Eggplants in oil, we still have just enough time to prepare them with the very last harvests. It’s true that we can find eggplants in stores all year round now, but do you want to compare with seasonality? Nothing to do with forced greenhouse cultivation, and there’s nothing wrong with buying them. This is the recipe my father used, I remember I was young, during summer I would come home for the holidays, and he would always prepare many little things for me to take back to the city, including eggplants in oil. I remember it as if it were now. Not every year I manage to prepare them, but as soon as I can, I don’t wait for October; I make them as soon as I find them in stores at the beginning of summer.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 jars
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 1,197.77 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 20.07 (g) of which sugars 9.38 (g)
- Proteins 2.83 (g)
- Fat 117.20 (g) of which saturated 16.76 (g)of which unsaturated 0.25 (g)
- Fibers 7.87 (g)
- Sodium 38,769.82 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 6 eggplants
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic
- 17.6 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 14.1 oz fine salt
- 1 teaspoon dried chili pepper (To taste)
Tools
- Colander
- Press
- 4 Jars
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
- Pot
- Peeler
Preparation
Always choose fresh and firm eggplants, even mixed varieties.
I preferred to remove the peel, but if you have homegrown eggplants and want to leave it, that’s fine too.
Cut the eggplants into sticks.
As you cut the eggplants into sticks, place them in the colander and sprinkle salt on each layer. After this operation, leave the eggplants with a plate and a weight on top to drain all the bitterness. This should be done for at least 6 hours.
After the hours under salt, proceed to the next step, do not use water to remove the salt.
Bring the vinegar and white wine to a boil.
Dip the eggplants in for 3 minutes, just enough time to remove the excess salt.
Once it starts to boil again and the 3 minutes have passed, remove the eggplants, drain them, and let them cool.
Naturally, if you have a press, the work is easier because you will finish sooner. But don’t worry, you can always do it the old-fashioned way. Squeeze the eggplants by hand and then wrap them in a cloth to dry any residue.
Start by putting the garlic in small pieces, oil, and oregano in the bowl, mix, and add the eggplants to all the ingredients.
If you like, you can also add some dried chili pepper cut into pieces, I added it.
Jar the eggplants and add oil up to the rim.
The eggplants in oil are ready, but do not close them yet, wait a few days, check them because in the meantime the oil will have certainly decreased in level and will need to be replenished. Eggplants should never be left out of the oil.
Eggplants in oil ready for the winter.
What type of eggplant is best for preparing in oil?
All eggplants are great, especially if they are in season, as they have fewer seeds. My favorites are the striped ones, I’ve noticed they have very few seeds and are more suitable.
