translations [PRO]
Food & Drink
English term or phrase: preserves
Contexte : pickles, jams, preserves, and soups

Liste de produits que l'on trouve en magasin

conserves de fruits? conserves de fruits et légumes?

(cornichons, confitures, conserves de fruits et légumes et soupes)
Fabienne Garlatti
Canada
Local time: 03:27
conserves
Explanation:
In the most general sense, as seems to be the case here, it just means 'conserves' — which can be of many things, e.g. bottled vegetables (and even meat products); presumanly your wider context makes it clear what products may be involved, so you probably don't need to specify that here.
By the way 'pickle' here doesn't mean specifical 'cornichon' as in the American sense of e.g. 'dill pickle' etc. — 'pickle' in this general sense refers to ANY kind of product that is 'pickled' (preserved) in a liquid based on vinegar etc. — e.g. pickled onions, pickled eggs, etc. So 'cornichon' would be a mis-translation.

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Note added at 6 heures (2017-03-16 09:07:52 GMT)
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To answer the point made by Sandra:
No, I agree, if 'preserve' here has the sense of 'a kind of jam' (as in your example of 'ginger preserve'), then it would not be 'conserves' — but I am reading this in the more general sense of 'preserves' (i.e. anything that might have been 'preserved', typically by bottling or canning).

It seems to me that (in the absence of more context) this more general interpretation fits better with the list of items as given. Had it for example been "pickles, jams and preserves, soups, etc." then it would of course have been clear thet 'preserves' had the sense of 'a type of jam'.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 jour4 heures (2017-03-17 07:40:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The problem seems to be that many people appear to be unaware of the slight ambiguity in the wor 'preserves' — certainly, in the US in particular, it is widely used for a sort of jam product ("La Cage aux Folles", Jerry Herman: "for hacking your way through the cherry preserve") ; I think this usage is now rather less used in GB, except when seeking to convey an up-market image. Or by Maggie Smith...
However, the original meaning of 'preserves' was simply 'anything you preserved' — I have a lovely little old '3d. Thrift series' book from the 1930's about 'bottling and preserving'! — and in this original sense, it is much closer to 'conserves' in FR, even though as Sandra and others have pointed out, this can cover a whole range of products, savoury / meat, sweet, or vegetables. I suspect possibly this older meaning may be less used in the US?

This is the meaning that I think is intended here, from the way the sentence is structured — though with scant help from the wider context.
I suspect that Asker may be in possession of more context that may clarify exactly what TYPE of productes are being 'preserved' here, in which case, further detail at this juncture may be unnecessary.
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:27
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5conserves
Tony M
4conserves de fruits
Francois Boye
3confitures
David Hollywood
4 -1confitures
Evelyna Radoslavova
Summary of reference entries provided
David Hollywood
fwiw, hth
writeaway

Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
confitures


Explanation:
confiture nf (fruits et sucre cuits ensemble)jam n preserve n

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Note added at 27 mins (2017-03-16 03:09:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ou: conserves

David Hollywood
Local time: 04:27
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: 'confiture' fails to maintain the s/t distinction with 'jam'
3 hrs
  -> ok Tony and thanks for the clarification
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47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
conserves de fruits


Explanation:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=conserves de fruits&form=EDGEA...

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Note added at 11 hrs (2017-03-16 13:52:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

An image of preserves:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=preserves&FORM=HDRSC2

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 03:27
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Germaine: rien n'est précisé dans le texte; il peut s'agir aussi de conserves de légumes, de poisson et de viande.
2 days 13 hrs
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
confitures


Explanation:
As far as I know, there is no single word in French to distinguish between "confitures de fruits entiers" and "confitures de fruits en morceaux", and I have a feeling that the distinction is irrelevant in your particular context. I would therefore use "confiture" to translate "jams, preserves", and inquire with the client (or make a best guess) as to what other products they might sell that would complete the list. You could, for instance, use "fruits confits", "compotes/ purée de fruits" or "marmalades".

By the way, the general term for "pickles" is "variantes" ;-)

Cheers :-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2017-03-17 01:03:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

À propos de "variantes": le français, comme dit Luc Labelle, "rayonne à partir de la France", alors pourquoi ne pas employer le mot juste? Sinon, on peut aussi dire "crudités en saumure".
Quant à "jams" and "preserves" - encore une fois, l'anglais fait une distinction là où le français n'en fait pas, alors on peut soit chercher à expliquer les réalités anglaises au lecteur français, soit adapter le texte au destinataire. Au traducteur de juger, selon la finalité de la traduction :-)

Example sentence(s):
  • variantes, confitures, purées de fruits et soupes

    https://food52.com/blog/11662-the-taxonomy-of-jams-preserves-and-confitures
Evelyna Radoslavova
Canada
Local time: 00:27
Native speaker of: Native in BulgarianBulgarian, Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: Tony is correct. tinned fruit, vegetables, beans pickles, jams, preserves, and soups "variante" hmmm, c'est pour un public français et je n'en avais jamais entendu parler :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: I think you are missing the point that 'preserves' seems to be being treated as a separate list item in its own right, tending to support the alternative reading I have suggested. Nothing to do with FR, it is just ambiguous in EN!
33 mins
  -> Not assuming anything, just pointing out that French does not discriminate on the same criteria as English. It's up to the translator to convey the author's message based on the translation's audience and purpose, rather than seek to translate every word.
disagree  Germaine: il s'agit de "conserves", tout simplement. Vous remarquerez que tous les termes sont des "génériques": on ne précise rien, ni fruits ni légumes pour les marinades, confitures et conserves, ni riz, nouilles, poulet, etc. pour les soupes.
2 days 3 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
conserves


Explanation:
In the most general sense, as seems to be the case here, it just means 'conserves' — which can be of many things, e.g. bottled vegetables (and even meat products); presumanly your wider context makes it clear what products may be involved, so you probably don't need to specify that here.
By the way 'pickle' here doesn't mean specifical 'cornichon' as in the American sense of e.g. 'dill pickle' etc. — 'pickle' in this general sense refers to ANY kind of product that is 'pickled' (preserved) in a liquid based on vinegar etc. — e.g. pickled onions, pickled eggs, etc. So 'cornichon' would be a mis-translation.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 heures (2017-03-16 09:07:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To answer the point made by Sandra:
No, I agree, if 'preserve' here has the sense of 'a kind of jam' (as in your example of 'ginger preserve'), then it would not be 'conserves' — but I am reading this in the more general sense of 'preserves' (i.e. anything that might have been 'preserved', typically by bottling or canning).

It seems to me that (in the absence of more context) this more general interpretation fits better with the list of items as given. Had it for example been "pickles, jams and preserves, soups, etc." then it would of course have been clear thet 'preserves' had the sense of 'a type of jam'.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 jour4 heures (2017-03-17 07:40:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The problem seems to be that many people appear to be unaware of the slight ambiguity in the wor 'preserves' — certainly, in the US in particular, it is widely used for a sort of jam product ("La Cage aux Folles", Jerry Herman: "for hacking your way through the cherry preserve") ; I think this usage is now rather less used in GB, except when seeking to convey an up-market image. Or by Maggie Smith...
However, the original meaning of 'preserves' was simply 'anything you preserved' — I have a lovely little old '3d. Thrift series' book from the 1930's about 'bottling and preserving'! — and in this original sense, it is much closer to 'conserves' in FR, even though as Sandra and others have pointed out, this can cover a whole range of products, savoury / meat, sweet, or vegetables. I suspect possibly this older meaning may be less used in the US?

This is the meaning that I think is intended here, from the way the sentence is structured — though with scant help from the wider context.
I suspect that Asker may be in possession of more context that may clarify exactly what TYPE of productes are being 'preserved' here, in which case, further detail at this juncture may be unnecessary.

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 106
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ArianeMarchand
42 mins
  -> Merci, Ariane !
agree  Sandra Mouton: Conserves évoque soit du salé soit du fait maison (pour les conserves de fruit)/ J'ai changé pour agree en réalisant que c'est peut-être effectivement du salé. Mais je maintiens, le sucré (eg ginger preserve) n'est jamais appelé "conserve" (en magasin).
2 hrs
  -> Pourtant c'est bien ce qu'on voit affiché dans un supermcarhé, par ex. ?
agree  Hélène OShea
3 hrs
  -> Merci, Hélène !
agree  Laurence Rapaille
3 hrs
  -> Merci, Laurence !
agree  Germaine: Au Canada, "conserves" évoque tout produit alimentaire vendu dans une boîte de fer blanc ou en pot.
2 days 10 hrs
  -> Merci, Germaine ! Yes, here in France too, as far a I am aware, just as in GB; it seems to me the more restrictive meaning mentioned by some people here is a modern US usage. Thank you for succintly expressing exactly the point I've been seeking to make.
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Reference comments


21 mins peer agreement (net): +1
Reference

Reference information:
Jelly, jam and preserves are all made from fruit mixed with sugar and pectin. The difference between them comes in the form that the fruit takes.

In jelly, the fruit comes in the form of fruit juice.
In jam, the fruit comes in the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruit (and is less stiff than jelly as a result).
In preserves, the fruit comes in the form of chunks in a syrup or a jam.

David Hollywood
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Evelyna Radoslavova: Yup!
9 hrs
neutral  Tony M: But this is only ONE meaning of 'preserves' — and not, I think, the one that applies in THIS source text.
1 day 4 hrs
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10 hrs peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: fwiw, hth

Reference information:
Larousse:
preserves
plural noun
cooking [jam] confitures fpl
[vegetables, fruit] conserves fpl
[pickles] pickles mpl

R&C:
c (Cookery) [+ fruit etc]conserver • mettre en conserve
■ preserved : en conserve
■ preserved food
(in bottles, cans) conserves fpl
(frozen) produits mpl surgelés
2 noun Afficher les conjugaisons ou les féminins et les pluriels. Écouter la prononciation.
a (Brit Cookery)
(= jam)confiture f
(= chutney)condiment m à base de fruits
b (= bottled fruit/vegetables)fruits mpl/légumes • mpl en conserve

writeaway
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Tony M
42 mins
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