Make Eggplant Preserves for Winter

Eggplants — tasty, inexpensive vegetables that are ideal for winter preserves. They brighten everyday family dinners and are always welcome on holiday tables. There are countless ways to jar or can eggplants because the vegetable pairs well with many ingredients. We have gathered five simple, tried-and-true recipes for eggplants to enjoy through the winter.

Eggplant Caviar

A simple dish to start with if you’re just learning how to make winter preserves. The wonderfully tasty eggplant caviar is very easy to prepare. Compared with zucchini spread, it will be more tart with piquant notes. You can skip passing the eggplant through a meat grinder and instead chop it into small pieces. If you want a smoother caviar, peel the eggplants.

Ingredients:

• eggplants — 1 kg;

• tomatoes — 500 g;

• onion — 1;

• carrot — 1–2;

• garlic — 5 cloves;

• sugar — 1 tbsp;

• 9% table vinegar — 50 ml;

• sunflower oil — 80 ml;

• salt — to taste.

Preparation:

1. In a skillet, sauté the chopped onion and grated carrot in sunflower oil.

2. Dice the tomatoes and eggplants, mince the garlic and place everything into a saucepan. Add sugar and salt, stir, and simmer covered over low heat for 40 minutes. Add the carrot-and-onion mixture and stir through.

3. Pass all ingredients through a meat grinder and return them to the saucepan. Pour in the vinegar, stir, bring to a boil, and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.

4. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Eggplants with Celery and Olives

Eggplants with celery and olives are a true celebration of flavor. Use bell peppers of different colors, for example bright red and yellow, to make the appetizer more attractive. Green olives can be replaced with black olives; for extra piquancy add a stick of cinnamon. If you prefer a slightly sweeter taste, add a spoon of sugar to the preserve.

Ingredients:

• eggplants — 6 pcs;

• tomatoes — 6 pcs;

• onions — 3 pcs;

• celery — 7 stalks;

• bell peppers — 2 pcs;

• pitted olives — 100 g;

• olive oil — 8 tbsp;

• coarse salt — 3 tsp;

• garlic — 3 cloves;

• parsley — 1 small bunch;

• dried oregano — 1/2 tsp;

• dried basil — 1/2 tsp;

• black pepper, salt — to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut the eggplants into large cubes, place them in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave for 15 minutes. Then drain off the liquid.

2. Fry the eggplants in a skillet with olive oil. Transfer to a separate bowl.

3. Sauté the finely chopped onion, celery and bell pepper in the same skillet with the remaining oil for 10 minutes. Add the eggplants to the vegetables and mix.

4. Dice the tomatoes, slice the olives, and chop the garlic and parsley. Add everything to the skillet with the eggplants.

5. Stir in black pepper, oregano and basil. Add salt if necessary. Mix and simmer for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

6. Pack into sterilized jars and seal.

Spicy Eggplants with Basil and Honey

Honey in this appetizer provides sweetness while basil adds piquancy and aroma. The result is a tasty dish you won’t be embarrassed to serve to guests. The preserve will develop more interesting flavors if it is allowed to rest for a month. It’s best to use May (spring) or linden honey, but avoid buckwheat honey — it can make the mixture bitter.

Ingredients:

• eggplants — 1 kg;

• tomatoes — 500 g;

• garlic — 4 cloves;

• honey — 4 tbsp;

• sugar — 1 tbsp;

• fresh basil — a few sprigs;

• vegetable oil — 50 ml;

• 9% table vinegar — 40 ml;

• water — 50 ml;

• salt — to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel the eggplants and cut them into cubes. Put them in a pot, add salt, pour in 50 ml water and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Blend the tomatoes in a blender, transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook for 5–7 minutes. Add salt, sugar, honey, oil, minced garlic and chopped basil. Finally pour in the vinegar. Stir and taste; add salt if needed.

3. Add the eggplants to the tomato mixture, stir and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Korean-style Eggplants

Korean-style eggplants make an appetizing and attractive snack that is nonetheless simple to prepare. They are meant to be eaten with chopsticks, so the vegetables are cut into matchsticks. Before serving you can drizzle the snack with soy sauce and sprinkle with white sesame seeds.

Ingredients:

• eggplants — 1 kg;

• carrots — 2–3;

• bell peppers — 2 pcs;

• onions — 2–3;

• vegetable oil — 80 ml;

• salt — 3 tbsp;

• garlic — 7 cloves;

• 9% table vinegar — 30 ml;

• sugar — 1.5 tbsp;

• ostraya priprava dlya koreyskoy morkovi (Korean-style carrot spice) — 1 tbsp;

• water — 2 L.

Preparation:

1. Peel the eggplants and cut them into thick matchsticks. Grate the carrots using a grater for Korean-style vegetables. Cut the onion into strips. Thinly slice the sweet peppers.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the eggplants, add salt, press them down with a weight and leave for 10–15 minutes.

3. Transfer the pepper, carrot and onion to a large bowl. Add the garlic pressed through a garlic press. Mix.

4. Drain the eggplants in a colander. Then return them to the pot without water. Add the vegetables with garlic, sugar, vinegar and vegetable oil. Add salt if necessary. Mix well.

5. Place the pot over medium heat, stirring, and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the seasoning for Korean-style carrots. Simmer the vegetables over moderate heat for 10 minutes.

6. Pack the hot eggplants into sterilized jars and seal.

Eggplants with Mushrooms

This hearty appetizer is very easy to prepare. You can choose any seasonal mushrooms or use readily available white button mushrooms. Eggplants can be served on their own or as an accompaniment to potatoes, meat or poultry. Overall this appetizing preserve will decorate the table and won’t go unnoticed.

Ingredients:

• eggplants — 3 pcs;

• mushrooms (champignons) — 300 g;

• carrot — 1;

• onion — 1;

• bell pepper — 1;

• tomato paste — 100 g;

• vegetable oil — 50 ml;

• 9% table vinegar — 20 ml;

• sugar — 1 tbsp;

• garlic — 3 cloves;

• water — 250 ml;

• salt — to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut the eggplants into small pieces and soak them in salted water for 20 minutes.

2. Grate the carrot, dice the onion, slice the pepper into strips and cut the mushrooms into pieces.

3. Heat a skillet, add the oil and put in all the vegetables. Fry for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring.

4. Mix the tomato paste with water, pour into the skillet, add sugar and minced garlic, cover and simmer for 35 minutes. At the end of cooking add the vinegar. Salt and stir.

5. Transfer the preserve to sterile jars and seal.