Put the prepared Indian Pickles into jars. Apply quick freeze (at -40oC). You can then store it at -18oC. You can also try acetic acid instead of citric acid to prepare Indian Pickles.

In Indian methods of preparing pickles oil, salt, spices, sugar/syrup etc are added which preserve pickles normally.

I remember good old days when our grandmother used traditional ways to preserve pickles and never added any of the preservatives which are being used today. My suggestion would be visit a nearby village, speak to one of the elders who are still doing it and follow their procedures. The pickle we used to eat would stay good for at least a year under and would stay safe through summer and winter season.

Balasubrahmanyam Bandaru

Your question is pretty interesting. I have learned a couple of things simply by going through the answers.

Qasim Jalal

I find your answer thought-provoking. Echoing your feelings, I would like to suggest that we need to re-look at our own traditional knowledge first to find answers for many such questions.

Salt and oil are the natural preservatives which are naturally added to pickles as a part of its formulation. And most importantly, the contact of water should be avoided during and after preparation and even throughout the storage time and serving time. It will prevent fungal growth.

You can use some innovative technologies such as pulsed electric field or LEEB (low energy electron Beam), which can allowed you to get good results. But I'm not sure that such kind of treatment would be a cost efficiency for your process.

The Indian pickle already contains salts, sugar, oil and spices as basic ingredients. These ingredients act as preservatives itself, there is no need for the extra preservatives. Salts and sugar works on the principle of osmotic pressure on microbial cell wall result in disruption and spices acts as antimicrobial agents. The oil layer creates anaerobic conditions in pickles by reducing oxygen supply which may inhibit microbial growth. In addition, the shelf life of the pickles can be enhanced via refrigeration in airtight glass/plastic jar.

The ingredients added in the Indian Pickle like Mango, lemon , Ber etc. are turmeric, salt, Oil, jaggery, mustard, cumin seed, dried chilli powder and tamarind act as the natural preservatives and no need any addition of artificial preservatives. Also keep it in glass jar and always try to avoid any contact of water.

use cleaned, no water glass jar to store . Add one drop of vinegar prior to a glass jar and extra later. Use turmeric powder, a little high or high amount of salt in pickle & small sugar to pickle. use oil, try to make sure oil is reaching the top of the pickle Or at least make sure there is oil content relatively higher than normal curry. for 250g ingredients add 6 tablespoon vinegar. salt, vinegar, closed dried tightly sealed glass lid, the oil will preserve ur pickle in refregireator.