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Drying eggplants for the winter is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. There are many ways to stock up on this product until spring. Eggplants have been dried for the winter since ancient times. The tradition of drying the gifts of nature came to us from the eastern countries, where it was first cultivated: the hot, arid climate did not allow food to be stored for a long time, so the nomads had no choice but to come up with their own method of storage, in the absence of refrigerators.
Dried eggplants take up little space, are light in weight and are easier to store.
Is it possible to dry eggplants for the winter?
Food can spoil because bacteria begin to multiply in them, the best nutrient medium for which is plain water. Vegetables and fruits consist of 40-80% water, and eggplant is no exception - on average it contains about 300 g of water. There is a solution: you can dry them, and it’s best to start right now - winter is just around the corner.
The process of drying this product often causes difficulties if the housewife does not have special equipment: the fruit naturally dehydrates for about a month, while the bright sun should shine outside.Not many Russian cities can boast of such a climate, and not everyone knows how to dry dried fruits in an oven or microwave for the winter.
Selection and preparation of eggplants
The final result is influenced not only by full compliance with the cooking technology, but also by which vegetables were chosen for drying.
To provide the whole family with a delicious treat for the winter, you need to go to the market. You should not buy store-bought eggplants: there is a high probability that they were grown in greenhouses using huge amounts of chemical fertilizers. The fact is that when sublimated, the concentration of such substances can be very high, which will lead to food poisoning.
The fruits themselves should be of the same diameter, approximately equal in length, and without skin defects. The harder the fruit, the easier it is to dry.
It is best to buy eggplants in the fall or at the end of August - it is during this period of time that they begin to ripen; they need to be dried for the winter at the same time.
How to cut eggplants for drying
There are several ways to cut eggplants: the final choice depends on the purpose for which the housewife decided to dry them.
Very beautiful chips are obtained when they are cut into rings: the thickness of each circle should be about 5 mm. If you cut the pieces thinner, it can become very hard; if it is thicker, it will not dry out.
If the product is used for winter vegetable soup, then you can cut the eggplants into 1x1 cm cubes, as well as into strips of the same thickness.
How to properly dry eggplants for the winter
The most delicious are those that are dried on clay roofs.They absorb the warmth of the sun's rays, dry evenly and turn out crispy, like potato chips - with such a delicacy any winter will seem warmer.
In the oven
Drying eggplants for the winter without a dryer is difficult, but you can do it with a regular home oven. It is worth immediately warning inspired housewives that in order to achieve the desired result, you may have to ruin more than one batch of eggplants. Therefore, it is advisable to dry in small quantities at the beginning and select the right recipe.
The general rules for drying eggplants in the oven are as follows:
- Wash the pieces and dry with a paper towel.
- Cut the eggplants using your chosen method and pat dry again with a paper towel.
- The preparations are salted - the salt will draw out additional moisture: this will make the process go faster.
- Afterwards, the vegetables should “rest” a little: do not be afraid if the pieces begin to darken - this is how the oxidative reaction of air and iron, which is part of the eggplant, manifests itself.
- Before putting the eggplants in the oven, you can again remove excess liquid with a towel.
- Many housewives, before drying, advise pouring vegetable oil over the vegetables, adding pepper, garlic and other herbs - however, you should not experiment until the technology is perfected.
- The oven is heated to 40-50 degrees. It is worth remembering that home ovens can distort the result by 10-15 degrees. This is why it is important to be patient and use test batches of vegetables: at higher temperatures, the eggplants will cook, and if the temperature is lower than desired, they will not dry out.
- The pieces must be placed on parchment or a silicone mat, making sure that the pieces do not touch each other, and left in the oven until completely dry.
The preparations must be salted, this will help “pull out” additional moisture
You can spray the eggplants with extra virgin olive oil, but don't try this unless you have a special oil spray in your kitchen. This is explained by the fact that the oil liquid must cover them evenly: if there is more oil in some area, the piece simply will not be able to dry evenly.
You get very tasty eggplants if you sprinkle them with finely chopped garlic before drying: you should add it at the very end, when the eggplants are almost ready. But it also needs time to dry out.
In the dryer
The easiest way to dry eggplants for the winter is in special drying machines. This miracle device is inexpensive and is sold in almost every household appliance store. In appearance, it is somewhat reminiscent of a double boiler: it has several plastic tiers on which vegetables and fruits are placed. Moreover, each device is equipped with instructions that describe in detail how to properly dry certain vegetables.
When dried, all vitamins and nutrients are preserved
The general rules for all types of electric dryers are almost the same:
- Eggplants must be washed and dried with a towel.
- Slice.
- Place in plastic dryer compartments.
The smart device will do everything itself: no need to add salt, as, for example, in the case of an oven.
On open air
You can also dry eggplants for the winter on the windowsill - this method is suitable for those who are not in a hurry, since vegetables can take up to a month to dry.
The main rule is to check and monitor the process daily. If any of the pieces is covered with mold, you need to immediately isolate it and also remove neighboring pieces.
You can dry eggplants directly on the street. This method is perfect for residents of the southern regions, where the bright sun constantly shines, but they are not immune from rain: you will have to constantly monitor the weather and hide dried vegetables in case it starts to rain. You can only remove eggplants from the sun for a couple of hours, otherwise the product may deteriorate.
It is better to dry young fruits, they have less bitterness
But this option is completely unsuitable for residents of a metropolis: together with the sun’s rays, vegetables can absorb heavy metals and carcinogens, so you should not dry food on the balcony or with an open window.
You can also dry eggplants over a radiator for the winter. To do this, they need to be cut into rings, threaded on a thread like beads, and hung over a heating device.
In the microwave
You can dry the little blue ones for the winter in a regular microwave, if you find a way to do it. Perhaps, as with drying in the oven, you will have to throw more than one batch of eggplants into the trash. However, there is a high probability that someone will be lucky and get crispy eggplant cubes or chips the first time.
Microwave drying process:
- Wash the vegetables and then dry them.
- It is better to cut the eggplants into circles; the cubes will most likely just cook.
- The microwave is turned on at minimum power or set to the “Defrost” mode.Important! Eggplants should not be covered with anything, and it is best to dry them on the very tray of the microwave oven.
- Every 2-3 minutes the pieces need to be turned over and excess moisture removed.
- Drying time depends on the power of the device, but on average it is about one hour.
In the microwave you get fragrant and crispy eggplant chips
If instead of drying the eggplants, they are boiled, they can be added to casseroles, omelettes, soups, and made delicious pancakes.
To fry eggplant pancakes you need:
- Take 200 g of baked vegetables.
- Break 1 egg, add salt, spices and a spoonful of flour.
- The mixture is well kneaded and fried in vegetable oil on both sides.
- You can give free rein to your imagination and add onions, grated cheese, cottage cheese - the result will be simply amazing.
How to use dried eggplant
Whatever way the housewife chooses to dry eggplants for the winter, they can be used in only two ways: consumed as a finished product or added to some dish.
To prepare eggplant casserole you need:
- dried diced eggplants – 300 g;
- potatoes – 300 g;
- carrots – 100 g;
- mayonnaise – 200 g;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- butter – 50 g;
- “Russian” cheese – 100 g.
Dried vegetables are boiled, stewed, baked
Cooking process:
- Vegetables need to be chopped, mixed with dried eggplants, seasoned with mayonnaise and butter.
- Transfer to a baking dish and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Then sprinkle the casserole with grated cheese and bake for another half hour.
In order to cook soup, you need:
- dried diced eggplants – 50 g;
- potatoes – 100 g;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- carrots – 50 g;
- rice – 30 g;
- chicken – 300 g.
Before cooking, the dried product is soaked in hot water.
Cooking process:
- The chicken is cut into small pieces and boiled over low heat for 30-35 minutes.
- Then add rice and finely chopped vegetables and let simmer for another 20 minutes.
- You can add garlic and fresh herbs to the finished soup.
How to store dried eggplants
If you properly dry eggplants for the winter, you can enjoy this wonderful product until spring, because preserving them is very easy.
You can save them as follows:
- Eggplants dried for chips are stored in glass jars with a tight-fitting lid or in vacuum bags for dried fruits. If you don’t have such a package in your house, you can make it yourself. To do this, you need to take a ziplock bag, pour vegetables into it, close it tightly, leaving a small hole into which you need to insert a drinking straw and suck out all the air. Then the bag is closed and put away for storage.
- The freezer will do an excellent job of preserving freshness and all the vitamins present. You just need to package the eggplants in bags and put them in the refrigerator.
- Eggplants, dried in cubes, are placed in a glass jar, olive oil is poured on top, spices and herbs are added. In this way, you can store eggplants for 2-3 months, and the oil filling will make an excellent salad dressing.
It is better to store dried eggplants in a glass container with a lid, in cardboard boxes and cotton bags.
Whatever storage method the housewife chooses, it is important to follow general recommendations: it is best to store eggplants in a dry, dark place, protected from moisture and drafts. From time to time, pieces need to be inspected and moldy ones removed.
Conclusion
Drying eggplants for the winter is easy, and if you involve the whole family in the process, you can create a new family tradition, this will not only stock up on vitamins for the winter, but also improve relationships. It is very important to store vegetables for future use in time so that they do not spoil.
