Salted eggplant sheds lots of liquid prior to being sealed in olive oil
Thank the genius who discovered that eggplant (other things, too) can be stored almost indefinitely when covered with olive oil. My wife normally does not care for eggplant–she especially dislikes the texture–but we served this preserved eggplant at our wedding and have held a special fondness for it ever since. I like to pull out a jar with cocktails. After a few months, the eggplant slices are pleasantly leathery and oozing flavors of garlic, basil and red pepper.
The preparation is extremely kind to the cook. There are no boiling pots or canning gadgets to worry about. All you need are some jars with lids and a few basic ingredients that you no doubt have already grown in your garden.
Don’t even worry about a recipe. Simply peel your eggplant and cut it into thin squares or rectangles about 2 inches long. Toss these with plenty of salt, then set them in a colander inside a large bowl to drain for at least 12 hours. They will shed lots of liquid. At the end of that time, use your hands to press as much remaining liquid out of the eggplant as you can.
Eggplant packed with garlic, basil and red pepper
Toss the drained eggplant with enough red wine vinegar to thoroughly coat, then set aside for 1 hour. Now pack the eggplant into pint jars, layering it with occasional leaves of basil, crushed garlic cloves and pinches of red pepper flakes. Press each layer down firmly, draining off any excess vinegar. When the jar is full, cover the contents with your favorite extra-virgin olive oil. Secure the lids on the jars and refrigerate.
Let the flavors mellow for at least a week, preferably longer. We are still eating eggplant we put away last year. Each bite reminds us of our wedding buffet.
We are engaging the concerns of a hungry planet--slowly--right here in our kitchen garden in the District of Columbia, about a mile from the White House.
G’day Ed
I want to try the Eggplant recipe but have no room in my refrigerator.Will they keep alright in the pantry?
John
John, many people have asked this and my resonse has always been that I refrigerate this eggplant out of an abundance of caution. I have never tried keeping them in the pantry. As one reader has noted, there is a small risk of botulism from the garlic. You’ll have to make your own decision on this.
This was bloody amazing. With common sense, risk-free. Only problem? Keeping away from my hubby…
I made this a few times and it was really too salty until I started to rinse the eggplant after the salting (pressing it dry with a towel). Yes, I am a learn-as-you-go cook, and perhaps the rinsing step is taken for granted, but, having tried a few methods, using different salts, etc., I do not know how you can salt eggplant long enough for it to be leathery without needing to rinse it afterward. That done, this “cocktail eggplant”, as I have christened it, is really amazing.
I’ve never noticed an issue with saltiness, Mary. But, by all means, make this recipe your own!
I haven’t tasted it yet but just from appearances I have noticed 1. my eggplant really darkened in color (kinda ugly, unlike the picture you showed) and 2. the oil has solidified(I do not have it in the freezer). So my question is….thaw it out at room temperature or what when I am ready to eat it?
Debbie, the photos depict eggplant as it is being canned. It will definitely darken after aging. I usually age it a couple of months at least before opening. I’ve never frozen mine. Out of an abundance of caution, I keep mine in the fridge where the olive oil will solidify. It quickly goes back to liquid state after coming back to room temperature.
Not enough refrigerator space to put a lot….is there an alternative method to preserving large amounts of E Plant?
Some people store it in the pantry. But as I’ve said before, Lena, I always kept it in the fridge out of an abundance of caution. There have been reports of botulism associated with uncooked garlic.
I now have my egg plants strips soaking in with the salt. Couple of questions…..1. Does it have to be fresh basil…2. Does it have to be fresh garlic….(can I use the ‘canned garlic’ in a jar, etc.? Thanks
I have no experience with the ingredients you mention, Lena. You’re on your own there.
Is this used cooked in a dish when you use it, or raw as is?
Thanks
Hello,
I have a problem – have just made baby aubergines preserved in olive oil – in preserving jar with rubber ring washer between glass lid & jar; now, the oil is leaking out constantly and gently when standing upright. Aubergines were neatly covered with oil & I did not fill jar up to the very top, but it is constantly leaking all the same … help ! any comments, tips ??
Sorry, Georgina. No idea.
This is meant to be eaten as is–a perfect antipasto.
Hi Ed. I adore this recipe! I have a question though, Today I accidentally forgot to let the eggplant sit in the vinegar for an hour before packing, and just tossed them straight into jars after the vinegar toss, and covered with oil. Will they be okay?
I’m sure they’ll be okay, Morgan. Maybe just a little different.
The way to make these shelf-safe is to marinate the crushed garlic in vinegar overnight before packing. This can be done at the same time as the salt cure of the eggplants. Then the acidity will prevent botulism from developing in the jar, no matter what spores may be present. Research “safe way to preserve garlic in oil” for more explanation on this subject. Great recipe!
Nice recipe. The salting process is done for 12 hours, is that necessary? When I cook with eggplant I use a method I was taught in culinary school which involves heavily salting the eggplants to draw out the bitter toxins and then a thorough rinse but this can be done in 10-15 minutes. What does doing it for 12 hours do?
The object is to remove as much moisture as possible from the eggplant. If you feel you can do this in 10 or 15 minutes, go for it. In my experience, the longer it sits, the more moisture is leached out of the eggplant. Then squeeze….
The Pickling of the garlic with vinegar is not safe. There have been cases of botulism with salad dressings done this way. The moisture in the garlic is part of the problem. The safest way is to use dried herbs. I recommend not using garlic powder but to use dried garlic chips or granulated garlic. The vinegar raises the acidity of the vegetable also making it less likely to be a food safety hazard. The only way to be 100% safe would be to use a pressure caner. (not to be confused with a pressure cooker) Failing that my second choice would be to water bath can it for 10 minutes and keep it in the fridge.
Do I have to peel the eggplants?
The instructions are pretty clear on this: Yes
To georgina gabriel…the oil is doing this because the eggplants are fermenting and building up pressure in the jar. I make a lebanese eggplant pickle called Batinjan Makdous and it does the same thing. Just loosen the lids once every week for a few weeks. The fermentation is fine, it raises the acidity levels thus helping preserve the food. I keep my Makdous in the pantry for like a year and its fine, no water bath or pressure cooker, and it has lots of raw garlic in it…ive never gotten sick from it.
Can you reuse the olive oil for another batch when this one has been eaten?
Never tried it, Dian.
Hi Ben,
Just found your great recipe by googling ” how to preserve eggplant”
Two questions: will this recipe works with grilled eggplant? Also, talking about possible risks of botulism because of raw garlic: what if slowly cook the carlic in the olive oil before pour it into the jar?
Glad you found the recipe, Laszlo. My name is Ed. In answer to your two question, I have to say I don’t know. I’ve never tried either. As to using grilled eggplant, my guess is it would just fall apart in the jar. The recipe calls for raw eggplant treated with salt. You could always cook your garlic ahead of time to reduce the risk of botulism. I’ve never had a problem using raw garlic, but I always kept my finished eggplant in the refrigerator.
Ooops, sorry about your name, Ed!
I’m gonna give it a try with grilled eggplants anyway, let’s see how it turns out!
My problem with grilled eggplant is the cooking process breaks down the cell structure to the point I think you will end up with eggplant soup. Raw eggplant, on the other hand, with cell structure intact, becomes somewhat leathery. When they have fully cured, you can remove individual pieces from the jar. I think that was the intended effect. But of course you are welcome to try anything, Laszlo.