How to preserve eggplants in the freezer

Summer is the season of eggplant. We find them everywhere in abundance, and they star in many classic and favourite dishes of Greek cuisines, such as moussaka, papoutsakia and imam bayildi. They go well with bream and are great with meat too.

No matter how we cook them, it is certain that we will have a delicious dish that smells of summer.

However, if we love eggplants a lot and want to preserve them for a longer period of time, then we can put them in the freezer.

For the raw eggplants

The way to freeze them is simple and does not differ from other vegetables. Let's see what the steps are:

Put freshly bought or freshly cut eggplants in the freezer: Don't put them first in the fridge for a few days and then in the freezer. This way, their freshness and aromas will be better preserved

Proper washing: Wash eggplants very well before storing them. Especially if they are bought and not organic, we should be more thorough and use vinegar as well to remove bacteria that may have absorbed our vegetables.

Very good draining: Drain the eggplants very well so that they are preserved better and do not have any further moisture inside them

Cutting: It is good to cut them into slices or cubes, depending on the use for which you intend them. If you want to keep them whole or half (for papoutsakia or imam bayildi), that is possible, but it will need further thawing

Proper storage: To make their storage and later use more practical, it would be better not to place them directly in food bags but to freeze them carefully without touching each other in large sheets. After they are frozen, divide them into bags so that you can use the amount you want each time.

Baked or fried

Another way to freeze them is to bake or fry them before placing them in the freezer. This way, they will be ready for consumption or in dishes such as moussaka.

Cut them into slices, brush them with enough olive oil, and bake them on parchment paper for about 30 minutes. You can also fry them.

In both cases—especially in the second—pass them through kitchen paper so that the liquids they absorb go away. Then, place them in portions in the freezer, as described above.

Whole food cooked

The rules applied to any cooked food apply here. It is good to preserve the leftovers of our dishes in closed, airtight Tupperware or aluminium pans that close with a lid.

You must have take them out of the freezer a few hours before consuming them.

READ MORE: How Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Made In Greece.