Posted by elise d faber on June 4, 2009, 7:45 am
>Freezing and dehydrating seem to be the practical methods of preserving
>->uncooked<- eggplant. If eggplant rehydrates nicely, I favor
>dehydration because there is no continuing direct out-of-pocket expense
>('lectricity). Anyone have experience with either method?
>FYI:
>http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=GH1503
>http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=GH1563
>find:eggplant
>http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/JA07_IlloSpread-FreezingProduce.pdf
>find:corn
>--
>TIA,
>Derald
i've had really good luck with freezing. i make eggplant parmagan and
stuffed eggplant, freeze themuncooked and then bake them when i'm
ready to use them.
i don't go through the salt and discard water step. the freezing
seems to take care of that.
i never tried dehydrating. i'm not sure how well it would rehydrate,
but if you are using it for a stewed dish,it should be ok.
elise
Posted by elise d faber on June 14, 2009, 10:03 am
>ediefaber@yahoo.com (elise d faber) wrote:
>>i make eggplant parmagan and
>>stuffed eggplant, freeze themuncooked and then bake them when i'm
>>ready to use them.
> Well, as a rule, we do the same here but it is hardly the most
>economical practice, although, it does beat the heck out of tossing the
>produce. Generally speaking, the garden meets DW&my immediate needs and
>provides enough "surplus" of the things that freeze to suit our tastes
>that we are able to keep a year-'round supply of a few items in the
>refrigerator/freezer without too much angst because I'm going to have to
>run the freezer part, anyway.
> What happened is that "last year's" eggplant (and bell peppers,
>too) overwintered and yours truly, a sucker for a pretty face, purchased
>not just more but too many plants this spring. By this time next week,
>I'll have more-than-enough eggplant on hand and so it's likely to remain
>until sure-enough chilly weather (November, maybe: peninsular FL, USDA
>climate zone 9). The anticipated abundance of aubergine, when added to
>the season's normal garden produce, is putting me dangerously close to
>buying a standalone freezer.
> That possibility, along with a freezer's continuing operating cost,
>makes dehydration very attractive. One advantage to preserving eggplant
>in the raw instead of in a prepared dish is that it allows us to take
>advantage of sales and "specials" throughout the year instead of having
>our money frozen in the freezer.
> We have already begun eating this year's eggplant fresh and by next
>week I expect to have enough "extra" (I know, "extra" + "food" =
>oxymoron) to begin a little comparative experimentation. Ideally,
>French-fried eggplant will freeze as well after its first frying as do
>potatoes and will rehydrate well-enough for use in other dishes in which
>texture does not matter as much but, we'll see....
i do the prepared things to have easy meals ready and because i
suspect that the texture might change with freezing. but for rattatui
[sp?] or some such, i think that dehydrating would be fine. it would
probably take a long time because there's a lot of water in them. i
did have success in dehydrating potatoes by slicing them and then
using them in stews or for hash browns.
elise
Posted by elise d faber on June 14, 2009, 12:18 pm
>ediefaber@yahoo.com (elise d faber) wrote:
>>
>>i think that dehydrating would be fine. it would
>>probably take a long time because there's a lot of water in them. i
>>did have success in dehydrating potatoes by slicing them and then
>>using them in stews or for hash browns.
> Do you have a dehydrator? I have two off-the-rack commercial
>jobbies that have been modified to provide more accurate and precise
>temperature control. I've speculated about constructing a solar dryer
>but humidity here is high enough most of the year as to be a problem.
> I don't recall whether we've tried drying potatoes, although, it
>seems that it'd be pretty straighforward unlike, say, green beans which
>dehydrate best if frozen first.
nothing fancy. just the base with fan and then the trays. not even a
temperature control.
you might try salting them first like it suggests in a lot or recipes,
but i havent tried it. i mght take out some of the water and make for
faster dehydrating.
elise
Posted by Evelyn on June 15, 2009, 10:00 am
The Italians pickle eggplants in a vinaigrette solution. They could be
canned.
I like to make up eggplant parmigiana in a casserole form, and freeze it.
It keeps a long time and makes a delicious side dish or even a main entree.
--
Evelyn
"Even as a mother protects with her life her only child, So with a boundless
heart let one cherish all living beings." --Sutta Nipata 1.8
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>->uncooked<- eggplant. If eggplant rehydrates nicely, I favor
>dehydration because there is no continuing direct out-of-pocket expense
>('lectricity). Anyone have experience with either method?
>FYI:
>http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=GH1503
>http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=GH1563
>find:eggplant
>http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/JA07_IlloSpread-FreezingProduce.pdf
>find:corn
>--
>TIA,
>Derald