Chavchav Pickle (Mixed Fruit Pickle)

Ingredients

• 60 count Raw mangoes (Koyal variety or similar sour mangoes) (Use firm, unripe mangoes.)
• 5 pounds Sugar (Originally '5 Seer'. Converted based on historical measure (1 Seer ≈ 1 lb).)
• 1 pound Tamarind (New tamarind, seeds removed. Originally '1 Seer'.)
• 1 pound Dried dates (Kharek) (New crop. Originally '1 Seer'.)
• 1 pound Dried orange peel (Cut into small pieces. Originally '1 Seer'.)
• 1 pound Kokum (New crop. Originally '1 Seer'.)
• 1 pound Large black raisins (Originally '1 Seer'.)
• 1/2 pound Chili powder (Pure, unadulterated. Originally '0.5 Seer'.)
• 1/2 pound Fresh ginger (Scraped and cleaned. Originally '0.5 Seer'.)
• 2 jars Chinese Chow-chow preserve (or preserved ginger in syrup) (Originally '2 jars of Chinese Chavchav preserve'. Adds sweetness and texture.)
• 4 bottles Strong vinegar (Approximately 3 liters or 3 quarts.)
• 3 pounds Salt (Quantity estimated based on mango weight (approx 1:10 ratio). Used for curing.)
• 2 cups Weak vinegar (For washing dried fruits. Quantity estimated.)

Instructions

1. 1Peel all the mangoes thoroughly and remove the stones. Cut the flesh into 2-inch pieces. Weigh the mango pieces. Calculate the required salt using a ratio of 4 pounds of salt for every 40 pounds (1 Maund) of mango pieces. Mix the mango pieces and salt in a clean jar and let it stand for 24 hours.
2. 2After 24 hours, remove the mango pieces from the jar and spread them out in full sunlight. Allow them to dry in the sun for 3 days.
3. 3Peel the ginger and slice it into very thin strips. Mix with a small amount of salt in a ceramic or earthenware vessel. Let it stand for 24 hours (similar to the mango process), then dry in the sun for 2 days.
4. 4Pour the strong vinegar into a tin-lined or non-reactive pot. Place on the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil uncovered. Once it begins to boil vigorously, remove from heat and let it cool completely.
5. 5Soak the tamarind in the cooled vinegar for 2 hours. Then, strain the mixture through a sieve or colander into a clean, deep vessel, rubbing the tamarind to extract all the pulp. Discard the fibers and seeds.
6. 6Remove seeds from the dried dates and raisins. Wash the dates, raisins, and orange peel pieces in the weak vinegar to clean them. Shake off any excess salt from the dried mango pieces. Clean the kokum to remove any debris.
7. 7In the vessel containing the tamarind-vinegar mixture, add the sugar, prepared mangoes, ginger, dates, raisins, orange peel, kokum, chili powder, and the contents of the Chinese Chow-chow preserve jars. Mix everything thoroughly. Transfer the pickle into a large glazed jar, filling it only 3/4 full to allow for expansion. Cover the mouth of the jar tightly with a flat lid and tie a cloth over it.
8. 8Store the jar in a cool, dry place. Open the jar every few days to stir the contents from bottom to top to ensure even pickling. The pickle will be ready to eat after the flavors have melded (typically 2-4 weeks).