Pickles 101 Indian Cuisine

For centuries fruits and vegetables have been preserved via sun-drying, curing in salt and pickling in a mixture of natural spice preservatives oil and vinegar.

The spices vary from region to region. The tastes vary in the depth of being sweet tangy and spicy hot. The texture varies from crispy and firm to soft.

Performance Benchmarks for Indian Pickles | Ingredients Guide for Punjabi Pickles

The Hot-sun Indian Pickle making and Hot sun | What are benefits of hot-sun in pickling?

Traditionally, the pickles are made during summer when the noon time temperature reaches over 102º F, and the humidity is low. The UV rays kill unwanted bacteria. The high temperature provides environment for 'low temperature pasteurization', and diffusion of flavors in the oil.

Four steps are performed: Prepare and dry, Salt cure, Prepare Masala Preserve, and Age. How to make Indian Pickles

Prepare Exemplar and Sun-Dry

The vegetables are washed cut and blanched. The fruits are washed and cut. The exemplar is laid out in hot sun to dry. You want to eliminate all traces of water used in preparing vegetables, and further lower the moisture level.

Lower moisture level delays or prevents bacterial growth

Typically, this is about 4 hours process

Drying process continues through salting and aging phases. Even during storage, the drying continues but at a much slower pace.

Salt-cure How to cure pickles with salt?

Salt helps to draw the moisture and some of the sugar out of the exemplar. The skin and rind of the limes and mangoes starts to turn brown and become softer. The salt-tolerant micro-organisms start to grow giving the pickle their unique flavor. Typically, this is about 4 to 6 days process

Masala Preserve (Spices Herbs Acids Vinegar and Oil)

Sugar, Cinnamon Cloves and Nutmeg act as preservatives. Garlic Ginger and Black Mustard seeds inhibit growth of microorganisms

Make sure there is enough acid. Acid prevents growth of un-wanted bacteria. Many fruits are naturally high in acid such as Limes Lemons and Mangoes, they do not need added acid. Vinegar, Tamarind, Lime juice may be added to low acid items such as vegetables and meat

Acid prevents the growth of spores of deadly botulism bacteria.

Oil is unique to Indian pickles. It provides a barrier to slow down drying process, act as preservative and help diffuse the spices

Acidify pickle mixture before adding oil. Oil will coat the exemplar creating a barrier to acid and oxygen making it vulnerable to botulism bacteria.

Aging

The high ambient temperature help the spice flavors to blend-in and get diffused. The acid is more uniformly distributed. The 'low temperature pasteurization', and drying process continues during aging. Typically, this is about 3 weeks process

Storing

Pickling Jars | How to sterilize jars?

In India, Imrit ban (Porcelain), Handi (earthenware) are used. In United States, 'Pickling Crocks' (Stoneware) may be used.

One gallon size is large enough to accommodate a pickle made of about 4 pounds of limes or vegetables.

The pickles should be stored in dry cool dark place. Some of these pickles (Kala Nimboo) will stay good past 25 years due to high acid and sugar.

Popular Pickle Recipes

Lime and Mango Pickles

How to make Punjabi style Lime Pickles? | Lime Structure Yield Selecting Juicing

Fresh limes and un-ripened tart Mangoes are used to make these pickles

The raw limes and mangoes are cured in salt in direct sun-light.

How to cure pickles with salt?

Spices and optionally oil is added to salt-cured exemplar. The pickle is aged for about 8 weeks.

These pickles can stored for up to 25 years at room temperature

Lime Ginger Serrano pickle | Lime Sweetened (Meetha Achar) Pickle | Lime in Mustard oil Classic Pickle

Lime whole Black Pickle | Mangoes in Mustard oil Classic Pickle

You can also chop and shred limes to make them as pickled chutney. Normally, these are cooked Lime Chutney Pickle | Mangoes Grated Sweet Chundo Pickle

Vegetable Pickles

How to make Punjabi style Vegetable Pickles? | Blanching Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are blanched, and pickled in spices, vinegar and or lime juice, and oil.

Popular exemplars are: Cauliflower, Carrots, Ginger, Karela, Turnip

Hari Mirch (Green Chili) and whole Garlic Cloves are routinely added as an adjunct spice.

The pickle is aged for few days

These pickles can stored for up to one year at room temperature

Carrot Turnip and Cauliflower Pickle | Cholay Pickle | Cranberry Pickle | Ginger Pickle (Adrak Achaar)

Lahsun Achaar Achar (Garlic Pickle) | Onion Garlic Ginger Pickle | Serrano Pickle | Piccalilli (Anglo Indian Recipe)

Non-vegetarian Pickles

In the olden days, the animals from the hunt were cleaned, and cooked in their own fat, Ghee or oil along with spices and herbs slowly till meats were tender. These were basically a confit and stored away for the season about 4 months. The popular item was wild Boar. Meats are high in protein and don't respond well as fruits with acid and sugar.

Popular non-vegetarian pickles are: Chicken, Prawns, Lamb

The exemplars are fully cooked, and pickled in a combination of spices, vinegars, and oils

Prawn Balchao | Prawn Pickle | Murgh Achaar (Chicken Pickle) Punjabi

Maas Achar (Lamb pickle) | Jungli Maas (Lamb Confit)