One of the most nostalgic things I like to make that makes me think of my Grandma is Italian Pickled Eggplant.
Growing up, my Grandma Frazitta made so many incredible dishes that left a lasting impression not only on my family but her friends and community that she cared for through her cooking. Italian Pickled Eggplant brings me back to sitting at her kitchen table for lunch. Grandma’s lunch table was a beautiful spread of homemade bread & pizza, parmigiano reggiano, sliced meats, fresh fruit, fennel and her incredible Italian Pickled Eggplant.
Italian Pickled Eggplant is both very easy to make while also requiring a bit of patience in the process.
Why easy? There are very few steps and very few ingredients.
Why does it require patience? There are two 24 hour waiting periods between the two main steps of the process.
Why bother? Italian Pickled Eggplant is incredibly delicious and you will not feel like your time is being wasted. Good things take time, and you will absolutely enjoy the results.
What kind of Eggplant should you use?
There are so many types of Eggplant, but the best ones to use for pickling are either the Purple Pickling or Italian Eggplants. While you could possibly use the more traditional Globe Eggplant, Italian Eggplant is typically sweeter, less tough and has fewer seeds. Check out this guide on the different kinds of eggplant that I find useful.
In Italy, pickled eggplant is called “Melanzane Sott’Aceto” when vinegar is used as the brine. The recipe that I make is called “Melanzane Sott’Olio,” which means it is pickled with vinegar and stored in jars with olive oil, garlic and herbs.
Key Considerations to the Process
Time: When making Italian Pickled Eggplant, you will want to set aside two days of time. Again this is totally worth it!
Peeling & Cutting: For this recipe, you will want to peel the eggplant and then thinly slice two ways. First, slice the long ways with about 1/4 inch of thickness. Then, slice each of those pieces into 1/4 inch strips.
Salting & Pressing: Salting the eggplant is the next step in the process after peeling and cutting it. The goal of salting is to ensure any excess water is removed from the eggplant. This is particularly important when you are not cooking eggplant, which you will not be doing for this recipe. You will need to identify a heavy item in your kitchen to assist with the pressing of the eggplant. I use my sugar container. Essentially, you want something that is heavy enough to weigh down the plate that you put on top of the eggplant. This helps with the draining of the water and the whole process assists with removing any bitterness from the eggplant.
Full step by step process is in the detailed recipe below.
How to eat Italian Pickled Eggplant
After making this, I could eat the entire jar as is, but I know that is not for everyone. Some ways you can incorporate Italian pickled eggplant into a meal are:
- in a sandwich as a replacement for pickles – I love a tomato and pickled eggplant combo
- on top of a piece of toasted Italian Bread
- chopped up as an added component of bruschetta
- added to a charcuterie board along side some delicious parmigiano reggiano
- on a salad
Grocery List for Italian Pickled Eggplant
- Eggplant
- Salt (Morton’s Salt always)
- White Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
Italian Pickled Eggplant
Equipment
- 1 Bowl Medium sized – big enough to fit 2-3 medium sized eggplant thinly sliced
- 1 Slicing Knife
- 1 Plate small enough to insert into the bowl
- 1 Heavy item Used to weigh down the plate in the bowl – I use my sugar container
- 1 Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplants medium sized
- 1/8 cup Salt
- 1/2 cup White Vinegar
- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Peel Eggplant
- Slice Eggplant into long thin strips and add to the Bowl
- Add 1/8 cup of salt and mix thoroughly – using your hand is fine and preferred
- Place plate and heavy item of your choice on top to provide pressure
- Set aside on the counter for 24 hours. The purpose of this step is to draw out water and remove as much moisture from the eggplant as possible
- After 24 hours, drain all of the water from the bowl and squeeze the eggplant, small handfuls at a time
- Add back into the bowl along with 1/2 cup of White Vinegar and mix thoroughly – again using hands is preferable
- Place plate and heavy item of your choice back on top to provide pressure
- Set aside on the counter for another 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, drain excess vinegar from the bowl
- Dice two cloves of Garlic
- Add diced Garlic, three tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and 2 tsp of Italian Seasoning to the bowl
- Mix thoroughly and use tongs to put in a Mason Jar of your choice
- Drizzle one more tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top before closing
- Refrigerate and Enjoy!
Nutrition
Take some time to make this delicious dish, and if you’re interested in other eggplant recipes try my Eggplant Parmesan.
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