This Italian Pickled Eggplant recipe is the best way to preserve eggplants. Pickled eggplant is a traditional Italian antipasto. And it is perfect to serve with a crusty Italian ciabatta, alongside cheese, salami, and in a sandwich too. This scrumptious recipe fits vegetarian and vegan diets.
You will need only eight ingredients for this pickled eggplant recipe, and they are all pretty simple. For this recipe, it’s best to pick medium eggplants as they are tender and contain fewer seeds. I recommend using Italian, graffiti, or globe eggplants. These types have a lot of pulp, almost no seeds, and are meaty too. As for the pickling formula, it’s fairly simple. All you need is white wine vinegar, water, salt, garlic, fresh parsley, and a few dashes of hot pepper if you want to give your pickles a little kick. This recipe yields one cup of homemade pickled eggplants, so feel free to double or even triple it as needed.
To make the Italian Pickled Eggplant, you will need the following ingredients:
In a bowl, place 3 thinly sliced eggplants and toss with 3 teaspoons of salt, then cover and leave to sit for 8 hours.
Drain the eggplant strips and squeeze out the excess moisture.
In a big pot, bring to a boil 5 cups water and 2 cups white wine vinegar. Add the eggplant and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender.
Drain the eggplant strips and again squeeze out the excess moisture.
In a large bowl, toss the eggplant strips with 1-2 minced cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley, and 1-2 dashes hot pepper flakes if using.
Spoon the prepared mixture into a sterilized jar. Leave at least ¾-inch of space and pour in enough olive oil to cover the eggplant.
Close the jar and leave to sit for at least 24 hours.
Serve as antipasto or store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months. Once opened, store covered with oil in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make this traditional homemade Italian Pickled Eggplant and serve as antipasto with your favorite cheese, meats, and olives. Let us know if you give this recipe a try! Leave a comment below and/or tag us @cookmerecipes on Instagram to be featured in our stories.
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