Chamoy Pickle Recipe: From Dull to Delicious Pickle

Mexican cuisine is famous for its condiments, and when it comes to that, few can beat this Chamoy pickle recipe. Sweet and spicy, Chamoy pickle is the ultimate condiment, working as both a dip and a spread. Whether you’re having some fajitas, fresh fruit, or chips, your experience will only get better with Chamoy pickle.

Our Chamoy pickle recipe is also incredibly easy to make. If you have some fresh fruit at hand, along with the usual ingredients like salt and water, it only takes about half an hour.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Chamoy Pickle Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Apricots — 1 cup, dried
• Sugar — ⅓ cup
• Hibiscus flower — 1 cup, dried
• Salt — 1/7 tsp.
• Chili powder — ⅓ cup
• Lime — 1 pc.
• Prunes — 1 cup
• Water — 2 cups

Instructions

1. Add the apricots, prunes, water, salt, and hibiscus flower to a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. Add the sugar, mix well, and let it cool.

4. Add the lime and chili powder. Transfer to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.

5. Place the mixture in a clean jar and store it in your fridge for up to 2 months.

Substitutions

• Sugar — While granulated sugar is commonly used in most pickles, our Chamoy pickle recipe could also be made by using brown sugar. Honey and agave syrup will also do the job. Even though the end result will be different from what you’re used to, you’ll still love it.

• Apricots — If you don’t have any fresh apricots, you can use dried apricots too. Whether it’s dried or semi-dried, homemade Chamoy pickles can be made with both.

• Chili powder — While we don’t recommend omitting chili powder even if you're not a fan of heat, you could easily replace it. Ground cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or tajin will do the job.

• Hibiscus flower — Admittedly, this one might be hard to come by, but luckily our recipe for Chamoy pickles can also be made with dried cranberries. Half a cup of those will be enough to replace hibiscus flowers.

Variations

• Tropical — Although the original Chamoy pickle recipe mostly uses apricots and prunes, you shouldn’t limit yourself. If you feel like it, you can always add mangoes, avocados, and pineapples to the mix.

• Spicy — If you’d like to have your Chamoy pickle even spicier, feel free to increase the heat by adding other spices like Chile de Arbol or guajillo. These two would make an even more authentic experience.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Large saucepan

• Blender or food processor

• Jar

Storage

• Once stored in your fridge, your Chamoy pickles will last for about two months.

• If you’ve opted for freezing them, they will last for about six months.

• Just make sure to use clean jars with lids.

Pro Tips

• The salt — If you’re inexperienced when it comes to pickling, the type of salt is important. It would be better to opt for canning or pickling salt for our Chamoy pickle recipe.

• The straining — After blending the mixture we recommend using a strainer to eliminate the pulps.