Italian Pickled Eggplant, don't let the process intimidate you! Prepare authentic homemade pickled eggplant that doesn't compare to store bought and serve as antipasto, in sandwiches or even on pizza. Deliciously flavored with garlic, dried chilis, oregano and fennel seeds just like my mom makes!
Note: This recipe was updated on September 21, 2023, specifically regarding the storage method.
Yet another eggplant recipe on my Sicilian food blog! Of course, there's no end to Sicilian recipes with eggplant. But this is no ordinary eggplant recipe, in fact it requires no cooking whatsoever. Italian pickled eggplant is what many Italians are preparing this time of year. That is along with peppers, tomatoes, giardiniera, tomato sauce and so on.
I'm going to admit something to you, I actually don't can tomatoes with my family. There, I said it. I tried once or twice in my garage, as most Italians do. Now I know I may face backlash for saying this, but I just felt that it was quite labor intensive and not worth the effort. I buy my tomato passata imported from Italy at my local Italian grocery store and stock up when it's on sale.
So now that I got that out of the way, I decided to focus my time on preserving other vegetables, such as Italian Pickled Eggplant. My son goes through several jars each year adding them to sandwiches, salads and even in stuffed pizza. So I decided it was time to learn my mother's easy method for pickling eggplant, and while we're at it involve my son in the process as well.
Choosing the right eggplant for pickling:
We began the day with a trip to the Jean-Talon Market. Those of you who live in Montreal or have visited our fine city know that the Jean-Talon Market is THE place to go if you're a foodie. Honestly, I become giddy with excitement when I'm there surrounded by all the amazing colorful fruits and vegetables and I want to buy everything in sight! It's open year round but I prefer visiting during the summer months.
I followed my mom around the market in search of the right eggplant. We must have circled the market at least three times looking for the best quality at the best price. I probably would have purchased the first ones I saw!
We finally settled on these beautiful globe eggplant. Look for eggplant that is firm and not bruised or wrinkly looking. It is also preferable to choose small to medium sized eggplants that have less seeds than the larger variety. But honestly,just about any variety of eggplant will do.
Equipement
Not much at all actually! This recipe involves no cooking whatsoever, so no pots or pans needed here. Here's all you need:
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- non-reactive bowls (2 if you make the full recipe): ceramic, stoneware, or glass bowls are best.
- colanders (2)
- a couple of salad plates to place upside down over the eggplant and place a weight on top (full explanation further below)
- heavy objects to press down on the eggplant during the various stages of pickling: a large tomato can; a plastic bottle of oil or white vinegar or even some paving stones that you may have lying around will do (which is what I used). I rinsed them and placed them in plastic bags to make sure they didn't come into direct contact with the eggplant.
- jars for storage: I used 3 -500 ml Mason jars with double lid system. Any jars will do as long as they are sterilized.
- fork: to press down on the eggplant to ensure it is tightly packed in the jars.
Step by Step Instructions
The method I am sharing is a tried, true and tested recipe that my mother has used for several decades and her family made in Sicily as well. You'll notice the prep time in my recipe card says 54 hours, but don't let that intimidate you. Most of the time is inactive time waiting for the eggplant to soak or drain excess liquid.
Also, please note that due to the large amount of eggplant, the cut eggplant strips were divided into 2 bowls. Repeat all steps for both bowls. The complete, printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
Day 1 - Salt the eggplant
Wash the eggplant and dry well. Remove some of the peel. You'll notice we removed strips of peel and left about half of it on. This is really a question of preference, you can remove all of it, none or half as we did.
Slice into approximately 1 cm rounds and then into matchsticks of about ¾ cm.
Divide the eggplant strips into 2 large non reactive bowl adding course salt in between layers of eggplant. Place a dinner plate over the eggplant strips and weigh the plate down with a heavy object of your choice. This can range from a large heavy can, a full bottle of oil or vinegar (in a plastic bottle!) or I happen to have a few paving stones handy that I later covered in a plastic bag.
Let sit on your counter for 24 hours. After a few hours you'll notice I switched to a salad plate. With time the larger sized dinner plate was too wide to adequately press down on the eggplant.
Day 2 - Stir in vinegar
After 24 hours, you'll now notice the dark colored water surrounding the eggplant strips as well as the fact that they have greatly reduced in volume. The salt in the eggplant draws out the water and bitter juices from the eggplant. This is what you are looking for.
Drain the eggplant in a large colander. Place the colander over a bowl and once again, place a plate over the eggplant and weigh it down with your heavy object. This is to squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
After 2 or 3 hours, transfer the eggplant back to your large bowl and stir in white vinegar. Once again, place your plate over the eggplant and weigh it down for another 24 hours.
Day 3-Place in jars
You're now ready to place your eggplant in jars. Sterilize your jars and lids following the easy method outlined here. I used 3 -500 ml jars.
Drain the eggplant strips in your colander and as you did the previous day. Weigh them down once again for 2-3 hours hours to drain out all the vinegar.
Next, squeeze out as much water as possible by taking a handful of eggplant strips at a time and squeezing them with your hands. You'll be surprised to see how much more liquid comes out of them!
Place the squeezed eggplant back in your bowl. Toss with oil; slivered garlic; dried chili torn into small pieces; dry oregano and, if desired, a few fennel seeds.
Drizzle a little oil at the bottom of each jar to coat it. Begin packing in the eggplant strips using a fork and pressing down firmly to pack the eggplant in as tightly as possible. Continue until you reach approximately 2.5 cm below the top of the jar. Pour in enough oil to cover the eggplant but not too much so that the lid touches the oil.
Place the lid on the jar, but not too tightly yet. Let the jars sit for a few hours and if you notice they have absorbed more oil and are no longer completely covered with oil, remove the lid and pour in extra oil. Now place the lid on tightly. Continue with the other jars.
Storage
Store pickled eggplant jars in a dark, cool place. Most Italians have a cold room or cantina which is filled with shelves full of jars of pickled veggies, tomato sauce and the occasional prosciutto hanging from the ceiling!
Here are a few options on how to store your pickled eggplant:
- The recommended method of storage is refrigeration. Once a jar is opened it is best used within 2-3 weeks. Since this recipe uses vegetable oil instead of olive oil, it will not coagulate in the refrigerator.
- Sealing the jars by means of a water bath is not recommended for pickled vegetables that are in oil.
Once the jar is opened, store in the refrigerator and continue to top the eggplant with oil if not completely covered.
To serve
-Pickled eggplant is typically served as antipasto (appetizer) with fresh crusty bread before a meal.
-Add to your antipasto platter surrounded by other pickled and cured ingredients such as cold cuts; other pickled vegetables; cheeses; and olives.
-One of our favorite ways of enjoying pickled eggplant is in sandwiches especially in a sausage panini, or even in a stuffed pizza such as a rotolo or calzone.
Tips and suggestions:
- This recipe will work well with just about any type of eggplant. Just be sure to look for fresh eggplants that are firm and are not wrinkly.
- Vary the flavoring ingredients: mint, basil, or parsley are a few suggestions.
- My mother uses a neutral flavored oil such as vegetable oil (canola or sunflower oil are other options) since olive oil solidifies when refrigerated. But you can use olive oil if you prefer.
- Refer to the section above on how to store pickled eggplant.
- The eggplant is ready to eat right away, however it is best enjoyed after at least a month when the flavors have had time to mingle and the eggplant becomes increasingly tender.
- This recipe makes 3 -500 ml jars (16 ounces or 2 cups), but if you find it difficult to consume such a large quantity once refrigerated, try using 6 -250 ml jars instead.
- The recipe may also be halved to fill 3 -250 ml jars.
I hope this recipe inspires you to try pickling your own vegetables this Fall. You can pickle a variety of vegetables with this same technique including hot peppers (recipe coming soon) and green tomatoes. If you give it a try let me know how yours turned out by rating this recipe in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin the recipe for later. Happy pickling!
How about a few more eggplant recipes for you to enjoy?
- Eggplant Caponata
- Baked Eggplant and Potatoes with Tomato Sauce
- Grilled Eggplant Involtini
- Stuffed Baby Eggplant
- Mom's Eggplant Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 5 kg eggplant (or 11 lbs) I used 8 of the common globe variety
- 1 cup coarse salt
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 3 cups vegetable oil or any other neutral flavored oil such as sunflower or canola, plus more for topping jars
- 3 garlic cloves slivered
- 1 -2 dried hot chilis or more according to taste
- 2 tablespoon dry oregano
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Instructions
- Please note that due to the large amount of eggplant, I divided the cut eggplant strips into 2 bowls and each step outlined below is repeated with each bowl.
Day 1 - Salt the eggplant
- Wash eggplant and dry well. Remove some of the peel. We removed strips of peel and left about half of it on. This is really a question of preference, you can remove all of it, none or half as we did.
- Slice each eggplant into approximately 1 cm rounds and then into matchsticks of about ¾ cm.Place in 2 large non reactive bowls adding course salt in between layers of eggplant.
- Place a dinner plate over the eggplant strips and weigh the plate down with a heavy object of your choice. This can range from a large heavy can, a full bottle of oil or vinegar (in a plastic bottle!) or I happen to have a few paving stones handy that I later covered in a plastic bag. Let sit on your counter for 24 hours. After a few hours I switched to a salad plate as you need the weight of the heavy object to press down on the eggplant.
Day 2 - Stir in vinegar
- After 24 hours, a dark colored water will surround the eggplant strips and they will have greatly reduced in volume. The salt in the eggplant draws out the water and bitter juices from the eggplant. This is what you are looking for.
- Drain the eggplant in a large colander. Place the colander over a bowl and once again, place a plate over the eggplant and weigh it down with your heavy object. This is to squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
- After 2 or 3 hours, transfer the eggplant back to your large bowl and stir in white vinegar, (dividing the amount specified between both bowls.) Once again, place your plate over them and weigh them down for another 24 hours.
Day 3 - Place in jars
- You're now ready to place your eggplant in jars. Sterilize your jars and lids following the easy method outlined here. I used 3 -500 ml jars.
- Drain the eggplant strips in your colander and as you did the previous day and weigh them down once again for 2-3 hours to drain the vinegar. Next, squeeze out as much water as possible by taking a handful of eggplant strips at a time and squeezing them with your hands. You'll be surprised to see how much more liquid comes out of them!
- Place the squeezed eggplant back in your bowl. Toss with oil; slivered garlic; dried chili pepper torn into small pieces; dry oregano and, if desired, a few fennel seeds. Once again the ingredients listed are divided between both bowls.
- Drizzle a little oil at the bottom of each jar to coat it. Begin packing in the eggplant strips using a fork and pressing down firmly to pack the eggplant in as tightly as possible. Continue until you reach approximately 2.5 cm below the top of the jar.
- Pour in enough oil to cover the eggplant but not too much so that the oil reaches the lid. Place the lid on the jar, but not too tightly yet. Let the jars sit for a few hours and if you notice they have absorbed more oil and are no longer completely covered with oil, remove the lid and pour in extra oil. Now place the lid on tightly. Continue with the other jars.
- See notes below for storage methods.
Notes
- This recipe will work well with just about any type of eggplant. Just be sure to look for fresh eggplants that are firm and are not wrinkly.
- Vary the flavoring ingredients: mint, basil, or parsley are a few suggestions.
- My mother uses a neutral flavored oil such as vegetable oil (canola or sunflower oil are other options) since olive oil solidifies when refrigerated. But you can use olive oil if you prefer.
- The eggplant is ready to eat right away, however it is best enjoyed after at least a month when the flavors have had time to mingle and the eggplant becomes increasingly tender.
- This recipe makes 3 -500 ml jars (16 ounces or 2 cups), but if you find it difficult to consume such a large quantity once refrigerated, try using 6 -250 ml jars instead.
- The recipe may also be halved to fill 3 -250 ml jars.
- Store your pickled eggplant jars in the refrigerator. Since this recipe uses vegetable oil instead of olive oil, it will not coagulate in the refrigerator.
- Once the jar is opened, use within 2-3 weeks.
Rhea
Hi Nadia. Awesome recipe. Thank you. I made a half recipe using eggplants from my garden and both my son and I love it. We've added it to salads (it creates a wonderful vinegrette when mixed with pickled hot peppers), stuffed it into pita sandwiches with roasted vegetables and garbanzos and used it as a topping for baked fish. It didn't last long and I'm just finishing a second batch. This time I made a double recipe! I've never subscribed to a website before but this recipe was so clearly explained, and the end result so authentic and delicious, that I wanted to recognize your skill. So add me to your list of readers.
Nadia
Thank you Rhea, so kind of you!
Rhea
Wonderful recipe. Thank you. I tried it with eggplant from my garden and both my son and I love it. I also canned mixed hot peppers and spices in vinegar and adding both the peppers and eggplant to salads creates an amazing vinegrette. We've also used the eggplant as a topping for broiled fish and mixed it with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil for pasta. Now we've run out and I'm starting a new batch. With the way we go through it, I'm doubling the recipe.
Nadia
Hi Rhea, so glad you enjoyed my mom’s recipe!
Jane Paynter
Hello Nadia,
I have more eggplants this year than ever before so I'm going to try this instead of buying it. I moved to this house a year ago and clearly my eggplants love the new garden in spite of the early cold and rain this spring. My brother-in-law comes from Naples so we will see what he thinks of my efforts.
P.S. I feel the same way about the Jean Talon We (my brother, his wife, and I) make a trip from Ottawa every fall and do exactly the same thing; walk around 3 times and then try not to buy up everything we see.
Thanks for this.
Nadia
Hello Jane, lucky you! I have not had much luck with my eggplants in recent years. It is definitely worth the drive from Ottawa to visit our amazing Jean-Talon market, it is a favorite foodie destination of mine for sure! Hope you enjoy this recipe and thank you for your comment!
Janice V.
Thank you so much for sharing this. My great aunt made them and then my dad took over. He passed two years ago and I’ve been trying to recreate from memory with no luck. Now, I’d rate mine as good (perhaps even better) than theirs, thanks to you.
Nadia
Hello Janice, I'm so glad to hear that your pickled eggplant turned out to your liking. It is a labor of love but definitely worth making them!
Patrick
Thank You Nadia for this recipe.
I have made before with both vegetable oil, and olive oil. The worry was using olive oil without refrigeration, but looking at a jar that has come from the fridge is not a good look.
When my eggplant mature this year, I will definitely use your recipe.
Nadia
Hello Patrick, of course with the olive oil, it will coagulate in the fridge and may look strange but the flavor must be good. Let me know how your egplant turns out if you try this recipe. Thanks!
Bill and Imogen
Just like Mama used to make,
Our neighbour is Sicilian and he has raved about his Mama’s eggplant pickle for months.He finally gave us a jar a couple of weeks ago and it was sensational.Needless to say, it didn’t last long.
We found your recipe and made it and we have to say it is so close after one shot Fantastic Bellissima keep up the good work.
Nadia
Hello Bill, thank you for your comment. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my mom's recipe!
Jane
Hi Anna, Like many others, I remember this from my childhood. My aunt would make this (we called it something else that sounds like mool-in-yahn - probably a bastardized translation of some Italian word! She made it in a big crock and it was in the basement of her house with a plate on top of the crock to keep the eggplant submerged in the crock with oil on top. We kids would go down to the basement, steal a slice of eggplant and run out the back door which was in the basement. We kids thought we were so clever but she knew by all the oil droplets across the cement floor! Good memories.
I want to try this recipe but from my memory I know my aunt sliced the eggplant - maybe about 1/4" thick slices and I think she left the skin on but I don't know for sure - that was probably 65+ years ago! I've always wanted to make this so I'm going to give it a shot in the fall when the farmers market have fresh, beautiful eggplants. Thank you so much for the recipe. This will be a trip down memory lane!
Nadia
Hello Jane, it seems like most of us have memories of our parents making some sort of pickled vegetables. Mool-in-yahn (I love the way you spelled it!) sounds like the Neapolitan dialect to me! You can definitely leave the skin on if you prefer. Hope you give the recipe a try and if you do please let me know how they turn out! Thank you for sharing your memories with me~
Norma
Thanks for the recipe, Nadia - I appreciate you sharing your mother's history! I have a tip for squeezing anything in the kitchen, including eggplant... use a potato ricer. It works well for this, and many other things (such as when you blanch and squeeze spinach for the freezer). You can get an amazing amount of liquid out of things with the leverage of the potato ricer's handles.
Nadia
Hi Norma, great idea thanks for sharing that tip! I am so enjoying seeing all my readers chime in with their tips and suggestions. I only knew my mother's method so I'll share this with her too. Thanks again!
Ravi Minhas
Hi Nadia I am trying this recipe for first time. Just cut the eggplants and leave in with salt . Hope it will turn great. Thanks for sharing!
Nadia
Hi Ravi, glad to hear you're trying it out. Please let me know how they turn out!
Micjael
Hi Nadia. I am in step 1. The eggplants have sat overnight in the salt and will be drained tonight. That seems like an awful lot of salt. I used course kosher salt as directed. Do I not need to rinse the salt before adding vinegar? Or at all?
Nadia
Hello Micjael, you do not need to rinse out the salt. In the next step when you drain them and weigh them down, a good deal of the salt is drained out as well. Also, for 5 kg of eggplant it is not too much salt. Hope the next step is going well and that you enjoy them. Thanks for your question!
Christine
Hi is it possible to do a char grilled eggplant preserved in a brine or pickle rather than oil please?
Nadia
Hello Christine, that sounds really interesting however I have never tried this method therefore I can not guarantee the outcome. Perhaps another reader who has tried it might chime in?
Anna Bucciarelli
For Christine and Nadia - one of my old aunts did not use oil - she did indeed use white vinegar with a shot of lemon juice, then just topped her jar with some EVOO. It was good too - I assume Christine is referring to pickle brine (from jarred pickles)? I assume that could work too. Why not? Kitchen experimenting is one of the joys of home cooking but be prepared - win some lose some.
Nadia
Thanks for sharing this Anna!
Annie J
Hi Nadia,
I don’t know how to start my own comment thread so I’ll just reply here. Can I use fresh peppers from my garden instead of dried? Also, could I use fresh basil from my garden instead of dried herbs?
Nadia
Hello Annie, the hot dried peppers that I add are simply to add a bit of heat and flavor to the eggplant. If you choose to add fresh peppers then I suggest that you combine them with your eggplant that you salt and add vinegar to. This will preserve them as well. I have never added fresh herbs to my pickled vegetables so I'm not sure how they will hold up. Hope this helps!
Annie J
Thank you for your reply. I’ll probably add fresh peppers like you suggested and stick with dry herbs. I’ll report back how it turns out!
Nadia
Please do!
Melissa
Hi Nadia,
I’m at the 2nd stage, unfortunately I didn’t have white vinegar in the house. I used half ACV, half red wine. Hope it turns out ok
Nadia
Hi Melissa, I do hope it turns out ok although I have never tried making them with vinegar other than the white kind. Please let me know how they turn out!
Mike
Finally! The recipe I have been looking for. Based on my mother’s not so accurate recollection, I have been trying to duplicate my grandmother’s recipe for years. I have been close but have rushed the preparation, doing in hours what takes days and not using vinegar. Now I have it, this is exactly as my grandmother’s tasted. I love All eggplant dishes but there is nothing as tasty as this eggplant salad. Thank you for posting
Heather
I am currently making this recipe (it is sitting in the jars). As the eggplant decreased in size and I dumped the water off, 3 times on day 1, I noticed a lot more seeds than were initially visible. After the vinegar soak and squeeze, I put the eggplant pieces in my salad spinner a handful at a time and was amazed at how many more seeds I was able to discard of! Just an idea if someone else finds they have a lot of seeds coming out of the eggplant. A salad spinner works wonders.
Nadia
Hi Heather, yes there are definitely lots of seeds that are released from the eggplant but that is ok. Thanks for sharing the tip about using a salad spinner. Great idea and it may be helpful to other readers as well. Thanks again!
Dave
Hello, great receipe!
Does it matter what type of salt you use? Regular ionized table salt vs. sea salt? Your receipe did say couse salt but does it matter if I use fine?
Where I live sea salt is a lot more expensive.
Thanks you
Nadia
Hello Dave, thank you! My mother has always used coarse salt for this recipe but in fact, after doing some research I have learned that regular table salt may work as well. Hope this helps!
Mark
Hi, I did this with green tomatoes last fall and they turned out great. I'm wondering if it's possible to do this with eggplant and green tomatoes mixed together? or will doing them together mess things up?
Nadia
Hi Mark, so glad you enjoyed your pickled green tomatoes! Now that is a good question but to be honest with you I've never tried combining these 2 vegetables before. A typical Italian giardiniera consists of a mix of veggies such as cauliflower, peppers, celery etc.so I'm inclined to say that this can work but I can't say for sure. I would suggest perhaps making one jar combined this summer and see how it turns out? And please let me know if you try it out, I'm now curious!
Rob
Hey Mark. I mix green tomatoes, Hungarian wax peppers, chicken of the woods mushrooms, onions, garlic, fresh basil and I marinate in the salt brine for sometimes up to two months before I remove it from the refrigerator. I scoop out a little bit at a time and just add a tablespoon or less of extra virgin olive oil to it, mix it up, chop it up and enjoy with a sandwich, crackers, etc. It’s delicious that way. Everyone always asks me for it, which makes me very happy. I also do as the recipe here states but I add the ingredients I stated and put in jars. You can’t go wrong with any mixture of vegetables you prefer. I believe the longer you let it sit in the salt brine the better it tastes but everyone has a different palate. I hope your mixture turns out great. Enjoy 😀
Nadia
Hi Rob, that sounds fantastic! I think I'll give it a try next time, thanks for sharing with everyone!
Debs Hotvedt
Uh-Oh! i may have misread the recipe and put a cup of salt in each bowl! Please tell me there is a fix!
Nadia
Hi Debs, I'm not sure at what point you're at in the process right now however if you just placed the salt in the bowl I would simply rinse the eggplants well and begin again. Hope this helps and that you were able to salvage your eggplant!
Deb Hotvedt
I had already finished the vinegar bath, and thought I would taste it when I discovered I over salted! I will try rinsing with water to see if I can fix it! Thanks Nadia!
Nadia
No problem Deb, hope they turn out ok!
Catherine Zielinski
How long would you boil the jars in a canner for storage?
Nadia
Hello Catherine, ideally you should boil the jars (fully submerged in the water) for 10 minutes in order to seal them for long term storage. Enjoy!
Fiona
Hi this recipe looked the exact same as my boyfriends Italian families pickled eggplant so I was really excited to try it out! I followed the recipe exactly and for some reason the eggplant tastes like vinegar and is really bad. I cant think of anything I did wrong, I squeezed out so much vinegar and followed the recipe exactly.
I am not at all saying this recipe is bad I think its great! If anyone can think of why mine didn't work out so I can try again I would really appreciate it! ( I'm thinking possibly the type of vinegar/ eggplant?)
Nadia
Hello Fiona, I'm sorry to hear your eggplants are too vinegary and thank you for reaching out to me. First thing I'm wondering, did you wait before tasting them, how long did they stay in the jar before you opened it? I used a basic white vinegar but I'm not sure the brand you use should make a difference. Perhaps next time you may try soaking them less long in the vinegar? You mentioned that you followed the recipe exactly, so please forgive the question but just to make sure did you weigh down the eggplant after it has soaked in vinegar to get out the excess vinegar? I noticed a lot of it drains away with this method. I'm not sure this is helpful to you but I'm hoping you have better results next time!
Heidi
Question: what serving size does the nutritional information refer to?
Nadia
Hello Heidi, this is actually the total for the 3 jars full. It’s hard to determine an exact portion size as it can vary greatly.
Heidi
Excellent, thank you Nadia! Now, one more question: I am at stage two of the process, i.e., vinegar soaking with white wine vinegar. (Have turned the strips so the ones on top are moved down, because obviously three cups will not cover everything). Am not sure how this will work if the eggplant isn’t cooked. Will it be ok ‘raw’ - although strictly speaking it is ‘cooked’ via the pickling process. I guess I’m asking, is it guaranteed to work?!
Cheers.
Nadia
Hi Heidi, there is no need to cook the eggplant as it softens through the pickling process. It has always worked well for my mom and I! Please let me know how it turns out!
Heidi
Hi Nadia - progress report: did as you suggested and left it for a month before trying. It is very flavoursome and I was pleased not to have to do any cooking. These eggplant came from the garden and we had a glut, so I left as many on the plants as possible (otherwise completely overwhelmed). The result was that the skin was very tough but that’s no big deal, and absolutely nothing to do with recipe itself. The overall result was successful and I shall do,it again, peeling the skins first. Again, thank you for posting this! Cheers.
Nadia
Hi Heidi, I really appreciate you getting back to me! They must be especially tasty since the eggplants came from your garden. My mom opts for removing part of the peel but of course you can definitely remove all of it for a more tender texture. Thanks again for your feedback and enjoy!
Marie
I made pickled eggplant today and then came across your recipe. I do it exactly like you.....no cooking.....salt, brine, prepare for jars. I like to add celery, green pimento olives cut up, Italian parsley, red pepper flakes. Grew up eating pickled eggplant on sandwiches and in our holiday antipasto. Delicious!!
Nadia
Hello Marie, it takes a couple of days but is definitely not labour intensive! I like your idea of adding celery and olives, lots of flavor for sure. Enjoy!
AJ
I am about to make this recipe and I’d like to add celery to it. Do I add the celery at the beginning of the salting process or at the end with spices?
Nadia
Hello AJ, unfortunately I have never tried it with the celery added therefore I'm not sure how the texture would be if you added it at the beginning of the process vs the end. I'm wondering if one of my readers who has tried this might chime in and offer their opinoin? Thanks!
Joseph
This is exactly what my mom used to make, the same way. I remember watching her make it, and I remember her using a ceramic big round pot with little holes halfway down. She also used to make the cracked olives witch I love ,but can’t get a recipe for making them! Thanks for this recipe.
Nadia
Hi Joseph, those cracked olives are definitely on my list for next year. Meanwhile I hope your pickled eggplants turn out as you expected, enjoy!
Joseph Cristofaro
Yes thank you so much, they came out delicious 😋 my favorite that my mom used to make is the cracked olives
Nadia
Hi Joseph, excellent, I'm so glad to hear this!
Joseph Cristofaro
Does anyone have a recipe for the cracked olives, please respond to me. I miss this so much! Thanks
Nadia
It's definitely on my to do list Joseph, but until then you also try a Google search!
Valerie
Use raw green olives cracks them and put them in brine. Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt brand as it is less salty.
Brine for 5-6 days changing the brine each day. The olives should start to be turning brown at this point. Drain and in a large bowl combine olive oil and red wine vinegar in a 2:1 ratio, celery chopped small, capers and sliced garlic to taste. You can add spices to your liking hot red pepper flakes, dried oregano
Keep the olives in this salad mixture and they will continue to cure turning brown. I keep them in the large bowl in the refrigerator until they are 3/4 brown giving them a stir once a day. I then put them in smaller jars. The oil will solidify so when I’m ready to eat some, take them out the the refrigerator and eat at room temperature. They will last a full year in the regrigerator
Nadia
Hi Valerie, thanks for adding your recipe for curing olives. This is definitely something on my to do list as well. Thanks again!
Annmarie
I can not believe I finally found this recipe! I recall eating this on sandwiches as a child, but no one in my family could remember who made it or how.
I do have a question though. You do not say to rinse the salt off in any of the steps. Wouldn't this make it too salty? I've been salting my eggplant recently and recently made the lazy mistake of wiping rather than rinsing the salt off for my parmigiana. Sadly, it remained unbearable salty.
Thank you, I LOVE these recipes. I also can not wait to try the Tetu- another "lost" recipe for me until now. Our favorite bakery in Brooklyn makes these using hazelnuts.
Ciao!
Nadia
Hi Annmarie, of course I have eaten these all my life as well but never attempted to make my own until now. I was pleased to see how easy the process is! I don't rinse any of the salt off and it is not necessary. With the eggplants weighed down, some of the salt is lost through the liquid that drains away. Therefore they do not turn out too salty. Let me know if you give it a try. And I love the idea of makin tetu with hazelnuts, I'm sure they would be amazing! Thanks for your comment!
Mike
I have the same story. Remember eating this as a child and enjoying it so much however my mother could not recall the exact recipe. I have been close but this is it, exactly. My mother did however say my grandmother rinsed the eggplant after salting. I am in the process of preparing a batch now and I am not going to rinse the salt.
Frank Fariello
Love this! I usually pickle eggplant in a slightly different way but I'm anxious to try this no cook method. And by the way, you have company. I don't can tomatoes, either, and for the same reasons. My nonna Angelina must be rolling over in her grave. She had a whole closet dedicated to her home-canned tomatoes back in the day...
Nadia
Hi Frank, I was almost ashamed to admit that I don't can tomatoes but now I don't feel so bad anymore! I'm sure my dad would not approve either but my mom has accepted my decision. As for the eggplant, I asked my mom if she has ever cooked it but she prefers this no cook method so I have documented her method here. Thanks again Frank!
Anna Bucciarelli
I am so glad to see this recipe here - I have been making pickled eggplant exactly as your recipe calls for. I have never used fennel seed but can see that using them would be for interesting, maybe improved taste so will give it a try. The best thing about this is that we can make it any time of year. I store mine on my pantry shelf - it doesn't last long because what I don't give away as Christmas gifts we consume joyously, usually to go with our lunch. Then I start making it again to have on hand always to enjoy and give aways. Thank you Nadia - another winner!
Nadia
Hi Anna, you definitely cook and prepare things as my mom does! And you're right, you don't have to wait until this time of year to make pickled eggplant. The only difference now is that we have access to local eggplant but of course you can get them in the grocery store any time of year. I like your idea of giving them away as Christmas gifts, homemade gifts are definitely always appreciated. Thanks Anna!