Eggplants in oil and spices for the winter are a universal and nutritious dish that will suit the holiday and everyday table. In addition to its taste characteristics, the preparation has a useful composition, which contains vitamins and macroelements. Eggplant canning begins in late summer after harvest. Many housewives recommend that before the procedure you familiarize yourself with the rules for choosing raw materials and preparing containers. This will help avoid mistakes.
Features of cooking eggplants in oil for the winter
Blue ones in oil marinade are prepared according to different recipes.
Each of them has common cooking features:
- experienced chefs do not recommend removing seeds from eggplants during the pickling process; to create a dish, you only need to remove the stalk;
- if vegetables have a slight bitterness, you should cut them into small pieces, cover them with salt for 25 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly in cold water;
- To prevent vegetables from absorbing a lot of oil, it is recommended to cut them into slices, soak them in water for 15 minutes, then dry them naturally.
Blueberries are marinated both whole and sliced.
Product selection rules
The taste characteristics of the prepared dish depend on the selected vegetables.
When selecting products, you must follow the following rules:
- the peel of the fruit should be smooth and glossy, this indicates healthy vegetables grown in acceptable conditions;
- There should be no spots or dents on the eggplants; their presence indicates spoilage of the product;
- blue ones should have a dense consistency and medium maturity. Overripe vegetables can harm the taste of the twists.
If the blue ones have dark brown stalks, this indicates a long-plucked vegetable that has lost some of its beneficial properties.
How to prepare containers
When the products have been selected and washed, it is worth preparing the containers for preservation:
- Glass jars must be sterilized before screwing;
- After steam treatment, it is recommended to wash the vessels in a soda solution;
- Sterilization can be carried out on grates in an oven, as well as in a slow cooker with water.
Don't forget about boiling the lids.They are boiled together with jars or separately.
When all containers have been processed, they need to be placed in a well-lit room on towels and wait to dry.
The best recipes to cook
The most popular are the classic recipe for pickling blueberries and the cooking option without sterilization. These methods do not require special preparation or a lot of time.
A simple method with garlic
To prepare the workpiece you will need:
- blue ones - 4 kg;
- garlic - 4 pcs.;
- vegetable oil - 0.5 l.
Cooking process:
- Wash the vegetables, dry naturally, cut into strips of medium thickness.
- Place a pan of water on the fire, pour 1 tbsp into it. l. vinegar, wait until it boils.
- Add chopped eggplants to the boiling marinade. The fire will need to be made quieter.
- In a separate container, combine the oil and chopped garlic, mix the products thoroughly.
- Pack the vegetables into jars, pour marinade over them and screw on the lids.
While the workpiece cools, it is recommended to leave it in the house. After 6-8 hours it can be transferred to the basement or cellar.
Option without sterilization
For preservation you will need:
- blue ones - 3 kg;
- table vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt - 3 tbsp. l.;
- clean water - 3 l.
When all the components are prepared, you can start preparing:
- Wash the vegetables, cut off the stalks.
- Cut selected eggplants in half.
- Pour water into a saucepan, add salt to it, and boil for about 20 minutes.
- When the liquid boils, you need to pour the chopped workpiece into it.
- Pour a spoonful of vinegar into the jars, put the blue ones in them so that they lie tightly to each other.
- Pour a little vinegar on top and put a sprig of dill.
After this, the jars can be screwed and transferred to a cool room.
How to store the finished product
In order for the preparations to retain their taste and beneficial properties longer, it is worth remembering the rules for storing them:
- Twists should be stored in a cool place with good ventilation.
- The optimal temperature for storage is from 0 to 10 degrees Celsius. In this form, eggplants retain their taste for 1 year.
- Strong-smelling foods and spices, such as garlic and many seasonings, should not be near the twists.
- Vegetables can be placed in the refrigerator. It is worth remembering that excessively low temperatures can harm the taste of the marinade. Suitable indicators are 2-5 degrees Celsius.
If the product begins to smell strange and changes color, you should stop eating it.
