Each summer, a quiet but determined ritual returns across Italian kitchens, from North to South: the making of conserve and marmellate. Far from being a nostalgic custom, this is a practical response to seasonality and abundance: if gardens, fruit trees, and markets overflow with ripe tomatoes, figs, cherries, peaches, and plums, we don’t waste anything, no! We jump on the opportunity to preserve their flavor for the colder months.

The term conserve generally refers to preserved vegetables and sauces, such as passata di pomodoro (sieved tomato sauce), sugo (cooked sauce with herbs or vegetables), or estratto (a dense tomato paste typical of Sicily, often dried in the sun). These are often made in large batches by families, who may invest an entire weekend blanching, pureeing, bottling, and boiling jars for long-term storage.