Pick your pickles

Indian cuisine is a celebration of flavors, and Pickles—our humble achaar—are a testament to our deep-rooted love for vegetables. There’s something magical about transforming fresh produce into a jar full of tangy, spicy, and flavorful delights, all set to last months, if not years.

Pickling isn’t just about preservation; it’s an emotion, a nostalgic journey back to childhood when mothers and grandmothers packed tiny boxes of homemade pickles with our meals—ensuring a burst of flavor no matter where we went. From comfort food savior to gourmet companion, achaar is the unsung hero of our kitchens. Afterall, we are all #AchaarKeDeewane. A warm chapati or paratha with a dollop of achaar can rescue the laziest of cooking days, delivering an explosion of taste in every bite.

Pickles and Health: The Good, The Spicy, The Balanced

While pickles add zing to meals, they require mindful consumption. For those managing hypertension, it’s best to steer clear due to the high salt and oil content. However, for others, the spices in pickles offer beneficial antioxidants that help combat free radicals, while their essential oils may support gut health by reducing harmful bacteria. A balanced approach allows pickles to be a flavorful yet functional addition to your plate.

Pro Tips for Perfect Pickling

• Always use fresh and odour-free bottles.
• Sterilize the bottles by rinsing with hot water, wiping dry with clean towels and finally drying in the sunlight.
• Adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the bottle and shaking well before bottling the pickle will prevent fungus formation.
• The proportion of salt to fruit, while using acidic fruits like lemon and raw mango, should be 1:4 in volume.

Finally, some handpicked recipes, just for the pickle person in you!

Mixed Vegetable Pickle

This can be considered as one of the most popular pickles after the raw mango pickle. A mix of various vegetables, a tangy taste and some spiciness makes for this typical desi achaar. You can be free in your choice of vegetables to go.

Garlic Pickle

Garlic has amazing health benefits and for those who love this robust flavour a little too much, this pickle is just the right thing! With minimum kitchen ingredients, and a stock of garlic, this pickle also gets done in a blink of an eye (pun intended!).

Jackfruit Pickle

This delicious pickle is slightly underrated, but, we would like to give it it’s due respect! Let us tell you, it can outrank any of your favourite pickles effortlessly. The crunchiness of jackfruit and the spiciness of red chillies are put together to make this zara hatke pickle. Try it out, you will love it!

Indian gooseberry Pickle (amle ka achar)

Indian gooseberry or amla is considered as a popular Superfood, with an array of health benefits. Amla achaar is something which you have been enjoying since ages to accompany your meals. It has the perfect balance of being sweet and spicy which makes it a star amongst all achaars

Drumstick Pickle

You might have not heard of this yummy pickle but let us tell you, it is a favourite in South India. There are a lot of curries and sabzis made of drumsticks, and this pickle is another delicious addition to the list. This spicy and flavour packed pickle is sure to tingle your taste buds. The South Indians like their share with curd-rice or dal-rice, what will you pair it up with?

Nimbu ka Achar (Lemon Pickle)

Amongst the wide range of pickles to choose from, lemon pickles steal the limelight every time. Their strong and delicious flavour remains supreme till date. They have the best of tangiest flavours packed in them and are the easiest to make at home.

Green Chilli Pickle

One can’t really miss out on this one when pickles are being talked about. Even if you are not so much of a spice lover, this pickle is just irresistible. It is the quickest and simplest way to add some zing to your boring meals. Try it ASAP!

While summer remains the ideal season for pickling, especially for classics like Aam ka achar and Karonda Pickle, many Indian pickles can be crafted year-round with the right techniques. However, with rainfall affecting parts of India, the high humidity poses challenges, increasing the risk of fungal growth and spoilage. To counter this, it's essential to sterilize jars thoroughly, dry them completely, and maintain the proper salt balance for preservation. Storing pickles in cool, dry areas and checking regularly for spoilage ensures freshness. With the right precautions, pickling remains a time-honored tradition, adding seasonal depth to India’s beloved achaar culture.