Pickle Making. A Dying Art?

As a little kid there was always a martbaan or a dozen on the terrace or the veranda sunbathing, wearing nothing but a malmal ka kapda. Dozen because Punjabi aunties certainly do not cook meals for one. It has to be for the whole community, people we haven't even met.

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Those were the days when smelling like mustard oil, the ladies of the house used to proudly serve the family members some 'amb da achaar' with piping hot rajma chawaal. Some evening chai with mathi-achaar. Bliss.So recently while hogging on a full fledged Punjabi feast, I realized that wherever you go, you find a bottle of achaar from some retail chain. Where did the art of making achaars go? Why don't I see any achaar martbaans sunbathing on the terraces these days? Not that there aren't people still making them at home, but the numbers have surely decreased.

As a pure Punjabi I miss the mustard oil stains on my table cloth, I miss the sheer taste of mom made pickles and I miss the fat ceramic jars resting on my terrace sill. I think I also miss the unknown relatives whose houses our achaars have graced. *sigh*Pickle recipes:
Green Chilli Pickle
Murgh ka Achaar
Adrak ka Achaar