Pickles have always held a special place in Indian homes, not just as a side dish but as a reflection of patience, seasonality, and inherited wisdom. Anyone who has grown up watching elders prepare achar will remember glass jars placed carefully under the sun, turned each day, as if time itself were one of the ingredients.
At Nani Ka Pitara, this traditional understanding of pickle making continues to inspire recipes that feel familiar, comforting, and deeply rooted. To truly appreciate this process, it helps to understand why we keep pickles in sunlight and how this simple act shapes flavour, texture, and longevity.
Sunlight as Nature’s Preserver
Long before refrigeration and modern preservation methods, sunlight played a central role in food storage. When raw mangoes, lemons, chillies, or other ingredients are mixed with salt and spices, they still contain natural moisture. This moisture, if left unchecked, can cause spoilage. Sun exposure gently draws out excess water from the ingredients, creating an environment that discourages harmful bacteria from growing.
This is one of the main reasons why pickle is kept in sunlight. The warmth of the sun works slowly, allowing the ingredients to dry just enough without losing their structure. Over time, this drying effect helps stabilise the pickle, making it safe to store for months while retaining its taste and aroma.
Why Pickling Is Done in the Sun for Better Flavour
Sunlight does much more than preserve. It actively shapes the flavour of a pickle. When jars are placed under the sun, the heat encourages spices to release their oils and blend more deeply with the main ingredient. Mustard seeds, fenugreek, chilli powder, turmeric, and hing begin to soften and infuse, creating layers of flavour rather than a sharp, one-note taste.
This is why pickling is done in the sun in traditional methods. The slow warming and cooling cycle of day and night allows flavours to mature gradually. Pickles that have undergone this process taste fuller, rounder, and more balanced than those rushed through artificial heating or chemical preservation.
The Role of Sun in Natural Fermentation
Another important aspect of sun for traditional pickle making is fermentation. Many Indian pickles rely on mild natural fermentation to develop their characteristic tang. The gentle heat from sunlight activates beneficial microorganisms present on the ingredients. These microorganisms help convert natural sugars into acids, enhancing both taste and shelf life.
Unlike aggressive fermentation, this process is subtle and controlled. The sun ensures that fermentation happens steadily, without overpowering the spices or altering the texture too much. This is why sun-cured pickles often taste richer with time rather than sharper or more sour in an unpleasant way.
Texture, Oil Absorption, and Stability
Texture is often overlooked when discussing pickles, yet it is crucial. Sunlight helps ingredients firm up while absorbing oil more evenly. Oil acts as a protective layer, sealing the pickle from air and moisture. When warmed naturally by the sun, oil becomes thinner and penetrates the ingredients better.
This explains why do we keep pickles in sunlight even after they are packed in jars. Turning the jars daily ensures uniform exposure, helping every piece soak in flavour and oil evenly. The result is a pickle that remains stable, glossy, and well-preserved over time.
How This Tradition Reflects in Nani Ka Pitara Pickles
Many of the pickles at Nani Ka Pitara echo these time-honoured principles, even when prepared for modern kitchens. Take the Hing Aam Achar, for instance. The raw mango pieces, combined with hing and spices, reflect the kind of pickle that traditionally benefited from sun curing, allowing sharpness to mellow and depth to develop.
Similarly, the Aam Achar (Bina Guthli) showcases how mango flesh, without the seed, absorbs spices and oil beautifully when prepared with patience. The balance of tang, spice, and oil in this pickle mirrors what sunlight traditionally helped achieve during the curing process.
Sunlight and Seasonal Wisdom
Sun-based pickling is closely tied to seasons. Summer, with its strong and consistent sunlight, was always considered the ideal time for making achaar. Ingredients harvested at peak freshness responded best to sun curing, ensuring maximum flavour and preservation.
Understanding why pickle is kept in sunlight also means understanding respect for timing. Traditional kitchens worked with nature rather than against it. This seasonal rhythm is what gives homemade pickles their unmistakable character, something that mass-produced alternatives often lack.
Carrying Forward a Sunlit Legacy
While modern lifestyles may not always allow jars to sit under the sun for days, the philosophy behind sun curing remains relevant. It reminds us that good food takes time, balance, and attention. At Nani Ka Pitara, this philosophy lives on through recipes that prioritise slow preparation, honest ingredients, and flavours that feel mature rather than manufactured.
Whether it is a spicy Hari Mirchi Achar or a comforting mango pickle, each jar is inspired by the understanding of why pickling is done in the sun. It is a quiet tribute to generations who trusted sunlight, patience, and tradition to create food that could be enjoyed long after the season had passed.
In the end, the sun is not just a source of heat in pickle making. It is a silent partner that shapes taste, ensures safety, and connects us to a culinary heritage that continues to shine through every spoonful.