How to Store Eggplant? Several ways

Eggplant
Eggplant

Eggplant, the versatile vegetable often used for stir-frying and grilling. The eggplant has a soft creamy taste and goes very well with other seasonings and vegetables. But ‘How to store eggplant?’, That’s what we’re going to talk about now.

Fresh eggplant can be kept in the kitchen for 5-7 days. Fresh sliced ​​aubergine, 3 days in the refrigerator. Grilled or baked eggplant, 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. In the freezer, 12 months after blanching. Eggplant in the oil, 12 months.

Eggplant can be stored in several ways; raw, fried, or grilled. The main ways to store eggplant are discussed in this blog.

How Long to Store Eggplant?

Eggplant is a vegetable that we can store well. We do make a distinction between fresh, sliced ​​and prepared aubergine. You can imagine that the retention time is different. Hopefully, the table below will provide clarity.

# How? How long?
Fresh and uncut outside the refrigerator 5 to 7 days
Fresh and uncut in the fridge 2 days
Fresh and sliced in the fridge about 3 days
Fresh and sliced in the freezer 12 months
Baked or grilled in the fridge 2-3 days
Baked or grilled in the freezer 3 months

Below is an explanation of the different storage methods.

Store Eggplant in Refrigerator

Eggplant is easy to keep in the refrigerator, although eggplant is not fond of low temperatures.

Do you have a fresh eggplant that is already ripe? Then you can only do 1 thing and that is keep it in the fridge. However, you can’t keep the eggplant like this for long, about two or three days. When you cut the eggplant and use it in your dish, make sure that the inside has not become too brown. A few brown spots are okay, but it should not be completely brown.

Store sliced ​​aubergine

You do need to keep freshly sliced ​​aubergine in the fridge. Whether half an eggplant or slices.

Put the aubergine in a closed container or cover the aubergine with cling film. Place the eggplant at the bottom of the refrigerator. Retention time is about 3 days.

Store Eggplant outside of Refrigerator

A fresh eggplant that you bought in the supermarket or at the greengrocer can be stored outside the refrigerator for about 5 -7 days. The eggplant will then ripen a little further.

However, don’t put the eggplant next to tomatoes, bananas, or citrus fruits. These fruits promote the ripening process. If this is done too quickly, the eggplant can rot.

The eggplant prefers to be in a cool dark place at a temperature of about 15 degrees. However, this place is difficult to find in many houses. The fruit bowl is then a good alternative.

Store Grilled or Baked Eggplant

Often there are vegetables left after preparing a dish. If you have leftover eggplant, you can keep it in the fridge. Do this in a closed container or covered with cling film. You can keep the eggplant like this for 2 – 3 days.

You can also store grilled eggplant in the freezer. Put the aubergine in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. In this way, the aubergine will remain good for at least 3 months.

If you want to eat the aubergine again, there is only one advice; Smell, look and taste. Smell if there are no strange odors coming off, see if it still looks good. If you are not sure, try a piece. These are the three ways to make sure your food is still good.

Store Eggplant in Freezer

Do you have a fresh eggplant that is getting overripe and want to keep it? This can be done by freezing the aubergine. When you do this, the eggplant must be blanched first. This is done as follows:

  1. Clean the aubergine under the tap and cut the aubergine into slices.
  2. Place a pan with plenty of water on the heat source and bring the water to a boil.
  3. Prepare a container of ice-cold water or put your colander in the sink.
  4. When the water boils, the aubergine is put in the pan. Bring the water back to a boil and then cook the eggplant for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Drain the aubergine in the colander and pour into the ice-cold water or rinse the aubergine under the cold tap for a long time.
  6. Pat the aubergine dry and put it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer.

You can now keep the eggplant for 12 months. If you want to eat the aubergine again, there is only one advice; Smell, look and taste. Smell if there are no strange odors coming off, see if it still looks good. If you are not sure, try a piece.

Store Eggplant in Oil

Eggplant can be stored for a very long time in oil. It takes some work, but if you enjoy cooking then it is a nice job. It goes like this:

  1. Wash the aubergine and cut it into slices.
  2. Place one of the slices on several layers of kitchen paper and sprinkle the eggplant with salt. Then cover the aubergine with kitchen paper and put it somewhat heavy on it. In this way, the moisture is extracted from the eggplant.
  3. Let it rest for at least 12 hours.
  4. Now remove the kitchen foil and the excess salt from the eggplant.
  5. Make a nice oil. This can be, for example, with pepper, oil oil, red wine vinegar, and thyme or rosemary and oregano. Keep in mind the glass jar you want to fill with the eggplant and oil.
  6. Now put a layer of oil in the pot and a slice of eggplant. then oil and eggplant again. Build the pot full of eggplant and oil.
  7. Make sure the top eggplant is well in the oil. Fill the jar almost to the brim and close the lid.

Place the pot in a cool dark place and let it rest for at least a month. The aubergine is then on taste. In this way, you can store eggplant for 12 months.

Just smell, look and taste when you want to eat the aubergine.

 

Abbas Jahangir

I am a researcher and writer with a background in food and nutritional science. I am the founder of Foodstrend.com, our reputable online platform offering scientifically-backed articles on health, food, nutrition, kitchen tips, recipes, diet, and fitness. With a commitment to providing accurate and reliable information, we strive to empower our readers to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle choices. Join us on Foodstrend.com's journey toward a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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