In autumn, gardeners harvest eggplants. Vegetables are simply a storehouse of vitamins. Stewed and fried dishes, salads, and caviar are prepared from it. Of course, I want to extend this pleasure during the winter period. When fresh, blue ones do not last long. Therefore, skillful housewives prepare eggplants (little blue ones) whole for the winter, so that later they can prepare their favorite dishes from semi-finished products.
Subtleties of preparing whole eggplants for the winter
Canning eggplants includes various methods of preparation: pickling, pickling, salting.
Pickling
The best fruits of the same size are selected, washed, and removed from the stalks. Boil vegetables in water with added salt. When the water has drained, cut the blue ones lengthwise and put the filling of your choice inside.
Traditional filling: garlic, herbs, pepper, salt. Stuffed eggplants are placed in a fermentation container. After 3 days, the vegetables are transferred to jars, filled with marinade (vinegar, salt, water), the lids are sealed and stored.
Pickling
The fruits are washed, pierced, and placed in salt water. After 4 hours, boil in marinade (salt, water, vinegar) for 5 minutes. They take out whole vegetables and put them in jars with spices. The marinade is boiled again, poured over the eggplants, and sterilized. Mint, dill, pepper, sugar, walnuts, basil, and cilantro are used as additives. Wine vinegar is often used instead of table vinegar.
Salting
Blanch the eggplants in salted water for about 4 minutes and immerse them in cold water. Cut lengthwise and sprinkle with salt. Keep under pressure for a week, then transfer to jars and seal.
For any technique, blue ones are used in finished form or in semi-finished products. Preparatory work consists of pre-boiling or baking vegetables.
Required Ingredients
For a 2 liter jar of blue you will need the following ingredients:
- blue ones - 2 kilograms;
- garlic – 1 head;
- wine vinegar – 65 milliliters;
- water – 2 liters;
- bell pepper – 1 piece;
- rock salt – 130 grams.
If desired, you can add carrots, tomatoes or zucchini.Each ingredient will add its own note to the aroma and taste of pickled eggplants.
How to properly prepare containers
It is better to seal whole eggplants in 2 or 3 liter jars. All containers are first washed with soda and sent to be sterilized under steam. Boil the lids separately for 2-3 minutes.
Selection and preparation of main ingredients
Blue ones for canning are selected according to certain criteria:
- fresh, ripe vegetables with smooth skin;
- without damage;
- length – 15 centimeters;
- the stalk is green;
- The flesh is elastic, white.
The eggplants are washed under running water, punctures are made, the ends are cut off on both sides, and they are placed in a salty solution for several hours.
Heat treatment methods
Cooking. After soaking, boil the vegetables for 5-7 minutes. Check readiness with a toothpick. If the stick goes in easily, the product is ready for the next step.
Baking. The processing method allows you to preserve vitamins. The fruits are dried with a paper towel. The oven is heated to 200 degrees and the vegetables are placed on a baking sheet. First, each eggplant is pierced with a fork. Fruits weighing 150-250 grams are kept for 20 minutes, large specimens weighing 250-300 grams - 25 minutes. After 10-12 minutes, the blue ones are turned over.
In addition to the oven, vegetables are baked in a slow cooker, convection oven, or microwave. After baking, the fruits are cooled and the skins are removed or left on.
Cooking process
Work algorithm:
- Place pepper, cut into strips, and chopped garlic at the bottom of sterilized jars.
- Pour vinegar. Dosage for a 3-liter jar is 100 milliliters, for a 2-liter container – 65.
- Whole eggplants are placed tightly in jars with vinegar, sprinkled with spices.
- If the eggplants were boiled, use the same brine. Boil and pour into jars.
- For baked blueberries, prepare a marinade (2 liters of water, 130 grams of salt) and pour in the contents after boiling.
- Vegetables in brine are placed in a pan for sterilization.
- Fill the containers with water up to their shoulders. The liquid must be hot to prevent the jars from bursting.
- The bottom is covered with a cloth so that the glass does not come into contact with the pan.
- After boiling water, 2-liter jars are kept for 15 minutes.
- After sterilization, the containers are closed with sterilized lids.
As soon as the jars have cooled, they are sent for storage.
Preparation method without sterilization
Delicious recipes for blue ones without sterilization.
Ingredients:
- blue ones - 6 kilograms;
- garlic – 2 heads;
- parsley - a bunch;
- cilantro - a bunch.
Brine:
- bay leaf – 2 pieces;
- water – 1 liter;
- salt – 70 grams.
Work algorithm:
- Wash the vegetables, cut each fruit lengthwise so that it does not fall apart.
- Blanch in boiling water for 7 minutes.
- Take out the boiled fruits, place them on a board, press down with pressure for several minutes until the excess liquid drains.
- At this time, chop parsley and cilantro. Garlic is crushed in a garlic press.
- Boil the brine in advance so that it is at room temperature.
- Seasoning is added to each vegetable.
- Stuffed eggplants are placed in a pan and filled with chilled brine.
- After 2 days, the blue ones are transferred to sterilized jars. Fill with brine and roll up the lids.
Further storage
Sterilized jars of preserves can be stored in the apartment.
Pickled eggplants are stored in a cool place with a temperature of 1-3 degrees.
Product expiration date
Canned eggplants that have been sterilized can be stored for 1 year. Pickled blueberries must be eaten within six months, otherwise they will turn sour.
