Pickling is an age-old technique to preserve food and make it last longer. Pickling as a technique has been around for centuries across the world and it has always been used to increase the shelf life of many food ingredients that are either unavailable for consumption during most parts of the year or simply because pickling them is convenient. Mango pickles made in almost every household in India are a prime example of pickling so that mango, which is a summer fruit can be preserved and eaten round the year.
Now, since we have established that pickling as a technique makes food last longer, how long are we exactly talking about? When we talk about spicy Indian pickles, they can actually last up to a couple of years! However. Storing pickles and making sure that they do not go bad also requires some very important steps to be followed. You must have seen that pickles, which we are talking so highly about as food that can be preserved for years, go bad in a couple of months in your kitchen. How does that happen and what can be done to make those delicious pickles made by our parents and grandparents with lots of love last longer? Let us look at a few magical tips to make your beloved pickle or achaar stay fresh for a long time.
1. The most important part of Indian pickles that make them stay fresh for a very long time is the fact that it is loaded with many natural preservatives like salt, sugar, vinegar and jaggery. So, other artificial preservatives are not really required to store them, even at room temperature and not in a freezer. So, if you want your bottle of pickle to stand the test of time, avoid adding any additional preservative to it.
2. The jar where you store the pickle should be an air-tight glass jar. Glass is always the preferred material to store anything which is meant to last longer because it does not corrode and is less reactive.
3. Make sure that the oil content in the pickle is high. Preferably, let the oil reach the top of the jar, so that the pickle is completely covered by oil. Here, it is important to note that oil itself is not a preservative. But it can resist microbial growth by creating a hydrophobic environment. And making free moisture unavailable for microbes helps the pickle stay fresh for longer.
4. A very simple method to make sure that the pickle lasts longer is by the use of vinegar. Before transferring your pickle to the glass jar, make sure to add a couple of drops of vinegar and then fill it up with the pickle. And keep adding a drop of vinegar every once in a while. This increases the shelf life of your achaar considerably.
5. Make sure that the salt content of your pickle is very high, at least higher than what your normal gravies have. Salt is a class 1 preservative and the higher the salt content, the more your pickle stays fresh for a long time.
Other than these simple tricks, how you use and handle your pickle is also important. Never use a wet spoon to extract the pickle or dirty hand to do the same. Always use a clean, dry steel spoon to take out pickle. Keep adding oil to the pickle when you see it getting dry. Also, try to keep it out of a couple of hours in the sunlight every once in a while. Follow these tips to enjoy your favourite pickle for a long time.