by Ang Biondo
Family Pickled Eggplant Recipe
This recipe was originally meant for canning or storage, to be used over the coarse of the year. I remember my grand-mother having a big ceramic crock, that she used to store the pickled eggplant in the pantry. I remember it having and inside diameter of about 12” or so and was about 15”/18” high with a matching cover. She would fill the crock to within a few inches from the top with the eggplant recipe and cover it with a Muslim type cloth material and place the earthen top on it. She wouldn’t let anybody dig into it for a month, - at least it seemed that way.
My mother and aunt Tillie, use to can the recipe – filling 1 qt. canning jars with pickled eggplant, screwing the tops on and boiling in a canner for what seemed like hours. After boiling, they would let the jars cool and wait for the tops to pop inward as they cooled. This insured that they were sealed and ready to store. In this day and age I certainly don’t recommend the “crock” storage system, and if you are planning to do any canning for the first time, I suggest you do some research on canning on the internet – or visit your local library.
Pickled Eggplant is one of my favorite snack foods. There are several recipes in the family and all are very good and hard define which would be best. I guess it depends on who you ask as the most defining factors are the amount of garlic, the type oil and the type of salt (Kosher, Sea, or plain), my wife and I prefer to use sea salt, which can be obtained from fine to coarse. We also prefer a good grade of virgin olive oil, while some prefer to use just olive oil. As for the garlic, I’m a garlic lover and believe a little extra garlic makes the difference. To me a little less salt, a little more garlic, and a good grade of your favorite virgin olive oil when making this recipe will culminate in true ambrosia.
Pickled eggplant is an excellent side dish or great on sandwiches with your favorite lunch meat. The mere thought of it is making me hungry. So again, I recommend if this is the first time you are making pickled eggplant – you should experiment with it to tailor it to your taste. The rule is “Taste first” the add additional ingredients in moderation. Keep in mind that the flavor must marinate into the recipe, so whatever change you make, give it time to take affect. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
3 large eggplants
1/4 Cup salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
4+ garlic cloves, sliced or chopped
1 Tbsp. oregano
¼ teaspoon or Pinch of crushed cayenne pepper flakes
1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Peel eggplant and slice into ¼” thick slices. Place in a large container and sprinkle with coarse salt and cover with water. Let stand for several (6 to 24) hours. Weigh down with a plate.
Squeeze and wring out all excess moisture from the eggplant using hands.
Rinse in cold water and squeeze water out several times.
Place in clean bowl and add olive oil, vinegar, chopped garlic, oregano and cayenne pepper.
Taste and salt, if necessary. It should be a little salty.
Place eggplant in jars and cover with olive oil.
Close jar tightly. Store for 2 weeks before eating.
