My husband, Stephen, loves when I can fruits and vegetables at the height of their seasonal ripeness. It reminds him of his childhood growing up in Fremont, Michigan, where his Grandfather had a large canning company that made baby food.

Canning is a way of life in Italy. When I visited family in Calabria in the summer I looked forward to participating in the ritual of canning tomatoes.

In Northern Italy, where I lived, I enjoyed pulling out a jar of Calabrian canned tomatoes on a cold winter day to make something comforting, while the memories of those summer beach days warmed my soul.