Home-Style Pickled Eggplant (Aubergine)
Pickled eggplant (aubergine) done properly: the purging that removes the bitterness, the exact point of blanching in vinegar, and the layer of oil that keeps them.
Two steps carry the whole jar. Salt and drain for at least an hour — this is what takes out the bitterness and the water that would otherwise dilute the vinegar. And blanch for 3-5 minutes only: tender but still firm, because overcooked eggplant turns to mush in the jar and there is no fixing it afterwards.
The oil has to cover the vegetables completely. Anything poking out above the surface spoils.
Ingredients
- 1 kg eggplants (aubergines), firm and glossy
- 500 ml white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 500 ml water
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- Olive or sunflower oil, enough to cover
- Coarse salt, for the purging
Method
- 1
Purging (the key step): peel the eggplants and cut them into sticks or 1 cm slices. Put them in a colander, sprinkle generously with coarse salt and leave them for at least 1 hour. This removes the bitterness and the excess water.
- 2
Blanching: rinse the eggplants to remove the excess salt. Bring the water and vinegar to a boil. Once boiling, add the eggplants and cook them for just 3-5 minutes. They should be tender but firm — cooked longer, they fall apart in the jar.
- 3
Seasoning: in a bowl, mix the warm eggplants with the sliced garlic, the chili flakes, the oregano and the bay leaf. Taste and correct the salt if needed.
- 4
Jarring: pack the eggplants into sterilized glass jars, pressing gently so no air bubbles remain. Top up with oil until the vegetables are completely covered — anything above the surface will spoil.
- 5
Resting: let them cool and keep them in the refrigerator for at least 24-48 hours before eating, so the oil takes on the aromatics and the eggplants absorb the flavors.
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