Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Pickled Papaya Recipe


Pickled Papaya Recipe
(as I recall )
For this batch, four quarts, I used, approximately:
3 cups White Distilled Vinegar
5-6 pounds ripe Papaya (2 large)
1 jar (12 oz. ?) Banana Peppers, including liquid
1 medium White Onion
2 Tablespoons whole Black Pepper Corns
3/4-1 cup white Sugar
1-2 teaspoons of salt, according to taste

Notes and Preparation:
Sterilize jars and lids.
This is not processed in a hot water bath. It is a cold process and must be kept refrigerated.
Peel papayas.
Scoop out seeds, and discard them.
Slice Papaya into long thin slices. They will need to be short enough to be covered with liquid in the jars.
Thinly slice the onion.

  • In a medium saucepan, over medium flame, combine vinegar, pickling juice from the jar of banana peppers, sugar and pepper corns. Heat just to simmering, making certain that the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

  • Distribute the banana peppers evenly among the jars (this should be about 4 or 5 per quart jar).
    Alternate filling the jars with the papaya and onion slices. (I mean add a few onion slices, then a few papaya slices, then a few onion, an so on . . .)

  • After the jars are filled with the fresh produce, carefully pour the vinegar mixture until it covers all of the fresh ingredients. If you run a little short, you may add more vinegar; or if it just a tiny bit short, a little water to finish topping off. Important Note: I like to make certain that the liquid has cooled. Be aware of the potential for breaking the jars if you pour hot liquid over cold fruit in cold jars.

  • Seal jars with lids and rings, and refrigerate. There will already be pretty well developed flavor in a day or two.

More Notes:

I can't tell you how long it will keep in the refrigerator, but you are used to being aware of these things, right?

I had wanted to try the recipe with Apple Cider Vinegar, but when I got home from the grocer, the seal on my new bottle was broken, and I'm just paranoid about those things, so I opted to use the white vinegar that I had on hand, as I recall the original recipe called for that, anyway. But I still think cider vinegar would be delicious! I will have to give it a whirl some time.

If you think you would like your pickled papaya a little hotter, you could try jalapenos instead of banana peppers. Oooh, that sounds positively yummy!

This is the recipe as it was taught to me, many, many years ago, when we lived on Guam.
The original post is here: Such a Nice Day
Since that post, I have had a request or two for the recipe, so I updated, and posted it there, and decided that a special recipe like this deserves it's own address. :)

Have fun experimenting!
And wouldn't you expect, with the hundreds of hits that I get on this recipe that someone would comment? Do you think that's a bad thing . . . that not one has?

2 comments:

  1. thanks for the recipe. I'll give it a go. I lived in Guam when I was a kid, about 1970-71 on the Navy base and have spoken of pickled papaya many times.Bonnie

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  2. Thank you, Bonnie! You lived there shortly after we left! We were civilians, however. :) My Father built the Fjord's resaturant. Do you remember if you ever visited it? We lived in Agana Heights. . . . sigh . . . I hope you see this, I don't know how I missed your comment for so long! Thank you! :)
    ~Debbi

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