2 Super Easy Ways To Freeze Eggplant (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to freeze fresh eggplant? ›

You can freeze raw eggplant if it's blanched first, which is an easy, quick, cooking method that kills the bacteria that turns eggplant flesh brown. Blanching and then flash-freezing is a great way to take advantage of a summer bounty of eggplant to use later.

Luckily, it's actually really easy to freeze them. You can just slice them raw and throw them in your freezer, but they'll only last about 3 months that way (don't thaw before using if you do this). But it's not difficult to quickly prepare them so that they'll last up to 9 months in your freezer.

Pat the eggplant pieces dry with a paper towel and place them on a lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen solid, transfer the eggplant pieces to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. They'll keep in the freezer for up to a year when stored this way.

Eggplants prefer cool, dark environments, like a pantry or wine cooler, and their optimum storage temperature is around 50 degrees F. Eggplant will last between five and seven days in the refrigerator as long as the skin hasn't been removed or damaged.

Keep your eggplants in a cool, dark spot—an unsunny corner of your kitchen, or even a garage or basem*nt, if they aren't prone to pests. Wrap each eggplant in a paper towel or inside a paper bag with the top left open.

Unfortunately, if vegetables are not blanched correctly, the vegetables can become too soft and essential nutrients, like vitamin C, can be lost. The high temperature of boiling water or steam weakens the cell walls and the vegetables lose their crunchy texture.

In general, a frost (31-33 degrees F.) will kill beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peas, pepper, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon. Colder temperatures (26-31 degrees F.)

The best place to store eggplant is not in the refrigerator, but at room temperature, where it's likely to last longer. Store eggplant in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, and use it as soon as possible after harvesting or buying.

Once the slices are frozen, put them in a freezer bag or use a vacuum sealer to seal them. If they are breaded, we suggest keeping parchment paper between layers of frozen eggplant slices.

How to keep eggplant from getting soggy? ›

“The absorptiveness of eggplant can be reduced by collapsing its spongy structure before frying,” he writes. Which you can do by microwaving it before frying (!) or salting slices that'll draw out the water and close up those air pockets, giving you a firmer flesh to work with.

When buying an eggplant, the flesh should be firm but give slightly when pressed, then bounce back. If your eggplant is soft to the touch, that's an indication that it's beginning to spoil. In addition, if the flesh of the eggplant is slimy, you'll want to throw it away.

Answer. Eggplant flesh will have tan to brown colored spots around the seeds. If this is the color you are referring to, it is edible. If the flesh is more brown than white, the eggplant may be spoiling and should be discarded.

Can You Eat Eggplant Raw? Luckily, the answer is yes! While the leaves and flowers can be toxic, the eggplant itself is safe to consume both raw and cooked, and the compound that some might be sensitive to, solanine, is only toxic when consumed in large quantities.

Can eggplant parmesan be made ahead and/or frozen? Yes! This dish can be assembled up to 2 days before baking; it can also be frozen, baked, or unbaked, for up to 3 months. (If freezing, defrost in the refrigerator overnight prior to reheating/baking.)

Blanching improves color and texture, relaxes tissues so pieces dry faster, reduces the time needed to rehydrate vegetables, and helps to destroy potentially harmful bacteria. Thoroughly wash eggplant. Trim, cut into 1/4” slices.