A few months ago my one neighbor gave me 7 eggplants from her backyard garden. I enjoy eating eggplants but knew that I couldn’t possibly eat 7 of them over the course of a week. That’s when I got the bright idea to freeze them for later use. Since it was my first time freezing them, I had to do some research online and ask my daughter how to do it. Here’s what I learned.
You should blanch and freeze them shortly after picking or buying them. Don’t wait until they get super-soft or mush. Discard any that have blemishes or mold. If you can’t freeze them right away wrap each one in 2-3 paper towels and place in a zipper closure bag in your refrigerator with the bag left open.
How to Properly Freeze Eggplant
Wash them thoroughly in running water to remove dirt and debris. Lay them out on a clean, dry kitchen towel.
You’ll need to bring a large pot of water to a boil on your stove-top. Add in a pinch of table salt and a 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Bottled or fresh lemon juice is fine.
Remove the skins from the eggplant. Chop into 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick slices. Place all of the slices on a large plate or platter until you get them all sliced up.
Gently place the slices into the prepared boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Pour slices and water into a colander in your “clean” kitchen sink with cold tap water running over them. You need to stop the cooking process by cooling them down quickly.
Once cool place all of the slices on a large paper towel lined plate or platter. Use paper towels or a clean cotton kitchen towel to gently “pat” them dry. You want them to be as dry as possible.
Place the slices into a freezer container (leaving 1″ headspace) or a freezer zipper-closure bag, purging out the air before sealing it. Label with contents and date. Place into the freezer right away.
Thawing – I like to thaw mine overnight in the refrigerator or on my counter-top for 2 hours before I plan on using them. They will be “soft” in their texture so best used in stir fry, soups & stews, and/or casserole recipes.
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I did not know how to freeze raw eggplants before reading your article. Thanks for the information.
We had a case of them several months ago. I peeled off the skin, cut them into very small cubes and sauteed them in olive oil, garlic and parsley. I froze them in two cup containers. I use them in meatballs, baked eggplant rolls, etc.
I now know there is a lot of work in freezing them 🙂
I have ate them fixed a lot of different ways and have to admit I do not like them 🙂