Never Learned To Cook

This is a recipe I was taught in high school, umpteen years ago, actually. It is different from your usual run-of-the-mill atchara recipe, as it takes longer and is kind of messy, but it is yummier, since the flavor gets more ingrained in the pickles. At least from my point of view. LOL. I still make it when I have the time, as the ingredients need to be prepped a week in advance.







Mixed Sweet Vegetable Pickles


Two medium-sized unripe papaya (green or yellowish, but not ripe)
One bunch eggplants (about 5 - 6 medium-sized ones)
One bunch ampalaya or bitter gourd (about 3-5 medium sized ones)
Two medium sized onions
One head garlic
One head cauliflower
Three big red bell peppers or four medium-sized ones
Four to five jars for pickling
About 16 cups of water
One and a half cups of salt (one cup of salt to 10 cups of water)
One teaspoon of alum powder
Five cups of vinegar
Five cups of sugar

1. Cut the papayas in half lengthwise and shred into strips using a shredder; if you do not have one, a fork will do. Slice the eggplants, ampalaya and onions into bite-sized pieces. Peel the garlic cloves and cut each in half. Also break the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and cut the bell peppers into strips. Wash.

2. In a container, mix 16 cups water, one and a half cups of salt, and one teaspoon of alum powder until thoroughly dissolved. Place shredded and sliced vegetables in pickle jars and fill with brine solution. Cap tightly and store in a cool dry place for a week.

3. After a week, take the vegetables out from the brine solution and wash thoroughly until water is clear. Don't worry if the vegetables look discolored; discard any moldy parts, however. You can also use your pickle jars for the finished pickles if you wash and sterilize them.

4. In a big wok or kawali, mix five cups of vinegar and five cups of sugar and heat slowly while stirring. When sugar is thoroughly dissolved and vinegar begins to simmer, add the vegetables and mix for about five minutes or until the briny smell of the vegetables has been removed. Remove from fire and place in jars, filling with the sugar-vinegar solution to the brim. Seal tightly.

Makes about four to five jars.