GRANDMA SYLVIA’S SWEET MANGO PICKLE
My grandma Sylvia Nair was a teacher and the wife of a minister in a not-well-off parish in the 50’s and 60’s. They often held church bazaars and sales to raise funds to build from an outdoor tent to a proper church building. Ma’s pickles were always a complete sellout. When I was young and got engaged I sat with her and wrote out some recipes but I wish to find one like the one below, not like the Ploughman’s as similar as it may appear, but with apples not mango . Sadly Gran is no longer here to share her secrets with me.
- 10-12 medium mangoes
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 1 cup vinegar to be used in 2 half cup quantities
- ½ cup oil
- 1 small roughly chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons ginger and garlic paste
- 1 cup pickle masala
- 2 tablespoons of honey or syrup or brown sugar
Preparing the mangoes:
Cut into segments, remove seeds and place segments in largish bowl. Segments can be cubed or long slices as you wish.
Add the salt, and more if you wish, and half of the 1 cup of vinegar.
Keep lightly covered, not sealed, and toss every day for 2 to 3 days.
Drain any water off at the end of that time and allow mangoes to dry out.
Assembling the pickle:
Heat the oil and braise the roughly chopped small onion.
Add the ginger and garlic, lower the heat, and stir gently.
Add the pickle masala, stir and remove from heat.
Add the last half cup of vinegar and stir, at this stage I may add more salt if I want, till combined.
Return to heat and simmer till most vinegar disappears. When slightly thick, remove and cool.
Add the honey, syrup or brown sugar in small quantities till suits taste and combine well.
Pour over the mangoes and stir to coat all the pieces.
Bottle in clean sterilised jars.
Note:
I also sometimes use cleaned yoghurt containers as the pickle is quickly eaten.
Recipe by Sylvia Nair and tested by Leora Nair
