Atchara: Pickled Papaya

    Atchara is a famous side dish of Filipinos. Usually, it is served together with grilled, and fried dishes. It is very are affordable and has a long shelf-life. Every family has their own version of making atchara, and, today I am sharing mine. Although, walang sukat talaga yung pag-gawa ko, its up to your taste bud on how you want your atchara to taste.

     This recipe has been a money-making idea for me. Since it is very tedious to make, and that I have some allergy of sort in papaya's sap, I just make them every ber-months. 

You'll be needing:

- green papaya

- vinegar (anykind will do)

- water

- sugar

- salt

- pinapple tidbits

- pepper corn

- bell pepper

- carrots

- onions (optional)

- garlic  (opitonal)

     You need to peel, wash and grate (or slice thinly) the papaya. Put some salt, wash it again then remove the excess water. We usually put them in a clean cloth or katsa, then my husband and I would wring the papaya dry. Set them aside.

      In a pan, put some water, vinegar, salt, sugar and the rest of the ingredients except for the pineapple. Bring them to boil, but do not stir. When boiling, lower the heat, and taste your atchara solution. If it suits your taste, then its time the add the grated papaya. Turn off the stove. The heat from the solution will then cook the papaya (and it will cook easily since the papaya is already grated). Add the pineapple.

      Let it cool. When cooled, you can start bottling them. Bottles should be sterilized properly. 

Ready for bottling

   

Ready to be sold!

Pastillas Part2

      So I promised that I'll be showing the final packaging of my pastillas business venture and here it is:

 

Pastillas with LOVE  :)

     I snapped this picture while it was displayed on my mother's stall in a wet market. I called it cookie pastillas because I shaped it that way, like a cookie. Parang lengua ang dating! It is sold either with sprinkles, langka flavor, coffee flavor or the plain variety.

       Oh, didn't I tell you guys that also do atchara? It's also a very promising home-based business. Till next... I'll write it next time.

Pastillas with LOVE

Summer. Tapos na April, May naman. Enrollment na naman. Bayaran na naman. Lumipas na ang trending ng "Frozen". Natunaw na yata si Olaf sa kakanta ng "In Summer". Pero tuloy pa rin ang buhay sa isang nanay na katulad ko. Naka-enroll na rin yung anak. Buti nakapag-save ako. Nag-start kaya ako ng January, after lahat ng bilihan ng regalo ng December. Pero hindi yan ang ikukuwento ko sa inyo. Ang isa sa mga raket ko. 

Last year, if I remeber right, nauso yang "toasted pastillas" na yan. Search naman ako kay Mr. Google. Wow, sarap ng itsura ng mga yun.. Sabi ng anak ko - "Ma, gusto ko nyan, order ka." Haha. 120+ shipping... hmmm, parang presyo na ng isang pack ng gatas yan anak ah. Anyways, so wala akong makuha ng recipe ng "toasted pastillas" pero, napakadaming recipe ng simpleng pastillas lang. So, eto na. 

Gawa, experiment ng pastillas para kay anak ko. Tantayahan sa measurement. 

Eto resulta.

Yung forming ng shape was the hardest part. So, bilog na lang, parang galapong lang sa ginataan. At dahil toasted di ba kailangan ko, so i-toast natin. Pero mas sunog, mas masarap. Hehe.

1st batch - not very successful

Toasting

Slightly burnt

Akalain mo, nagmukha siyang pandesal sa malayo di ba? Kahit yung kapatid ko sa ibang bansa nung pinadala ko yung pictures e parang masarap daw yung pandesal na gawa ko. Hay naku!

Sabi ng anak ko, it was delicious naman daw. Never mind the appearance, basta it was masarap! Even my mommy said so. Saka pinatimkim ko dun sa mga tindera sa katabing pwesto ng nanay ko sa palengke, masarap daw, magkano daw ba ang benta ko. Ting (bulblight!)! Pwede! Pwede pagkakitaan.

So eto ginawa ko, gawa ako ng ibang shape,  toasted it, and wrap it in a nice packaging (label and all). Yung iba, nilagyan ko ng sprinkles. I called it COOKIE PASTILLAS. Since it looked liked a cookie pero lasang pastillas. Yung buyer ko, can finish it in one sitting. Hehe, masarap daw e. And kahit hindi mo i-refrigerate, hindi siya masisira up to a week.

So here's the final product. Nakailan din naman akong benta, and it was a very promising business pero mahirap i-maintain. By order na lang ang gawa ko and minsan pag sinisipag every weekend, may display ako  niyan sa stall ng nanay ko sa palengke ng Carmona. (Update ko na lang ito, nawala pala sa pc ko yung pic ng naka-packaging na.) Later...

   

Sprinkled with love :)