Don’t like oil-preserved foods or don’t want to waste oil on preserves? Today I’ll talk about my Pickled Eggplants, prepared with a simple method and foolproof success. And so, when it’s no longer the season, we can enjoy a very tasty and versatile appetizer or side dish that we can use in many different ways. They can be served alone accompanied by rustic bread croutons, as finger food for an aperitif, but are also ideal for enriching appetizers or as a side dish to roast meat dishes.
You can also read:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 29.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.08 (g) of which sugars 3.45 (g)
- Proteins 0.98 (g)
- Fat 0.18 (g) of which saturated 0.04 (g)of which unsaturated 0.09 (g)
- Fibers 2.95 (g)
- Sodium 42.61 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 3 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 for Pickled Eggplants
- 2.2 lbs black oval eggplants
- 4.2 cups water
- 4.2 cups white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 chili peppers (small or 1/2 large)
- 3 pinches dried oregano
- to taste coarse salt
Tools for Pickled Eggplants
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Colander
- 1 Knife
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Skimmer
- 2 Jars 17.6 oz
- 1 Bowl
Procedure for Pickled Eggplants
Remove the skin and the stem from firm and nice eggplants. For this recipe, they can be cut into matchsticks or slices, with or without the skin, as preferred, this will not affect the success of the preserve.
Now place the eggplants in layers in a colander, alternating with coarse salt. Let them rest for a couple of hours to lose the bitter vegetable water.
After the resting time, take the eggplants in handfuls and squeeze them a bit with your hands to further remove the vegetable water.
Put a saucepan on the stove with 2.1 cups of water and 2.1 cups of vinegar taken from the total amount indicated in the ingredients. Heat it and bring to a boil.
Throw the eggplants into the pot in handfuls and wait for the liquid to resume boiling. Let them blanch for 1-2 minutes and then drain them with a skimmer, placing them into a bowl as you go. This is a blanching process, not cooking.
Chop the garlic very finely and do the same with the chili pepper (these ingredients are to taste, depending on whether you want the eggplants more or less spicy).
Add them, along with the oregano, to the eggplants in the bowl and mix well so that they are evenly combined.
Proceed to arrange them in the glass jars, sterilized following THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH GUIDELINES.
Boil the remaining vinegar with the water in a clean saucepan. Pour into the jars, shaking the eggplants to make sure air bubbles come out.
The liquid should cover the eggplants by a few inches. Seal tightly with the lid and store in a cool place.
The pickled eggplants can be consumed starting from the week following their preparation.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can I store them if I don’t consume them all at once?
Once opened, the jar sealed again with its lid can be stored in the fridge for weeks.
