Drying/preserving egg plant

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Badjak

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I'm sure I read something about dried eggplant and I think it was somewhere here.

Can you dry eggplant?
And what's the process?
Do you salt it first to get rid of bitterness?
And what about discolouring? Maybe a salt/vinegar soak?

I want to try with a couple of my eggplants now, before the production peak.

And any other ideas about preserving?
Maybe in olive oil?

Any ideas are welcome

Drying would be great as my freezer is quite full
 
maybe start here...on page 4, but pages 1, 2, or 3 might be good too.
 
Can everyone taste that eggplant bitterness equally? I ask, because I've never tasted bitter eggplant. There are other vegetables that people talk about tasting bitter, but I don't think I am one or maybe I just got used to it. Like rocket or arugula, it was very bitter, but now I kind of like it and the bitterness.
 
there is a lot of folklore / old tales about eggplant / bitterness / whatever.

modern science to the rescue! the compounds that make the bitter can be identified and measured! (big lab required . . . )

when properly cultivated, any bitterness is 'right under the skin' - so if you peel the eggplant, you should not experience any bitterness.

"the bitterness is in the seeds" - no, not any longer.
regardless, large eggplant with cavities/voids formed in/around the seeds/center . . . 'overgrown' - not good eats.

cultivation also plays a role. eggplant that has 'experienced' drought/dry conditions as it matures is apt to have 'more bitterness under the skin'

recipes/ dishes / cooks that do not peel the eggplant - that can be a bitterness problem.... and not a foregone issue - as some eggplants due to cultivation and/or variety may not have any noticeable 'bitterness under the skin'
 
That's something I do every season; in fact, I dehydrate more of my eggplant than I can eat, in the season, and with just 5 or 6 plants, I get more than I can eat all year. Just cut into larger pieces that normal, as they shrink, and don't totally expand. I have weighed some of them every year, when I dry them, and they always dehydrate from a lb down to approximately 1.33 to 1.4 oz, so for an approximate pound equivalent, I just soak 1.5 oz.

I always soak them in some hot water, with a weight on top, to keep them under. Depending on what I'm putting it in, I sometimes only soak it 20-30 minutes, if it will be in something cooked for longer, like a soup or a curry, but if something like a stir-fry, I let it soak longer, to totally soak through, but what's surprising, is that the eggplant will not get mushy, except when pressure cooked, and even then, it takes a long time. And they keep just about forever, as long as kept in a glass jar, with a rubber seal. I always put some silica desiccant packets in them, just to be safe.

Update - as for the bitterness, a lot of that has been bred out of the eggplant varieties, and I've never had any bitterness in any of those Asian varieties I've grown, or the few larger varieties I've tried. And I almost never peel it.
 
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The whole “bitterness” thing is a bit baffling to me, simply because bitterness is one of the five flavour profiles that we identify.
And we often add things for small amounts of bitterness to a dish, especially when it is a complex dish, with layers of flavors. There are actually those tiny eggplants with various names - bitter eggplant pea eggplant are two names, and they are delicious when added to a Thai curry. But not something you would cook as the main vegetables.

But then, there's bitter melon. I even know an Indian lady that wants to eat these things, but can't get herself to like them! And the ones I gave her for the garden, which she got to grow better than I do, are the mild ones, used in China and SE Asia, compared to the ones in most Indian markets.

And then there are all the different types of "bitters", used for making alcoholic beverages.
 
I definitely get some bitter eggplants, probably due to growing conditions, so the bitter is not a myth
Maybe it is for those grown commercially under the right conditions, but mine can and do get bitter. Too bitter at times

I may have to reconsider drying as I do like my eggplants to get mushy and disappear in the sauce.

I will still try some though

Thanks
 
Bitter is definitely noticed more by some people than others, e.g., super tasters tend to taste it a lot and find it very unpleasant.
 
Pepper, any tips on drying eggplant? You have dehydrator that you use to dry them, don't you? Do you happen to know if they can be dehydrated just by drying them out without a mechanical dehydrator?
 
I thought of laying them out on shade cloth/mosquito net and a small fan
I got the temperature :)
 
I thought of laying them out on shade cloth/mosquito net and a small fan
I got the temperature :)
That should work Badjak. Turn them at least once a day. Don't slice them too thick. Just under 2 cm. Try to choose ones that have almost reached maturity. Not older ones.
Globe eggplants fair best cut across the equator, while the elongated Chinese or Asian eggplants are best cut lengthwise top to bottom.
 
Pepper, any tips on drying eggplant? You have dehydrator that you use to dry them, don't you? Do you happen to know if they can be dehydrated just by drying them out without a mechanical dehydrator?
I'm sure they could be dried that way, as long as you aren't in a very humid area. I couldn't do that in my area, due to humidity.
 
why do you want to dry it? it's available fresh and cheap all year round isn't it?
 
@HeyItsSara I believe Badjak grows her own. Can't get much cheaper than that. There are still off seasons for those eggplants, so dehydrating is probably the best way to go.

@Badjak just have to figure out how you want to use them after.
 
Yep I grow them.
Got a test batch going that was salted and rinsed.
And vinegared to prevent browning
Now within 15 minutes, it actually felt they were semi-cooked.
Rinsed, squeezed dry and put them on racks. (Trivets actually)
We'll see what happens
 
We can taste bitter to be able to avoid it. Many food toxins taste bitter to humans.
But people don't do they? They declare Kale is delicious! Beet and Radish greens. Collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion. Notice a trend here? Even quinoa can be bitter when not cooked to death!
 
But people don't do they? They declare Kale is delicious! Beet and Radish greens. Collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion. Notice a trend here? Even quinoa can be bitter when not cooked to death!
There are lots of things that we never included in our diet that are bitter. And, a little bitter is a little toxin, so not so dangerous. "The dose makes the poison."
 

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