Cranberry Achar/ Cranberry Pickle

I made this Cranberry achar with some left over cranberry after making Cranberry proscecco Margarita and cranberry oatmeal cookies, I don’t want to make more sweet recipes, and decided on this achar. I have been in quest of cracking this cranberry achar for long time. Yes last year also I tried but failed miserably. When I asked hubby he told go ahead and try it, maximum you are going to lose some more cranberries. But I also think the only way to get something right is to keep trying.

While growing up in Kerala, India, we had a similar fruit Lololikka/Lovlolika/Scrambery in the backyard; which grandma used to pickle with salt and bird eye chili. My technique to eat pickles was to washing them in running water and to remove all the chillies; and after salt and heat is adjusted according to my taste bud I will eat.

Last year I think I didn’t cook the cranberries really well, so it ended up getting spoiled very soon. So this time, I took some extra steps to make sure that they taste great and also has some good shelf life as Indian pickle does. Indian version of pickle is entirely different from the pickle available in the store here in US. Yes my daughter loves kosher dill pickles a lot. Our pickles are spicy with red hot chili powder, salty and heavily oily as oil is the one which preserve them from spoiling. Some time there is little vinegar added, but grandma rarely used it in her recipes.

For this cranberry pickle, first I cooked the cranberries until they become soft then added chili powder and spices. Finally adjusted the sourness of cranberries with little touch of honey. You can do that with your favorite sweetener. This is keeper recipe, give it a try, it is spicy and sour with a touch of sweetness from honey.

Swathi

This is Swathi ( Ambujom Saraswathy) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread.  All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.