Pickled Mango

Ingredients

• 4 cups green mangoes, peeled, depitted, and cut into spears (note you'll want unripe ones, not immature ones, which will be too acidic)
• 1 pint vinegar (i use apple cider vinegar for something more piquant, rice wine vinegar when i want it mellow)
• 1-1 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown, your choice)
• 1/4 cup kosher salt (you can omit the salt if you want, and use less sugar)
• water

optional spices to taste

• fresh chili pepper (i use green arbol or serranos) (optional)
• 1 slice fresh ginger (optional)
• whole star anise (optional)
• fennel seed (optional)
• cinnamon stick (optional)
• cracked peppercorn (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Pack mangoes into clean, widemouth jars.

2. 2

   Tuck a couple of chili peppers in with the mangoes.

3. 3

   Set aside.

4. 4

   Mix vinegar, sugar, salt and any spices you'd like to use in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

5. 5

   Stir constantly, until all the sugar and salt has dissolved, and the mixture becomes a bit syrupy.

6. 6

   Pour evenly over mangoes (if they are divided between jars, put equal amounts of syrup in each jar).

7. 7

   Fill the jars with enough water to just cover the mangoes.

8. 8

   Seal tightly, shake to mix, then refrigerate for several days, turning bottles intermittently.

9. 9

   Three days seems to be fine, but can take up to a week.

10. 10

    Keeps for an indeterminate length of time.