Calabrian jams and marmalades you absolutely must try

How can you preserve the flavour and aroma of summer, autumn and spring fruits all year round? With typical Calabrian jams and marmalades, a concentrate of pulp and aromas in a jar!

The tradition of Calabrian preserves is as old as the land itself: there is no grandmother or mother who does not take care to transform the sweet fruits of summer, preferably from her own garden, into delicious Calabrian jams and marmalades to spread on a slice of homemade bread.

This is why, more and more often, fans of slow and eco-sustainable tourism choose to holiday in Calabria in the low season, when it is possible to enjoy the sweetness of late summer or early spring, trying their hand at preparing tasty 'souvenirs' made with their own hands.

Are you a lover of homemade jams and marmalades? The end of summer is the ideal time to taste those from Calabria! In general, the low season, autumn and spring, are the best times to enjoy the first fruits of the season, but also the "dried" fruits in the form of succulent Calabrian jams. Those looking for an experiential holiday for the whole family, focusing on local products, will find it by booking one of the many farmhouses and educational farms that offer active holidays and gastronomic workshops for young and old alike. The alternative in the heart of the historic centres? Stay in the 'slow villages', where you can learn directly from the local elderly women!

The offer is varied and reflects the extraordinary biodiversity of the region, which holds a record for its fruits and flowers: from classic Calabrian jams and marmalades made from typical citrus fruits, many of which are PDO/PGI certified, to the pulpy fruits of late summer (from figs to peaches), the golden fruits of autumn and the first fruits of the spring undergrowth. You are spoilt for choice: from north to south, the region is a feast for the palate!

Do you love contrasts? Try the unmissable savoury Calabrian jams and marmalades, made with onion or chilli pepper.

In its traditional jams and marmalades, Calabria encapsulates the colours, aromas and flavours of the Mediterranean in every season of the year. Let's discover the typical products that form the basis of these delicious spreads!

Intoxicating, with the scent of orange blossom, bergamot jam comes from the city and province of Reggio Calabria, where the so-called 'Green Gold' is produced, whose essence boasts the PDO mark. Thanks to its unique geographical location and unmistakable organoleptic properties, bergamot is used in perfumery but also in pastry-making, especially for the production of extraordinarily sweet creams, jams and marmalades.

In addition to bergamot, Calabria's marmalades and jams include a range of delicious citrus fruits with undisputed health properties, providing a boost of vitamin C! There is a wide choice, including the very sweet jam or marmalade made from Clementine PGI, produced in large quantities both in the Sibari Plain (Corigliano and Cassano all'Ionio) and in the Gioia Tauro Plain (Rosarno).

Have you ever witnessed the peach trees in bloom in the Pollino National Park? An unmistakable sign of spring advancing on the slopes of the massif, offering breathtaking expanses of pink and a variety of mountain peaches with an unrivalled flavour: from the Cosenza side of Castrovillari and Morano Calabro to the Sibari Plain, it is all an expanse of peach blossoms. Spring is also the perfect season to enjoy some wild berries, such as wild strawberries and the first raspberries. Summer is the time for jam and marmalade made from Roseto Capo Spulico Cherries. Plump and sweet, this cherry has been crowned the 'most beautiful cherry in Italy'.

Did you know that the fig, the oldest fruit in the world, is a delicacy of Calabrian pastry-making? The prized Figs of Cosenza, with PDO certification, are dried and skilfully processed by generations of artisans. A native fruit of the Tyrrhenian coast, in the stretch between Belmonte Calabro and Amantea, the Dottato Fig is the main ingredient in some of the most delicious Calabrian jams and marmalades.

In autumn, the undergrowth is tinged with the dark red of blackberries and the hills overflow with gooseberries, both ideal for stocking up on Calabrian jams and marmalades, as are the sweet chestnuts and chestnuts of Calabria. Do you love sweet and sour contrasts? In Calabria, you can try the tasty Tropea Red Onion PGI jam and Calabrian Chilli Jam, both paired with Calabrian PDO cheeses.