Mangoes Round the Year

Four weeks

Step 1: In the chapter, Alpesh and Mahendra's father tells them that making aam papad needs four weeks of hard work. Step 2: This is because aam papad is made by spreading layers of mango pulp on a mat and drying each layer in the sun. Step 3: Each day, a new layer of pulp is added over the dried layer from the previous day. Step 4: This process is repeated for four weeks until the aam papad grows about four centimetres thick. Step 5: One day or one week is far too short for so many layers to be built and dried properly.

To remove moisture so it does not spoil quickly

Step 1: Moisture (water) is the main reason food spoils quickly because bacteria and fungi need moisture to grow. Step 2: When the mango pulp is spread in a thin layer and left in the sun, the heat from the sun removes the moisture from the pulp. Step 3: Without moisture, bacteria and fungi cannot grow on the aam papad. Step 4: This is why sun drying is a traditional method of food preservation — it helps food last much longer. Step 5: The colour change, taste, or size are not the main reasons for sun drying — preservation is the key purpose.

Boil it

Step 1: Milk contains bacteria that cause it to spoil and turn sour. Step 2: Boiling milk kills these harmful bacteria by heating them at high temperature. Step 3: Once the bacteria are killed, the milk stays fresh for longer — 1-2 days even without refrigeration. Step 4: Wrapping in damp cloth is used for green coriander (dhania) to keep it fresh. Step 5: Keeping in a dry open place is for onion and garlic, and keeping in a bowl of water is for cooked rice — these methods are not suitable for milk.

Wrap it in a damp cloth

Step 1: Green coriander (dhania) is a fresh herb with tender leaves that can dry out and wilt very quickly. Step 2: To keep it fresh, it needs moisture — which is why wrapping it in a damp cloth helps. Step 3: The damp cloth keeps the leaves moist and prevents them from drying out or wilting. Step 4: Boiling coriander would cook it and destroy it. Step 5: A dry and open place would cause it to dry out faster, and a closed box without air would make it rot — neither is suitable.