Find out how to store eggplant for a long time at home
Knowing how to store eggplant will help you preserve this delicious fruit for longer, and if you buy a large amount of it, you can keep it healthy. In this article, we will introduce you to ways to preserve eggplant.
You may be surprised to know that eggplant is a fruit, contrary to what many people think. However, due to the way it is consumed, most people think of it as a type of vegetable. By learning how to store eggplant, you can keep this delicious fruit for longer and enjoy it in less time. Given that eggplant has a spicy and dry taste, it is an ideal choice to use with cold foods such as chicken. In this article we will teach you how to store eggplant.
3 great ways to store eggplant for a long time
You can store eggplant in different ways at room temperature, in the refrigerator or freezer. To keep eggplant fresh, use the following storage methods, which are the best possible ways to store eggplant:
1. Store the eggplant at room temperature
You can store whole eggplants at room temperature. Whole eggplant is eggplant that has not been peeled or cut. Eggplant slices can only be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Place the whole eggplant in a paper bag or a container with an air hole. You don't need to seal the bag tightly or cover the entire pot, as eggplant needs air circulation to stay fresh.
To store eggplant at room temperature, keep it out of direct sunlight and place this delicious fruit in a cool room with a temperature of about 54 degrees Fahrenheit or about 12 degrees Celsius. Garages, basements, or other spaces with cool, dark temperatures also create ideal conditions for keeping eggplants in the environment. In this way, the eggplant stays fresh for four days.
2. Store the eggplant in the refrigerator
You can easily store eggplant in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator for up to a week. To keep the eggplants longer in the refrigerator, you can wrap them gently in paper or paper towels to protect them from moisture in the refrigerator, and then put them in a plastic bag without closing the lid.
Air circulation and proper separation of ethylene products such as bananas, apples, etc. will keep your eggplant fresh and firm for seven days or more in the refrigerator. To store fried eggplant or other dishes made with eggplant, place the food in an airtight container, close the lid, and refrigerate. In this way, you can easily use the desired food for up to 5 days.
3. Store eggplant by freezing
Freezing eggplant increases its shelf life and is the best option for people who don't have time during the week or month to buy fresh eggplant and prepare it every time. For this, you must follow these steps:
First, wash the eggplant gently in cold water.
Then remove the skin with a vegetable peeler.
Place the eggplant lengthwise on a cutting board and cut it into thin round discs, about 1 centimeter thick.
Boil a pot of water and add a few drops of lemon juice to it to preserve the color of the eggplant.
After the water boils, the eggplants are completely immersed in boiling water and boiled for four minutes.
Next, like poaching mushrooms, put the eggplant first in a colander and immediately place the eggplant slices in an ice bath, i.e. a mixture of water and ice, for five minutes.
Then drain the eggplant again, dry the eggplant slices, and store them in a tightly closed freezer bag. If you don't completely dry your eggplant before storing it in the freezer, excess moisture can cause it to spoil.
You can easily use this eggplant for up to 6 months.
3 important tips for preserving eggplant
To increase the shelf life of eggplant, pay attention to the following points:
1. Choose fresh eggplant to buy
Buying a good quality eggplant at the grocery store or farmer's market can help you keep it for longer. Choose eggplants with a darker eggplant color. Avoid buying any discolored eggplant. When you touch the eggplant, it should feel heavy and the skin should be smooth and shiny. Spots and softening of parts of the eggplant are signs of rotting.
2. Keep eggplant away from other crops
In the refrigerator or on the counter, you should keep eggplant away from ethylene-producing fruits such as apples, melons, and bananas. The ethylene released from these fruits can speed up the ripening and rotting process of eggplant, resulting in a mushy and unattractive vegetable.
3. Sprinkle the eggplant with lemon juice
If you have leftover slices from a large eggplant that you want to save for another meal, you can put the eggplant slices in a bowl and drizzle some lemon juice over the slices. Place the eggplant so that the lemon juice touches all of the pieces. The citric acid helps keep the cut area fresh. Then close the container tightly. You can use this leftover eggplant to make pickles, add olive oil with garlic, and make a vegetable smoothie.
How to store roasted or boiled eggplant
You can boil, grill, or pre-fry the eggplant and put it in the freezer to take less time preparing your desired dish. The method of preserving boiled eggplant is the same as the blanching method, which is fully explained in the section on freezing eggplant. But to freeze roasted eggplant, do the following:
First, wash fresh, healthy eggplants and dry them thoroughly.
Then place the flame grater over a larger gas burner over medium heat and place the eggplant on it.
After turning the eggplant upside down every few minutes it completely changes color, you can make small cuts in different parts of it so that the inner part is also completely grilled.
To grill the eggplant, you can use an air fryer or oven, or you can grill the eggplant on skewers the traditional way.
After grilling the eggplant, run it under cold water so that the skins can be removed easily.
Then mash the eggplant completely.
Now take the desired quantity of chopped eggplant and put it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer.
Note that frozen eggplant has fewer properties than fresh eggplant; Therefore, if their quality and properties are important to you as well as the essential ingredients for cooking a meal, it is best to try to buy only one week's worth of eggplant at a time and use methods of storing eggplant in the environment or in the refrigerator.
The conclusion
There are different ways to store eggplant, and we've outlined the most practical of them in this article. We hope that you can use these methods easily and increase the storage time of this delicious fruit at home. The longer shelf life of eggplant helps you use it in more meals and reap its benefits with a single purchase.
