Atsarang Papaya

Atsarang Papaya (Filipino Pickled Green Papaya) is a famous appetizer in the Philippines. Though there are many variations of atsara (which refers to anything pickled), green papaya version is the most popular  to Filipinos. It's because papaya tree grows just anywhere in the Philippines. And unlike the labong (bamboo shoots) and ubod ng nyog (hearts of palm) which are the other two most common atsara ingredients, papaya is more readily available. You can always find it in the market and a lot of families have a papaya tree in their backyards.
 
Last week, a Filipino officemate of Ryan gave him a jar of atsarang papaya. He ate it  for dinner on two consecutive nights until it's all gone. Last weekend when we were at the Asian Store, he saw some green papaya. Out of nowhere, he said he's buying one and will try his mom's atsara recipe.  I know my husband cooks good...but cooking isn't something he does frequently. Though he cooks breakfast or dinner on weekends, it's just either fried or grilled. He only does real cooking when we're having a party at our house. He's really not a kitchen person you know. So when he said he will make atsara (which I don't really like doing myself because of the shredding involved), I got so thrilled because I really miss the atsarang papaya my mom used to make which is actually the same as my mother-in-law's version. 

Ryan did all the work by himself...and he came up with 4 jars of atsara which really tastes so good. It got the perfect blending of sweet and sour taste, and the crunchiness of the vegetables is just perfect! I'm so proud to share it with you! (^.^)

If you like pickled vegetables...you should try this! It will definitely add life to dull dishes like fried meat or fish!

* I'm linking this up on  Melt in Your Mouth Monday , Mangia Mondays, Made It On Monday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Delectable Tuesday, Tuesdays At The Table, and Made From Scratch Tuesday.

Prep Time: ~40 mins               Cook Time: ~10 mins                Yield: 4 16-0z jars          

Ingredients:

• 1 whole green papaya (peeled, deseeded and finely shredded)
• 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• ½ green bell pepper, julienned
• 1 head garlic, sliced thinly
• ½ cup ginger, julienned
• 12 pcs. shallots, peeled and cut crosswise into 3 to 4 slices
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp peppercorns

Procedure:

1. Drain the liquid from the finely shredded papaya by squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Put in a bowl and set aside. 

2. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, half of the ginger and half of the garlic. Keep on stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. 

3. Add all the ingredients except the papaya. Mix well. Remove from heat.

4. Allow to cool down. When the mixture is lukewarm, pour over the grated papaya. Mix well. Let sit for 2 hours, tossing every 30 minutes.

5. Transfer the mixture to clean, dry jars with lids. Let cool and refrigerate. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before using.

6. Serve with fried meat or fish or as desired.