Achara: Green Papaya Pickles
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The following day, the strong, heady aroma of onions and vinegar plunged at me when I removed the cover from the green papaya-carrot mix. I squeezed any remaining liquid out of the green papaya solution. Then I took out the refrigerated vinegar mix, blended it all together into the green papaya and finally had my achara. The pre-sterilized mason jars were ready to be filled. I poured the newly made achara into the jars. They looked shiny and gorgeous. Once done, I realized I had made two enormous containers of 16 ounces each. Even if I knew achara tastes better a day or two, or several days after, I couldn’t resist a little bite.
Achara- Green Papaya Pickles
Equipment
- Two mason glass jars (12 ounces each)
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 Tablespoons salt
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 knob fresh ginger about 2-inch piece,peeled, cut into matchstick-sizes
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds green papaya peeled, seeded and grated
- 1 whole carrot grated
- 2 whole long chile peppers cored, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 whole red onion sliced thinly
Instructions
- In a large nonreactive saucepan, over high heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, 1 Tablespoon of the salt, the garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors are well combined, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the ground black pepper. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- In large nonreactive bowl, toss together the papaya, carrots, peppers, and onion with the remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Line a colander with a double layer of rinsed cheese-cloth. Place the papaya mixture in the coriander and rinse well under running water. Pull up the ends of the cloth and squeeze to remove excess moisture. As Amy suggested “You may need to do this in two batches”.
- Transfer the papaya mixture to a bowl and pour enough of the pickling solution over to cover it. (Reserve any excess solution for marinades, dipping sauces, or similar uses.) Achara keeps for up to 6 months stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
- COOKBOOK AUTHOR’S NOTE: Look for green (completely green and unripe) papaya in Southeast Asian markets.
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Nutrition
Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.
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Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]
Ohhh, this is my favorite! So good with grilled & fried meat or fish! Saarrrraaaapp!
Hi Tina! Glad you dropped by. Yes, the Achara is our all-time fave for anything — from inihaw to nilaga. Sometimes, even just by itself, I secretly take a forkful and munch. Yum! (now it’s no longer a secret, LOL)
I can totally imagine eating this on the side of the grilled chicken you posted. I’ve never prepared anything with green papaya (had only at restaurants). I love pickles and relish, so I’d love this! Thanks for sharing this delicious Filipino relish! Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Nami! You will like this green papaya relish. Try it with the rice wine vinegar, it’s so easy & my kids ate more when I served this as a side dish.
Thank you so much for the Achara recipe i have been looking for the best one i hope this is it!!!!
Hi Josie! This is a great achara recipe and is a sweet side to any main dish. Hope you love it as much as we do! Thanks for the visit.
Can i use the same procedure for cucumber ? like the Ram’s sweet pickle relish
Hi, Janet. You can try it with cucumber that’s still very firm and crisp. Hope that helps 🙂
A must try recipe!
Can’t wait to try this one and have my good feedback shared. Tried different procedures in making this great side dish except your recipe.
Stay tuned for the feedback.
Thanks a lot mom.. i’m thinking doing achara business is a good idea. Maybe you can help me to make it perfect.
Thanks and best of luck!
How long would it last if displayed for sale stored at room temperature, still?
Hi Immie, as with all the recipes on this site, this recipe for homemade achara is for my family’s consumption. I make small batches, & as indicated in the recipe, keep the bottles refrigerated and we consume them right away. I wouldn’t know the shelf life without refrigeration and for commercial quantities.