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Pickled Eggplants with Peppers (Winter Preserves)
Instructions
Cut the prepared eggplants into circles about 1 cm thick. I do not peel them – the skin helps them keep their shape during cooking and adds a pretty purple accent in the finished jar.
Wash the bell peppers under cold water and remove the stems and seeds. I use peppers of different colours – red, yellow, green, orange. This way the preserve turns out as bright and festive as possible.
Cut the pepper into fairly large pieces, about 3–4 cm. Small pieces fall apart during cooking and do not look attractive in the jar, while large ones keep their shape.
Shred the carrots into large sticks, about 4–5 cm. Again, a coarse cut is the key to a beautiful shape in the finished jar. The carrots add sweetness and an orange accent.
Prepare plenty of fresh herbs and chop them coarsely and freely. Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Split the hot pepper lengthwise and remove the seeds (that is where all the heat is), then cut it into thin strips. Work with the hot pepper while wearing gloves.
Pour all the oil into the skillet. Fry every vegetable separately and do not add any more oil – the vegetables will absorb just the right amount themselves. First the carrots, until half-cooked, 5–7 minutes; then the pepper, 5 minutes; and last the eggplants, almost without oil, because they soak it up like a sponge. This is exactly what "frying separately" means.
Put herbs, hot pepper and garlic on the bottom of the litre jar. Layer the vegetables, sprinkling each layer with herbs: eggplants, peppers, carrots. On top, add another layer of herbs and garlic. The layers give a pretty "striped" presentation.
Fill the jars right up to the top this way – the vegetables should fill the space completely, with no gaps, so that they do not float in the marinade.
Bring a litre of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and sugar, let them dissolve for 2–3 minutes, then pour in the vinegar. Remove from the heat at once – boiling the vinegar for a long time evaporates it and the preserve will not keep.
Fill the jars with the hot marinade right to the brim. Sterilize for 20 minutes in a pot of hot water (place a cloth on the bottom), then seal with sterile lids. Sterilization is essential for long-term storage.
The bright marinated eggplants with peppers are ready! Turn the jars upside down onto their lids, cover them with a blanket and let them cool slowly. Store in a dark, cool place – a cellar or pantry.
Tips
- 1
Fry the vegetables strictly separately – this is how they keep the shape, colour and distinctive taste of each ingredient.
- 2
Fry the eggplants last and almost without oil – they soak up fat like a sponge, and we want an appetizer that is not greasy.
- 3
Use plenty of fresh herbs – they give that special aroma of "winter relishes" and bright green accents in the jar. A similar principle is used in lecho from peppers.
- 4
Store in a dark, cool place – a temperature of 5–15 °C is ideal for keeping the quality for a long time.
FAQ
Do eggplants need to be soaked before canning? +
You can, but it is not essential – during frying the bitterness of the eggplants leaves together with the oil. If you happen to have very ripe eggplants with dark seeds and they taste bitter, soak them in salted water (1 tablespoon of salt per litre) for 30 minutes before slicing. Young small eggplants with thin skin and light seeds do not need soaking at all. Soaking reduces the amount of oil absorbed, which lowers the calorie content of the finished preserve. After soaking, be sure to squeeze out the water.
How long do marinated eggplants keep? +
In a cool, dark place (cellar, pantry) at a temperature of 5–15 °C – up to a year. In the second year the flavour holds, but the vegetables may soften. After opening a jar, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If mould or fermentation appears on the surface, throw out the whole jar and do not try to use it. The signs of successful canning are a clear marinade, a tightly sealed lid and no bubbles. Keeping to the storage temperature is the key to long preservation.
Can I skip sterilizing the jars? +
For long-term storage (more than a month) sterilization is essential – without it the risk of botulism and fermentation is too high. An alternative to classic sterilization is a double pour of marinade: pour it in the first time, hold for 15 minutes, drain, boil it and pour it back in again with the vinegar. This method gives a less reliable result but lets you avoid lengthy sterilization in a pot. Without sterilization, store only in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks – like an ordinary salad.
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