How to dry eggplants for the winter at home correctly: 3 best ways
Drying is one of the most ancient methods of preserving vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs and mushrooms. It takes less time than conservation. The resulting product requires less storage space. But the main advantage is that dried products preserve as much nutrients and vitamins as possible for a long time.
Eggplants, like other vegetables, are also prepared for future use in various ways. Let's look at how to dry eggplants for the winter at home.
What are the benefits of dried eggplants?
Fresh eggplant contains: ascorbic and nicotinic acids, carotene, riboflavin, solanine-M, thiamine, fiber, tannins, hemicellulose, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc, cobalt, sodium, calcium and copper.
Eating eggplant improves the functioning of the heart, liver and kidneys, promotes cleansing intestines and biliary tract, prevents the development of atherosclerosis, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, and removes excess salts from the body. They are used to treat hypertension, anemia and gout.
Eggplant – dietary (0.1–0.4% fat, 0.6–1.4% protein, 2.8–4.6% sugar) and low calorie product (33 kcal per boiled vegetable), so they are recommended for those who want to lose weight or eat healthy.
Eggplant When raw they don't last long (1–2 months), so they are canned, frozen and dried.
When frozen, eggplant loses about 20% useful substances, during conservation - up to 40%.When properly dried, the vegetable retains almost all the beneficial substances. Therefore, dried eggplant does not lose its beneficial properties.
Other ways to prepare eggplants:
How to freeze eggplants for the winter
Preparing vegetables for drying
It is better to choose eggplants of the same size and the same degree of ripeness.. Small fruits with small seeds that are not overripe are suitable. The skin should be smooth, thin and without damage.
The most suitable varieties for drying – Almaz, Czech early, Helios. Their fruits have less seeds and bitterness.
Advice. To rid eggplants of bitterness, soak the sliced pieces in cold salted water for 15 minutes. Then dry with a paper towel.
Vegetables are washed in running water, dried with paper towels, and trimmed on both sides. It is not necessary to peel the eggplants or cut as thin as possible so that more nutrients are preserved.
The cutting method depends on what dishes you plan to cook:
- for casseroles and roasts, eggplants – in slices 1–2 cm thick;
- for soups, stews and caviar - in cubes;
- for salads – in thin strips;
- for slicing, use a Korean carrot grater or cut by hand;
If you are making preparations for stuffed eggplants, vegetables are dried in halves. To do this, cut the eggplants lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. A thin layer of pulp (up to 1 cm) and skin remain.
Drying of whole vegetables is also possible, but it takes longer.
Read also:
The favorite eggplant variety among summer residents is “Almaz”
How to dry eggplants at home
There are several ways to dry eggplants at home. The choice depends on the availability of time and equipment.
In the oven
Place the vegetables on a baking sheet, place in the oven and dried at low temperature (40–60 °C). At higher temperatures, beneficial properties are lost. During drying, keep the oven door slightly open (5–10 cm) so that evaporating moisture escapes. If there are several baking sheets in the oven, they are swapped every half hour so that the vegetables dry evenly. Drying time is 3–6 hours depending on the size of the pieces.
In an electric dryer
The prepared pieces are placed on the bottom electric dryers. The instructions for the device should indicate the temperature at which the eggplants are dried and the weight of the loaded vegetables. Drying takes 20–27 hours. This depends on the model and power of the device.
On open air
Sliced eggplant strung on a thread and hung in the shade, in a ventilated place. Drying time depends on weather conditions (3–5 days).
You can also arrange chopped vegetables on paper.. To dry evenly, they must be turned over periodically (morning and evening). In this case, the process will take from 5 to 7 days. The finished pieces rattle like wood, and the whole dried fruit sounds like a baby rattle.
How to make eggplant chips
Delicious and healthy chips are prepared from eggplants in an electric dryer. The recipe is simple.
You will need 3 eggplants. Vegetables are washed and cut into thin long strips.
Prepare the marinade, why they mix:
- 100 ml vegetable oil;
- 70 ml soy sauce;
- 2 teaspoons honey;
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper;
- ½ teaspoon paprika.
The strips are immersed in the marinade for 2 hours.. Then they are wiped with paper napkins, placed in an electric dryer and dried for 24 hours at a temperature of 40 degrees.
The result is a tangy, crispy chip.
How and where to use dried eggplants
Dried eggplants are boiled, stewed, baked. But before cooking, they are restored by soaking in hot water.
The holding time depends on the size of the pieces:
- the whole vegetable is soaked for 30–40 minutes, the amount of boiling water is 2–3 times the volume of the vegetable;
- pieces and rings 1–2 cm thick are soaked for 15–20 minutes, the volume of water is 3 times more than dry vegetables;
- thin straws are soaked for 5–10 minutes, pouring in so that the water covers the vegetables.
Then the excess water is drained. Further, the recipe does not differ from the preparation of fresh vegetables.
For some dishes (soups, stews) Dried eggplants do not need to be pre-soaked. They will absorb the broth during cooking.
Dried vegetables are also ground into powder and added to recipes to add flavor and thickness. But it should be taken into account that during the swelling process the product will absorb more moisture.
Eggplant powder is used for breading cutlets, zraz and meatballs.
The dried vegetable is also used for medicinal purposes.:
- Dried eggplant powder is taken for the prevention of liver and kidney diseases, 1 tbsp. spoon a day.
- To treat hypertension, dry eggplant slices are ground into powder and taken 1 teaspoon per day before meals.
- To strengthen gums and teeth, use an infusion of powder: 1 tbsp. spoon pour 1 tbsp. boiling water, cool to room temperature, add 1 teaspoon of salt and rinse your mouth.
Ground powder (1 teaspoon per day) helps people who quit smoking cope with nicotine addiction. This is explained by the fact that the vegetable contains nicotinic acid. And powder added to toothpaste in a 1:1 ratio relieves smokers of nicotine plaque on their teeth.
Terms and conditions of storage
Store dried eggplants in closed glass jars or linen bags. The jars are placed in cabinets, and the bags are hung in a dry room.
Shelf life – from 6 to 8 months.
Conclusion
Eggplants contain many beneficial substances. Proper drying allows you to preserve them as much as possible. The choice of method depends on personal preference. Vegetables dry faster in the oven, while outdoors takes longer.
If dried eggplants are restored (soaked in hot water) before cooking, their preparation will not differ from fresh vegetables. It is possible to use powder obtained from dried eggplants for food. Harvesting in this way will diversify the diet with low-calorie dietary vegetables all year round.