How to Can Pickled Eggplant
Canning or preserving eggplants begins with choosing the correct jar size and understanding canning basics for pickling foods. Using commercial jars, such as baby food jars, mayonnaise jars or pickle jars, is unsafe. These jars do not have mouths that are made with heavy glass that has been heat-treated to seal with lids tightly enough to safely preserve food. Canning jars and rings can be reused until they show signs of wear, but the flat lid portion can be used only once. Eggplants are very perishable. They should be cooked, consumed or pickled within two to three days after purchase. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Eggplant
- Wide-mouth glass preserving jars, 32 oz. each
- Paper towels
- Tongs
- Colander
- Bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Knife
- Large saucepan
- Jar lids and rings
- Coarse salt
- Peppers
- White wine vinegar
- Garlic, sliced, 1 clove per eggplant
- Basil leaves, 5 per eggplant
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
-
Preparation
-
1
Sterilize the lids and rings by submerging them in cold water in the large saucepan on the stove. Bring the water to a full boil and cover the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Boil the lids and rings for 15 minutes. The jars can be washed in a dishwasher on a hot setting or boiled in a separate saucepan.
-
2
After the lids have boiled for 15 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the water to cool with the lids still in the water for 15 to 30 minutes.
-
-
3
Remove the lids and rings from the water with clean tongs. Place the lids on clean paper towels to air dry. When canning or preserving foods, sanitizing lids and rings is an important part of the process. Properly preparing the jars and lids will help prevent bacteria and mold from growing around the lid and inside the sealed jar.
Preparing the Eggplant
-
4
Wash the eggplants thoroughly with clean water or an organic fruit and vegetable cleanser spray. Peel the eggplants.
-
5
Cut them from top to bottom in slices about 1/2 cm thick. Cut the slices again in a straw or ribbon shape about 1/2 cm wide.
-
6
Place the eggplant ribbons in the colander and place the colander in the sink. Cover the ribbons completely with salt. Use about one handful of salt for every three to four eggplants.
-
7
Place a heavy bowl on top of the eggplant and nest other bowls inside of it to make it heavy enough to press the eggplant down. You may also place canned goods or mugs inside of the bowl to weigh it down. Let the eggplant sit with the weight on top of it and drain for 24 hours.
Pickling
-
8
Remove the weight from the eggplant and squeeze out the excess water from the eggplant. Do not rinse the salt off the eggplant with water.
-
9
Mix one part vinegar and two parts water in a large pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
-
10
Using tongs, drop the eggplant into the vinegar mixture. Let the eggplant sit in the vinegar mixture for 3 minutes.
-
11
Drain the eggplant in the colander and squeeze out the excess moisture.
-
12
Place the eggplant in a large bowl. Add slivers of sliced garlic, basil leaves and hot peppers to suit your taste.
-
13
Mix in enough olive oil to cover all the ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to scoop the ingredients into a hot jar, packing it in well but leaving headroom at the top of the jar.
-
14
Pour a bit of olive oil on top of the ingredients in the jar. Using the spoon's handle, poke holes in the ingredients to let air out that may be trapped beneath the ingredients.
-
15
Seal the jars tightly with the sterilized lids. Place the date on top of the lid with a permanent marker. The jar can be stored in a cool or temperature-controlled environment for up to one year.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Sterilizing the lids, rings and jars right before preparing the ingredients for preserving will allow the jars, lids and rings to remain hot when the ingredients are ready to be placed in the jar. Placing the ingredients in hot jars and using hot rings and lids is the ultimate way to seal the ingredients into the jars.
If signs of mold or bacteria form around the lid of the jar or within the jar, do not eat the jar's contents.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Eggplants image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
