How To Preserve Eggplant

ExploreHow to Preserve Eggplantin this sweet and easy guide — between dehydrating, and freezing, these step-by-step instructions will help you preserve as much as you can!

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Eggplant

Don’t let your beautiful eggplants go to waste! This glossy purple vegetable has a relatively short storage life, but with theright preservation techniques, you can enjoy eggplant’s rich, earthy flavor for months to come.

No matter how you’ve gotten your hands on this delicious vegetable, knowing how tosuccessfully freeze or dehydrate itfor preservation will always be useful to extend your eggplant’s shelf lifewhile maintaining its flavorand nutritional value!

When To Harvest Eggplant

You should harvest your eggplant as soon as the skin becomes glossy.

How To Store Eggplant

Eggplants should only be stored at room temperature.

Dehydrating Eggplant

• CUT:Wash, trim, and cut into ¼-inch slices.
• DIPPING:Water or steam blanchWater blanch: 3 minutesSteam blanch: 3-4 minutes
• DEHYDRATOR:12-14 hours
• APPEARANCE WHEN DRY:leathery to brittle

Canning Eggplant

Canning eggplant is not recommended.

Freezing Eggplant

PREPARING EGGPLANT

• Harvest before seeds become mature and when color is uniformly dark.
• Wash, peel and slice 1/3-inch thick.
• Prepare quickly and only enough eggplant for one blanching at a time.

FREEZING EGGPLANT

1. Water blanch 4 minutes in 1 gallon of boiling water containing 1/2 cup lemon juice.
2. Cool, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
3. Pack the drained slices with freezer wrap between slices.
4. Seal and freeze.

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Expert Tips

• Storage Time:Storage times vary by preservation method. Properly blanched and frozen eggplant lasts 8-12 months in the freezer. Dehydrated eggplant can be stored for 1-2 years in airtight containers away from light.
• Prevent Browning:The key is to work quickly and use acid to prevent oxidation. Adding lemon juice during preparation helps maintain color. For freezing, blanching immediately after cutting prevents browning, while oil preservation naturally protects against oxidation.
• Ridding Moisture:Before preserving your eggplant, it may help to slice it and generously salt the pieces, letting them sit in a colander for 30-45 minutes. This step draws out bitter compounds and excess moisture that can ruin preservation efforts. Rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels before proceeding.

More Tips For Preserving The Harvest

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