You bought your favourite pickle (aachar) from the store! Now how do you know that the pickle you choose to take home and enjoy with your family is made of good oil and has no preservatives?

In case you’re not familiar, the very word “pickling” refers to a form of food preservation in itself!

But that’s what pickles are!

Nowadays, some companies and pickle manufacturers are trying to cut costs on pickle manufacturing by compromising on the quality of the oil or even by not allowing enough time for fermentation.

As a consumer, it is your responsibility to enjoy the true taste of pickles without compromising on quality. And to help you buy good pickles from responsible pickle manufacturers in India – we have prepared this write-up for you.

To know more about pickles and how to take the right bottle home, keep reading….


Types of Oil Used In Pickle

Traditional Oils: Sesame Oil, Mustard Oil


Also known as Gingelly oil, Sesame oil is majorly used across South India to prepare homemade pickles.

In North India, pickles are prepared using mustard oil.

Whenever you buy a pickle, always look at each and every ingredient present in it. Never just go by their claims.

Top pickle company in India is aware of the health crisis that pickle oil can do in one’s life. Therefore they only claim what they do!

Middle Category: Rice Barn Oil, Peanut Oil


This is another kind of oil used in making pickles. Though this oil is not traditionally used, but they are not heavily possessed as others that we are going to mention below.

Heavily Refined Oils: Cotton seed Oil, Corn Oil,


We mentioned how to pickle companies are trying to cut their manufacturing cost by compromising on the quality of oil – and this is the oil they prefer to use.

Cottonseed oil contains gossypol – natural yellow toxins that give the oil its yellow colour to protect the plant from insects. Bur this toxin must not be present in pickles – and must be removed because it is often associated with infertility and liver damage.

Word of the Wise: Choose a pickle with the type of oil that you’re most comfortable with! After all, it’s about you and your family’s health. Hence it is advisable to buy it only from genuine pickle manufacturers in India.

Preservatives


According to the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, the FSSR has permitted 3 types of food additives to be used for pickles:

  1. Acidifying agents (malic acid, acetic acid, citric acid)
  2. Firming agents (Calcium lactate, Calcium chloride)
  3. Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate, Sulfur Dioxide, Pottasium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid)

Indian pickles are naturally preserved with the help of one or a combination of these factors: Salt, Sweet, Sourness, Oil and Pasteurization.

In general, the pH factor in a pickle is less than 4.6, indicating a medium to high acidity level. It is more than enough to kill most kinds of bacteria.

Pickles made of acidic food like lime or mangoes don’t typically need any souring agent – and this gives the company the opportunity to skip the preservation process – only if they want to!

Avoid pickles stored in plastic bottles. There are high chances that the pickle contained in plastic bottles are preservatives in them.

The surprising part is: that most pickle companies (even the top pickle company in India) use preservatives in their pickle but doesn’t mention much about it in the ingredients. Take your time to read below in the level and find the true contents in your pickle.