Glossy bouncy eggplant is one of those vegetables that will not leave gourmets indifferent. The season for Russian-made eggplants lasts from mid-summer to the end of September. If the year has turned out to be fruitful, there are many ways to prepare local "blue" ones for the whole winter.
How to choose an eggplant for preparation
Eggplants come in a variety of shapes and sizes: pear-shaped, cylindrical, thin and elongated, purple, old, reddish-orange and even striped. The fruits suitable for cooking have glossy skin, green stalks, no signs of wilting and, most importantly, they are quite weighty. A brown stalk, wrinkled skin with spots, and even more with mold, indicate that the fruit is stale. It could have accumulated too many solanines, toxic compounds that, in large doses, can cause serious poisoning. Pay attention to how quickly the flesh of the fruit turns brown - if this happens literally before our eyes, in a matter of minutes, it is better not to risk it and throw the vegetable away.
Whether to salt the eggplants
Many people think that before cooking, the sliced eggplants should be salted and left for a while so that the fruits release a bitter juice, which should be washed off. However, modern varieties of eggplant breeders have specially relieved of bitterness. Therefore, this trick is outdated. However, you can add salt to eggplant if the recipe involves frying vegetables. Salted eggplants are more flavorful, and their flesh is denser and absorbs less oil.
If you decide to salt the eggplant, chop it up, then sprinkle generously with coarse salt and let it sit for an hour or more. Rinse off the salt before cooking and pat dry the eggplants well with kitchen paper towels.
How to freeze eggplant
Eggplant can be stored frozen. There are several ways to do this. For example, by pre-blanching them. You will need:
- 5 liters of water;
- 4-5 large lemons;
- 2-3 kg eggplant.
Squeeze the juice out of the lemons. It should be at least ½ cups. To give the fruit more juice, put it in the microwave or roll it down on a hard surface several times. Place a pot of water on a fire. While you wait for the water to boil, prepare the eggplant - cut and discard the ends, cut the vegetables into slices.
Place a bowl of ice water next to the pot. Pour lemon juice into boiling water. Place the eggplants in batches, take out after 2-3 minutes and dip in cold water, then place the slices on paper towels. When the eggplants are dry, they can be frozen. To do this, it is best to put them on baking parchment sheets and put them in the freezer. Frozen slices can be poured into zip-lock bags, signed with the date and taken for future storage. Frozen eggplants should be cooked without thawing.
For the preparation of dips, sauces and frozen eggplant fillings, it is better to pre-bake and puree vegetables. Cut the eggplant in half, cut the flesh lightly, place the vegetables on a baking sheet, cut side up and bake at 180 ° C for 35-45 minutes. Let the eggplant cool, remove the pulp and purée with a blender. Divide the resulting mass into jars convenient for freezing. Place the jars in the refrigerator to thaw before use. Eggplant freeze will be an excellent base for vegetable caviar or pâté, pasta sauce, homemade dip.
You can also freeze roasted and seasoned eggplants. The main thing is to cool them before putting the vegetables in the freezer for the winter. Eggplants prepared in this way can be put in soups and stews without defrosting.
Mediterranean style canned eggplant
This classic step-by-step recipe will help you easily and easily prepare aromatic eggplants just like the Mediterranean housewives.
You will need:
- 6 eggplants;
- ½ kg of table salt;
- 500 ml of white table vinegar;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried oregano;
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes;
- 5-6 cloves of garlic;
- olive oil.
First, cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices no more than 3-4 mm thick, and then cut these slices into long sticks of the same thickness. Place the eggplants in a wide colander, layer by layer, sprinkle each layer with salt. Place a plate on top and press down with a load. Place the entire structure over the bowl so that it does not touch the bottom. Leave it for a day, from time to time draining the secreted liquid.
Place the eggplant in a bowl. If the strips are stuck together, separate them with your hands. Pour vinegar over vegetables. Leave it on for an hour. Place the eggplants back in a colander and press down with a load. Place in a bowl to drain the vinegar. Leave it on for 12 hours. Place the eggplants in a bowl and combine with dried oregano, chili flakes, and cloves of garlic. Stir and place in sterilized ½ liter jars. As you lay out the eggplant, sprinkle it with olive oil from time to time. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of oil into each jar. The oil level should be above the level of the vegetables. Close the lid and store in a cool, dark place. Check the oil level from time to time as the eggplant will absorb it and you may need to add new oil. Such eggplants will be most delicious in three months, the shelf life of the workpiece is a year.
Pickled eggplant with basil
These oily pickled eggplants can not only be eaten as an appetizer, but also put in salads, pasta, and baked on pizza. A step-by-step understandable recipe will allow you to prepare the workpiece quickly.
You will need:
- 5 medium eggplants;
- 100 g fresh basil;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of coarse sea salt;
- 1 lemon;
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon of ground pepper.
Cut the eggplants into slices about ½ cm thick. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon. Arrange the slices on a platter, season with salt and lemon juice. Leave it on for 1-2 hours. After the allotted time, rinse the eggplants, dry with paper towels, carefully squeezing out the excess liquid.
Boil the apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan. Add eggplant and cook for about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggplants and place in a bowl. Chop the basil and garlic. Put them together with pepper to vegetables, mix well.
Divide the eggplants into sterilized jars and top with vinegar. Shake to remove excess air. Screw the lids back on and put the jars on the fire in hot water, boil for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and place the lids down on a spread towel. Leave it on for 12-24 hours. Move to a cool, dark place. Eggplants can be eaten after 7-10 days.
Canned eggplant caviar
Delicious eggplant caviar can be used as tapenade for crackers, filling for ravioli or pies, sauce for pasta, addition to risotto. You will need:
- 3 kg eggplant;
- 1 kg of onions;
- 2-3 heads of garlic;
- 2-3 st. tablespoons of chili flakes;
- olive oil;
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cut off the tips of the eggplant. Cut each vegetable in half lengthwise. Cut the pulp with a "mesh". Place the halves on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Season with salt and sprinkle with olive oil. Peel the onion and cut into quarters. Cut off the tops of the garlic heads by ½ cm. Place the onion and garlic on a baking sheet with the eggplant, and season with salt and oil. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C. Bake until all vegetables are tender. This will take about 30-40 minutes.
Squeeze baked garlic puree into a blender bowl, add eggplant and onion. Purée, season with pepper flakes. Taste and add more pepper or salt if needed. Divide into sterilized jars, roll them up and store in a cool, dark place. Before serving, you can sprinkle the caviar with juice to refresh its taste.
Canned ratatouille
This is a bright vegetable sauté with a sonorous overseas name one-to-one like that of an Odessa grandmother. You will need:
- 1 kg eggplant;
- 1 kg of zucchini;
- 6 medium heads of onions;
- 6 large tomatoes;
- 4 red sweet bell peppers;
- ½ cup olive oil
- 8 cloves of garlic;
- ½ cup chopped basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves;
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cut the eggplants into slices 1 ½ -2 centimeters thick. Slice the courgettes as well. Peel and chop the onion into rings. Cut off the tops of the pepper and remove the seeds, cut the flesh into rings. In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and cover with olive oil. Stir.
Cover a baking sheet with high sides with parchment. Arrange vegetables in a single layer, slightly overlapping. Place the tomatoes on the same baking sheet. Bake vegetables at 180 ° C for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Set the tomatoes aside.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wide saucepan, sauté the chopped garlic. When golden, add the baked vegetables and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove the tops from tomatoes, cut and remove seeds, peel off the skin. Cut the tomato pulp into pieces. Add to vegetables. Place the crushed basil in the ratatouille. Stir. Try to balance the seasonings.
Spread the finished stew over clean sterilized jars, leaving 2-3 cm blank on top. Roll up the cans. Store in a cool and dark place.
Stuffed pickled eggplant
This interesting recipe comes from the Arabian East. For its preparation, only whole small eggplants are suitable. You will need:
- 2 kg eggplant;
- 2 cups chopped walnuts
- 1 head of garlic;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of hot chili;
- salt;
- olive oil.
Wash the eggplants, cut off the protruding part of the stem, but not the stalk itself. Put the vegetables in a wide, deep saucepan, cover with water so that it completely covers the fruits. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes. The eggplants should be a little soft, but not too soft. Throw the eggplants in a colander, let the excess liquid drain.
Peel the garlic and pass through the garlic press. In a mortar, combine chopped walnuts with garlic, pepper and a pinch of salt. Using a pestle, rub into a uniform but textured mixture. Cut each eggplant and stuff with the resulting filling. Start to lay the eggplants in layers in the jar, sprinkling each layer with salt. Flip the jar over and place in a colander. Place over a bowl so excess liquid can drain. Leave it for a day. Turn the jar over and cover with olive oil. Leave at room temperature for 10 to 14 days. Then put it in the refrigerator.
Pickled eggplant with balsamic vinegar and red wine
According to this recipe, eggplants are tender, oily, sweetish and piquant. You will need:
- 1 kg eggplant;
- 1 large head of red sweet onion;
- 3 large cloves of garlic;
- 1 glass of dry red wine;
- 1 glass of water;
- 1 teaspoon of coarse salt;
- 1 teaspoon hot chili flakes;
- 1 cup red balsamic vinegar
Wash the eggplants, dry and cut them lengthwise into quarters. Peel the onion and slice it lengthwise. Place the peeled cloves of garlic on a cutting surface and lightly press down with the back of a wide knife. Place vegetables in a wide saucepan, add wine and water, salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off.
Distribute the blank between three sterilized jars. Pour in the remaining marinade in the saucepan. Stir to remove excess air. Roll up the cans. Cool by turning the lids down. The preparation will reach its peak taste in 10-12 days. Store it in the refrigerator.
