Hi Everybody,
Today’s recipe is for a simple salad-style
pickle that is enjoyed as a very popular snack
in Mauritius by adults and kids alike.
I clearly remember the pickle sellers, at
the street corners, with their carts ladened
with big jars of pickles of different local
fruits and vegetables namely green mangoes,
pineapples, cucumbers, giant green olives,
chayotes, ambarella fruit (or what we locally
call 'fruit cythère') and jicama.
So, following on from the previous video where
I featured jicama and mentioned about the
pickle preparation, today in this pickle,
along with jicama, I am also using fresh pineapple
and semi-ripe mango, because I couldn’t
find a very green one.
Jicama, is fairly easy to peel, just lift
a section of the skin and pull it off. Then
just remove the small bits of skin that are
left behind. You can cut the jicama in any
way that you like so that it fits through
the mouth of the jar that you are going to
use. But the typical way that we cut it is
large slices of about 5 mm thick.
Then proceed to peeling and slicing the mango.
Cut the flesh as close as possible to the
pit then cut the two mango cheeks into 4 to
5 slices. I am used to cutting mangoes since
I was very young so I feel comfortable cutting
it in the palm of my hand. But to be safer,
you can place the mango on the cutting board
and be very careful.
As for the pineapple, we have another video
where we’re demonstrated how we peel it
with minimum wastage. I’ll leave the link
in the description box if you want to check
it out. By the way if you are wondering whether
you can use canned pineapples, well no, they
won’t be suitable in this pickle preparation.
For the amount of pickle that I am making
today, I am only using half of a medium size
pineapple.
Once all the fruits and vegetables are cut,
fill the jars with an equal amount of each.
Or you can keep them separate but, when they
are mixed, the blend of juices released from
the different fruits add a lot more flavour
to the pickle.
I also like to add a few pieces of dried chilies
in each jar for a little kick. But this is
optional.
To prepare the pickling water is just a matter
of mixing all the remaining ingredients together.
So, the sugar, salt, water and vinegar. I’ve
listed the ratio needed per jar so you can
multiply it for the amount of pickle you are
making.
While the ratio of vinegar to water, sugar
and salt may vary depending on personal preferences,
the amounts that I’ve used in the recipe
are the ones that I've found to be the most
agreeable and reminiscent of the traditional
pickles sold by the pickle sellers.
Just make sure that the water you are using
is filtered, boiled then cooled for food safety.
Alternatively, you can bring the water to
a boil, then add in the sugar and salt. Then,
stir to dissolve. And then, add in the vinegar.
But you will have to let this mixture cool
down completely before adding it into the
jars.
Now fill the jars with the pickling water
to completely immerse the fruits and vegetables.
Do not overfill the jars though and leave
a little space at the top. Place the lids
on but do not over-tighten them as the fermentation
will release some gases and the jar may either
explode or it will be very difficult to open
afterward.
Leave the jars on the counter for at least
6 hours or preferably 24 hours before consuming.
Or for even tastier pickles, if you have the
sun where you live, place the filled jars
in the sun to cure the fruits and vegetables
for a few hours or up to a whole day.
So, this is how we usually pickle jicama or 'patate/batate chinois' as we locally call it in Mauritius.
And I do not personally know of any Mauritians who is not fond of fruits pickled in this way,
especially the local fruits that are very nice and popular.
So, I hope you've enjoyed this quick and easy recipe. It's a great snack for adults and kids alike.
And if you've liked this video, don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe.
And by the way, if you've missed one of our previous videos where we've used jicama,
you can check it out. I'll leave the link in the description box.
So now let me taste this for you.
Mmmm!
So good! :D
