canning the italian style eggplant, don’t let the process intimidate you! Prepare authentic homemade canned pickled eggplant that doesn’t compare to store-bought and serve as antipasto, in sandwiches, or even on pizza. Deliciously flavored with garlic, dried chilis, oregano, and fennel seeds just like we make! The method we are sharing is a tried, true, and tested recipe that a professional chef has used for several decades. You’ll notice the prep time in the recipe card says 54 hours, but don’t let that intimidate you. Most of the time is the inactive time waiting for the eggplant to soak or drain excess liquid. Also, please note that due to a large amount of eggplant, the cut eggplant strips were divided into 2 bowls. Repeat all steps for both bowls. Wash the eggplant and dry well. Remove some of the peel. You’ll notice we removed strips of peel and left about half of it on. This is a question of preference, you can remove all of it, none or half as we did. Divide the eggplant strips into 2 large nonreactive bowls adding course salt in between layers of eggplant. Place a dinner plate over the eggplant strips and weigh the plate down with a heavy object of your choice. 
This can range from a large heavy can, a full bottle of oil or vinegar (in a plastic bottle!) or we happen to have a few paving stones handy that we later covered in a plastic bag. Let sit on your counter for 24 hours. After a few hours, you’ll notice we switched to a salad plate. With time the larger-sized dinner plate was too wide to adequately press down on the eggplant. After 24 hours, you’ll now notice the dark-colored water surrounding the eggplant strips as well as the fact that they have greatly reduced in volume. The salt in the eggplant draws out the water and bitter juices from the eggplant. This is what you are looking for. Drain the eggplant in a large colander. Place the colander over a bowl and once again, place a plate over the eggplant and weigh it down with your heavy object. This is to squeeze out as much of the water as possible. After 2 or 3 hours, transfer the eggplant back to your large bowl and stir in white vinegar. Once again, place your plate over the eggplant and weigh it down for another 24 hours. You’re now ready to place your eggplant in jars. Sterilize your jars and lids following the easy method outlined here. We used 3 -500 ml jars. Drain the eggplant strips in your colander as you did the previous day. Weigh them down once again for 2-3 hours to drain out all the vinegar. Next, squeeze out as much water as possible by taking a handful of eggplant strips at a time and squeezing them with your hands. 
You’ll be surprised to see how much more liquid comes out of them! Place the squeezed eggplant back in your bowl. Toss with oil; slivered garlic; dried chili torn into small pieces; dry oregano and, if desired, a few fennel seeds. Drizzle a little oil at the bottom of each jar to coat it. Begin packing in the eggplant strips using a fork and pressing down firmly to pack the eggplant in as tightly as possible. Continue until you reach approximately 2.5 cm below the top of the jar. Pour in enough oil to cover the eggplant but not too much so that the lid touches the oil. Place the lid on the jar, but not too tightly yet. Let the jars sit for a few hours and if you notice they have absorbed more oil and are no longer completely covered with oil, remove the lid and pour in extra oil. Now place the lid on tightly. Continue with the other jars. Store pickled eggplant jars in a dark, cool place. Most Italians have a cold room or cantina which is filled with shelves full of jars of pickled veggies, tomato sauce, and the occasional prosciutto hanging from the ceiling! We also asked whether we should seal the jars in a water bath and she scoffed. Of course, they never did in Sicily. Here are a few options on how to store your pickled eggplant: Store in a dark cool place for up to 6 months making sure that they are always covered in the oil. If you are concerned with long-term storage and spoilage and you have the space, you may keep the jars in your refrigerator. Since this recipe uses vegetable oil instead of olive oil, it will not solidify in the refrigerator. 
Once the jar is opened, store it in the refrigerator and continue to top the eggplant with oil if not completely covered. Pickled eggplant is typically served as an antipasto (appetizer) with fresh crusty bread before a meal. -Add to your antipasto platter surrounded by other pickled and cured ingredients such as cold cuts; other pickled vegetables; cheeses; and olives. One of our favorite ways of enjoying pickled eggplant is in sandwiches especially in a sausage Panini, or even in a stuffed pizza such as a Rotolo or calzone. This recipe will work well with just about any type of eggplant. Just be sure to look for fresh eggplants that are firm and not wrinkly. Vary the flavoring ingredients: mint, basil, or parsley are a few suggestions. We use a neutral flavored oil such as vegetable oil (canola or sunflower oil are other options) since olive oil solidifies when refrigerated. But you can use olive oil if you prefer. Refer to the section above on how to store pickled eggplant. The eggplant is ready to eat right away, however, it is best enjoyed after at least a month when the flavors have had time to mingle and the eggplant becomes increasingly tender. 
This recipe makes 3 -500 ml jars (16 ounces or 2 cups), but if you find it difficult to consume such a large quantity once refrigerated, try using 6 -250 ml jars instead. The recipe may also be halved to fill 3 -250 ml jars. We hope this recipe inspires you to try pickling your vegetables this fall. You can pickle a variety of vegetables with this same technique including hot peppers and green tomatoes. Our company began by exporting and selling a wide variety of canned foods; later, we branched out to include fresher and higher-quality canned fruits and vegetables as well as caviar and fish products of various grades. When our most loyal customers think of our firm, they think first and foremost of our dedication to providing them with excellent customer service and the best possible purchasing experience.
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