Alternate Career option.....
Along with Gardening, I also made some Apple Jam and started on my mango pickle which I completed today.
If I had honestly known that making jams were so much fun, I would have never wasted money buying jams. And it seems like I am getting quite good at it, although my dear darling husband doesn't not approve of the pinch of red colour that I have added in the Jam to make it look yummier. What he does not understand is that a pinch of approved food grade colour does not effect the taste or the quality of the Jam at all, but who can explain that to this man, who without even tasting it, disapproved the use of colour in food. Hopefully by now you may have got the hint of the reason for my bitterness. Nevertheless, the jam turned out quite good, more than good I should say. There is just something about a fresh home made fruit jam.... makes you feel tingly and joyful inside every time you have it.
Coming to the Aam ka Aachaar(Mango Pickle), in most Indian rural areas, mostly grannies would make Aam ka Aachaar during summers with raw mangoes, which once ready would be enjoyed with parathas. It is a very tedious task to make aam aachaar as it takes 2-3 days in preparation, like soaking and then sun drying the mangoes, then cutting and storing it over night with the home made masalas in Mitti ka bartan (Clay pot) in a cool dark place, then next day mixing it again with mustard oil, which is heated up first and then brought to room temperature and mixed with the mango pieces and masalas, making sure your hands are absolutely dry as any kind of moisture will ruin the pickle. Once all the mixing is done, all of it is stored back in the clay pot with a lid, and preferably kept in the sun for 3-4 days. PHEW!!!! See, quite a task and hats off to the Grannies who still do make it every summer, not skipping a single step. Now as for me, this was again something I wanted to try for a while, but lack of space never allowed me to get on with this. Finally I made it, even though little in quantity, to check how it turns out, I must say I fared really well from the looks of it.
Maybe not have used the Traditional method, but hey I still have some time to get there, till then, looks like I have an alternate career in Jam and Pickle making.... Kissan are you reading this????!!???