Eggplants Preserved in Oil: The Traditional Recipe to Make Them at Home

The eggplants preserved in oil are a classic eggplant preserve to make at home, very easy to prepare. They are ideal for an appetizer, a side dish, a sudden aperitif with friends, or to season your tasty bruschetta, and they will also be the perfect condiment for your rice salad, in short an incredibly tasty preserve to keep in the pantry. The best thing is to prepare them is Summer, when the eggplants are fleshy and tasty, so choose them carefully to prepare crispy and solid eggplants in oil to be enjoyed throughout the year, especially in Winter.

How to Prepare the Eggplants Preserved in Oil

Wash the eggplants, remove the ends (1) and peel them completely (2). Then cut them into slices about 1cm thick (3).

From each slice cut some strips (4) and cut them again in half (5). Meanwhile, put water and vinegar in a large pot and bring it to a boil (6). Put two cloves of garlic in the pot, and leave them during the cooking of the eggplants.

After reaching the boil, immerse the eggplants in water and cook them for about 3/4 minutes (7). With a skimmer, transfer the eggplants on a clean cotton cloth and let them cool (8). Season eggplants with a plentiful sprinkling of oregano (9).

Add to the eggplants a clove of garlic cut into very thin slices (10) and let rest for about 30 minutes so that they become uniformly seasoned. Sanitize the jars and the lids in a pot of boiling water for about 15 minutes. Put the eggplants in the jar, but do not fill it all (11). Pour the oil into the jar, making sure to leave 1cm from the edge (12). Eggplants must be completely covered. Then move the eggplants with a clean fork so that the bubbles of oxygen can rise and disappear. Pour more oil, in case you need it. Leave the lid on for about 6 hours so that the remaining bubbles are absorbed and cover with other oil if the level has dropped. Close the jar and immerse it in boiling water for about 30 minutes, to make them vacuum-sealed . With the aluminum caps, it is easy to understand if the jars are vacuum-sealed, because they are no longer rounded but fall slightly. In case they are still not vacuum-sealed, repeat the whole procedure.

Tips

To have white eggplants, use white wine vinegar, in order not color the eggplants strips in any way.

In case you do not like oregano, mint is an excellent alternative to season the eggplants and give them an even fresher taste.

If you love spicy foods, cut a pinch of fresh chili pepper and add to the eggplants.

Do not forget to put the date of preparation on the jars. Once opened, always check that they are intact and that there are no blackened eggplants or molds: if you find something like that, throw away everything.

How to Preserve the Eggplants in Oil

The bottle sanitization method must be performed correctly, according to the guidelines of the ministry. Once the jar has been correctly vacuum-sealed, store it in a cool place with little light for no more than 5 or 6 months.

Once the jar has been opened, you can keep it in the fridge for a week, adding oil to keep the eggplants covered.