Have been looking for "ways" to preserve eggplant.......
Has anyone got anything unusual to volunteer?
Grateful of any & all recipes, tyvm!

On 3/26/2011 8:54 PM, CanadianSheWolf wrote:
> Have been looking for "ways" to preserve eggplant.......
> Has anyone got anything unusual to volunteer?
> Grateful of any& all recipes, tyvm!
>
>
>
>
I have successfully frozen both eggplant caponata and eggplant moussaka
for years. Make the recipe up to the point you want it in disposable
aluminum pans, let it cool and then vacuum bag and seal it for the
freezer. Done that way the dish can last up to two years before use. I
have never found a way to can or dehydrate eggplant that was palatable.

On 3/26/2011 8:54 PM, CanadianSheWolf wrote:
> Have been looking for "ways" to preserve eggplant.......
> Has anyone got anything unusual to volunteer?
> Grateful of any& all recipes, tyvm!
>
>
>
>
Here's the recipe for eggplant caponata:

Eggplant Caponata (freezable)

Serve as an antipasto, with pasta, over an omelet, or just chilled as a
sidedish.

¼ cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
1 lb diced eggplant
4 or 5 chopped tomatoes (I like plum tomatoes best)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 Tbspn capers
½ cup chopped green olives
2 Tbspn wine vinegar
2 Tbspn lemon juice
2 Tspn honey

Start with the oil and onion and then the eggplant and tomato and cook
for 30 minutes. Stir it occasionally. Then put everything else in and
cook for 10 more minutes. Chill and serve, serve hot if desired. Chill
and freeze. If you don’t have capers put in more olives. I often find
capers heavily discounted at Big Lots because most cooks around here
don’t know what they are. I generally buy a couple of large bottles. If
you don’t have lemons use more vinegar. Often you need to add a hit of
vinegar after thawing the frozen version to pep up the taste. I often
double or triple the recipe to make enough to freeze at one time. For
two people I put it in quart freezer containers although pints would
make more sense for two. Once frozen I then dump it into a vac bag and
seal it, last longer in the freezer without degrading that way.

Recipe originally from Naomi Counides.

On 3/26/2011 8:54 PM, CanadianSheWolf wrote:
> Have been looking for "ways" to preserve eggplant.......
> Has anyone got anything unusual to volunteer?
> Grateful of any& all recipes, tyvm!
>
>
>
>
And here is the Moussaka recipe:


MOUSSAKA MELITANES

1 1/2 kilos (3 lbs) eggplant (I use Ichiban eggplant that are naturally
sweet so don't need the salting and squeezing.)
1/2 kilo (1 lb) ground meat
2 medium size onions
1/2 kilo (1 lb) fresh tomatoes or a tablespoon of Tomato paste diluted
in a cup of cold water.
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 stick cinnamon
olive oil for frying
4 eggs, 1/2 cup milk - parsley
1 tablespoon butter (for ground meat)
1 cup grated cheese (Parmesan or other) (I have used both parmesan and
shredded mozzarella with success)
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
Bechamel Sauce:
4 heaped tablespoons butter
5 heaped tablespoons flour - 2 cups milk
nutmeg - salt – pepper

1. Slice the eggplant thickly sprinkle with salt leave on a platter for
1-2 hours
Rinse in cold water and squeeze a little, wipe dry. (see note above)
Heat some oil and fry eggplant with lid on pan until soft on both sides
put into sieve and drain on thick paper boil ground meat, onions,
butter, in a cup of water. When water is absorbed let meat and onion
brown with the butter which is in the pan. Add parsley and cinnamon,
salt and pepper
Pour wine over the mix and cover with lid - let wine be absorbed Add
tomato juice and sugar
Simmer until thick Discard stick of cinnamon If mixture is too greasy
add 1-2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Grease large baking pan or pyrex dish layer eggplant in the pan Sprinkle
eggplant with grated cheese, spread half the meat mixture, sprinkle with
grated cheese, spread another layer of eggplant, sprinkle with grated
cheese,
cover with third layer of eggplant.
Note: You can stop at this point if you intend to freeze the moussaka
for later use. I put the mix in an aluminum throwaway pan, freeze it,
then put in a vacuum seal bag and seal. If you do this then you do the
last part of the recipe once the moussaka is thawed. If you intend to
cook and eat then leave out this noted part.

2. Beat 2 egg yolks and 4 whites with 1/2 cup milk, Pour over the pie.
Make bechamel sauce: Heat butter and work in flour until smooth. Add
little by little the milk, nutmeg, and salt, stirring all the while.
Cook until fairly thick. Beat remaining two egg yolks in the bechamel.
Add a handful of cheese. Pour over the pie. Sprinkle generously with the
remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and a few dots of butter.
Bake for 45 minutes in a moderate oven (350F) until golden brown. Let it
cool a little and cut into squares before serving.

On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 07:04:18 -0500, George Shirley
> wrote:

>On 3/26/2011 8:54 PM, CanadianSheWolf wrote:
>> Have been looking for "ways" to preserve eggplant.......
>> Has anyone got anything unusual to volunteer?
>> Grateful of any& all recipes, tyvm!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>I have successfully frozen both eggplant caponata and eggplant moussaka
>for years. Make the recipe up to the point you want it in disposable
>aluminum pans, let it cool and then vacuum bag and seal it for the
>freezer. Done that way the dish can last up to two years before use. I
>have never found a way to can or dehydrate eggplant that was palatable.

Ashbury's Aubergines is a web site that has over 3000 eggplant recipes
on line.
http://www.aubergines.org/
Some recipes have instructions for preserving but, unfortunately, the
methods are not up to modern standards for safely canning.
Some of the recipes I've looked at do sound tasty but, I wouldn't
recommend them for long term storage by any method other than
freezing.

Ross.

Thank you for all of these recipes. I planted six varieties of eggplant in my garden this year and need to expand my menu beyond eggplant parmesan! I plan to freeze some of it and am curious how long it will keep. Any information would be helpful.