Pickles kept carelessly grow microbes, ferment and spoil. Daily Bangladesh's lifestyle section sets out some rules for keeping pickles good for a long time. The first is cleanliness: both the hands of the person storing the pickle and the place where it is kept must be clean.
Clean glass jars are best. Wash jars and lids, dry them completely and, if possible, put them in the sun. Knives, spoons, strainers, bowls, pans and trays used in making the pickle should be washed with soap, soda and hot water and dried. After washing the fruit or other ingredients, drain them fully and dry them well.
Sugar, jaggery, salt, vinegar, oil and spices are the preserving ingredients. Too little salt raises the risk of microbes, while the right amount keeps flavour and aroma. Make sure a layer of oil stays on top. Adding vinegar also helps a pickle keep, and turmeric, fenugreek powder and asafoetida help too. The article also mentions approved preservatives such as sodium benzoate where needed.
Taking pickle out with dirty hands or a wet spoon, or keeping it in a damp room, spoils it. Take a little from the big jar into a small pot for daily use so the main jar is not opened again and again. A jar that is not properly sealed lets germs in, and the pickle rots and smells.
Do not leave a pickle untouched once made; put it in the sun from time to time, and the article suggests at least an hour of sun a day. Refrigeration also keeps pickles longer, because cold slows the growth of fungi and germs. Check the jars once a week.
If a pickle swells in the jar, grows mould or changes colour, it is a sign of spoilage and it should not be eaten.
Reporting: Warisha, Daily Bangladesh
Photo: Sonia Goyal Jaipur / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0); mango pickle
Source: Daily Bangladesh
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