Preserved Food

Pickling or preserving vegetables, fruit, fish, cheese or even cured meat is a long-standing tradition in Italy. Anything that is pickled, such as capers or vegetables, is known as ‘sott’aceto’ (in vinegar). Food preserved in olive oil, such as goat’s cheese, wild mushrooms, tiny salami, vegetables such as peppers and many others are referred to as ‘sott’olio’ (in oil). Some northern areas use pork fat instead of oil, covering the food and then sealing the jars to keep it moist and fresh.

The tomato harvest is so plentiful and so vital to southern cuisine that all kinds of useful ways have been devised of preserving tomatoes for the winter and spring: good supplies of pelati (canned tomatoes) and concentrato di pomodoro (concentrated tomato purée) are essential items.