Quick pickles - Kerala Style!!!!!!!!. Review on Tips for Making Pickles at Home

I’m a lover of home cooked South Indian food & pickles are a must for me during lunch, dinner and at times for breakfast too. Some of  the traditional pickles take a long time to be ready for consumption like “Kadu Manga'(Tender mango pickles which are prepared and kept for months before serving so that all the masalas fuse into the mangoes). I like to experiment with cooking and hence tryout making easy, instant pickles. I never use the readymade pickle powder that’s available in the market because somehow my tastebuds refuse to accept them. I’d like to share a few tips & methods of making pickles quickly.

For making mango pickle, take 2 medium sized raw mangoes and peel off the skin. Cut them in to tiny pieces and rub it with salt(according to taste) and keep aside for  an hour or two. Then add to it a heaped tablespoon of red chilly powder, a pinch of asafetida powder(Hing) and a pinch of fenugreek powder. Mix well and keep for a few hours.The pickle is ready for use. If this is to be kept longer, gingely oil can be added on top after transferring it to the container. The quantity of red chilly powder can be adjusted according to your taste. Carrots also can be pickled in the same way but it’s a must to add vinegar to the carrot pickle. Also, it has to be kept for a day or two before using.

I hate to eat bitter-gourd (Karela) but am extremely fond of the pickle made of it. Whitish coloured Karelas will be less bitter than the dark green ones. For removing the bitter taste, cut it in to thin pieces & rub a little salt and turmeric powder on to it. Keep for 10 minutes and then steam them till half done. Chop 2-3 green chillies and a few cloves of garlic. Take a pan and heat a tablespoon of oil and after that add some mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the chillies, garlic, a few curry leaves and quarter teaspoon turmeric powder. Then add the prepared karelas and adjust the salt according your taste. After a minute, turn the fire off and add enough vinegar to it.(Quarter cup will do). This can be used the next day but is best after 2-3 days.

For making quick lemon pickle, take a few lemons( the salad variety will be better)peel off the skin, cut it in to small pieces and put it in a glass container along with a few chopped green chillies and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Add salt and a few drops of vinegar. Mix well and keep it overnight. The pickle will be ready to use the next day. It can be kept refrigerated after that.

Before making any pickle, some care has to be taken:

Make sure that the utensils used for mixing and the container used for storing the pickle is thoroughly dry.

Wash the vegetables well and wipe off the water on them with a clean cloth/tissue.

Its always better to deep fry fish/prawns/meat and then use them for pickling.

For pickles in which vinegar is used, there is no need of adding any other preservative.

The tinier the pieces, the earlier the pickle will be ready for use.

A pinch of sugar added in the end will neutralize the effect of any strong flavor that is present in the pickle.

If pickles are to kept for a long time, see that the oil floats on the top and always take the pickle with a dry spoon.

You may sun-dry the vegetables for a day(rub some salt on to it) and then pickle it. Its tastier.

Pickles made with dried vegetables can be kept for a longer period of time.

Usually, lemon pickle takes a few days to get the right taste but it can be easier done if the skin of the lemon is peeled off before making the pickle. Big lemons like the variety used in salads can be used for this.

Either steam gooseberry or sauté in oil before preparing the pickle. This helps to soften the gooseberry.

Always use fresh, firm vegetables for making pickles.

After serving, never put any leftover pickle back in to the jar.

These are a few tips I know and I hope it helps those who need it.