Food that when you make it today brings back the fondest childhood memories. Let's face it homemade is the best and nobody makes it like our grandmothers.
My cousins, Jimmy and Carmie share the same passion for preserving these cherished recipes. Here are the recipe and instructions that have been in my cousin Carmie's family for generations.
Eggplants prepared in this way are perfect on sandwiches, or as a snack with a nice slice of Italian bread. I'm so glad Carmie has this recipe because my mother also made these and I don't have her recipe. So, here is the recipe by Jimmy and Carmie.
EGGPLANTS
A Marcella Family Recipe
Carmie and I have been making this family favorite for as long as we have been married.
(Basically, I cut the EGGPLANT and then make sure the jars are sealed). It is a recipe that her mother;
ANNIE taught her. For years we have been saying that we should document this recipe and process so
that it will be preserved for future generations. Anyone that we know that has tried this specialty really
enjoys them. Whenever we go back east, we are always reminded to pack 3 or 4 jars.
We have always made a bushel of Eggplants when making this recipe; however, you can make 2
or 3 individual EGGPLANTS if you like. As you will see there are no critical conversions for the ingredients
no matter how many you decide to make.
The first step is to trim both ends and then peel them with a
potato peeler or a paring knife. Then you will slice the Eggplant into 1/8th to ¼” thick slices. (When we
first started, I attempted to cut them by hand and trying to keep them uniform was next to impossible.
So, after a few years I bought a RIVAL ELECTRIC FOOD SLICER). It is now well over 40 years old and still
performing well). Now, the slices are uniform and the time for this step was cut by about 60% or more.
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| Peel and Slice |
So, the ingredients for day one is EGGPLANTS and SALT. As indicated, we did a bushel of
Eggplants. Twenty-three in all.
Next, the Eggplant Slices are layered in a kitchen strainer and salted with Iodized Salt between
each layer. Once the strainer is full of all of the slices that have been salted we then place the strainer in a
place for them to drain overnight. (A sink or tub work well)
We place a dish or flat bowl on top of the
Eggplants and then place a weight on the dish or bowl to help press the moisture from the Eggplants.
(We use a gallon of oil or vinegar) The next day the strainer; that was full to the top, will now only be-half
full and the slices will now be half as thick as they were original.
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| Pressing the water out of the eggplants overnight |
On day two you will need the following ingredients:
1-gallon HEINZ Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ -gallons CRISCO Canola Oil
1 Jar 2.12 ounces McCormick Red Crushed Pepper
1 Jar 2.6 ounces McCormick Crushed Whole Oregano Leaves
1 Jar 32 ounces Minced Garlic
Wide Mouth Pint Mason Jars
To start, fill a large frying pan about half full of vinegar and bring to a slow boil. On the counter
next to the stove, layout several dish towels. Start by placing several slices of Eggplant in the boiling
vinegar and blanch for 30 seconds or so.
Remove from the vinegar and lay the individual slices flat on
the dish towels to drain. Once drained, place the Eggplant slices in a large bowl. Continue until all of the
slices have been blanched. The slices will have a very vinegary taste at this time.
At this time, we fill a large saucepan with enough water to cover two mason jars when laid on
their sides. Bring the water to a boil and place two jars in the water. Also, in a small saucepan, we heat
enough water to cover the Mason Jar inserts.
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| Boiling the jars and lids |
Now for the hard part. (Just kidding) Carmie sets up a workstation with a shallow bowl, oil,
oregano, red crushed pepper, and garlic. One of the jars is removed from the boiling water and placed on
the shallow bowl. (Remember to place another jar into the boiling water). First, a little oil is added to the
bottom of the jar, then a little garlic, a little oregano, a little red crushed pepper and then a couple of
Eggplant slices.
This process is continued until the jar is full to within approximately ¾ to ½ inch from
the top of the jar. A regular dinner fork is used to keep the slices layered and flat. It also helps eliminate
any air pockets that may form.
The top of the jar is then wiped with a clean dish rag and one of the
Mason Jar Lids are placed on the jar and the lid ring is installed and tightened. The jar is then placed in a
draft-free area to await that wonderful sound. POP! We have found that the FOOD SAVER VACUUM SEAL MACHINE is a lot more reliable. SO, I get to help again. Using the Food Saver and the Wide Mouth Jar
Attachment, I seal the jars.
As you can tell, this is not an easy process; however, if you start with two or three Eggplants,
you should not be overwhelmed. Also keep in mind that if you start small, you can eliminate the mason
jar and use a small Tupper Ware Container. The process is the same except the final assembly is in the
Tupper Ware Container, not the Mason Jar.
Once opened, the jars must be refrigerated. Unopened, and if sealed properly the jars will last
about two years when stored in a cool dark place. Once opened and refrigerated they still have a shelf
life of 6 months or so. Twenty-three Eggplants yielded twenty-three pints.
You might like some of our other Canning Recipes
