Italian Pickled Eggplant Recipe

I’d like to introduce you to a delicious side dish that is often overlooked. Italian Pickled Eggplant! This unique dish can be enjoyed as an appetizer or side dish. It’s perfect for any occasion, and it’s easy to make at home. Pickles are also easy to make and a great addition to pimp up your dishes.

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Pickled eggplant is marinated eggplant pickled and kept completely covered under olive oil, flavored with garlic and oregano as is done in Italy. 

After making your pickled eggplants, you can use them in many different pickle recipes; pickled eggplant is a vital ingredient in many spicy pickles.

My pickling addiction has gone up 10 fold in the last two years. When I first started pickling everything I could get my hands on, I was dismayed that some pickles had specific spices and ingredients that were hard to find; pickled eggplants were just one such pickle ingredient.

This is one of the authentic Italian dishes made in Argentina through our Italian mother and is a staple in every house; and also one of the most widely known as the eggplant parmigiana.

Pickling eggplant is a great idea to preserve fresh produce for the pickling season, and pickled eggplant is such a versatile pickle ingredient. You can pickle almost anything, but for me, pickled eggplant will remain my favorite pickles throughout the year.

Ingredients

• Eggplants
• Coarse kosher salt
• White wine vinegar
• Vegetable oil
• Peppercorns or red pepper flakes
• Bay leaves
• Garlic cloves
• Oregano leaves
• Smoked paprika

Optional variations

• Dry Tomatoes
• Fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, or parsley)
• Basil

How to pickle eggplant

It is a straightforward method; it doesn't take much time hands-on.

Salt the eggplant

What takes time is getting rid of the eggplant's excess liquid. After that step, everything unfolds in less than 30 minutes.

It would be best if you started either the day before or 8 hours in advance, so make the best of your time, doubling your quantities, as you should leave it to rest in the fridge for a month before starting to eat it.

I say the day before because you need to salt the eggplants and remove their excess moisture. You can do it 8 hours in advance, and it will work well.

Slice the eggplant in your preferred shape. We like cutting them following the eggplant’s length, but feel free to make long strips and even remove their skin.

You can also make discs. We leave the peal, but you can cut it off if you like. Use a mandolin if you have one.

We place something heavy on top of the eggplants, like a pile of heavy books or a dutch oven filled with grains.

Sprinkle coarse salt on the eggplant strips, line a plastic bag, and put something heavy on top; this helps drain more water from the eggplants.

Put them in a place where excess water can drain freely. I put the baking sheet slightly inclined towards the sink overnight.

Sterilize your container

Bring to a boil two liters of water on a large saucepan, and put your mason jar and lid to boil upside down for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Slightly cook eggplant

Using the same boiling water, add the white vinegar and give the eggplant strips or slices a vinegar and water bath to remove the excess salt.

Squeeze out as much liquid as possible by taking a handful of eggplant strips at a time and squeezing them with your hands., removing excess vinegar as well.

Canning

Start filling the sterilized jars with layers of squeezed eggplant dried or fresh oregano and herbs. (see video). Depending on your liking, you can use sliced garlic, or you can choose to leave the garlic cloves whole.

Make sure you completely cover everything with enough oil.

Variations

Just the same way as you make your eggplant pickle recipe, you can make pickled vegetables out of other veggies such as zucchinis, onions, and cucumbers. Try eggplants and zucchinis so you can taste the difference and pick your favorite.

Notes on oil

If you want a healthier option to make this eggplant pickle recipe, you could also use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It will just change the flavor a little bit! Olive oil tastes great! The recipe is traditionally done with neutral vegetable oil so all the rest of the flavors can emerge better.

I like to use olive oil that is not super aromatic, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil (it will turn out greener if you go for this one). These last two options have almost no aroma and are healthier options than mainstream vegetable oil.

We usually can't wait and start munching after 2 or 3 days. That's why we typically fix a second pot which will be optimal in a month. If you munch on your first jar before the month has passed, skip the garlic, as its flavor might still be strong.

What to do with pickled eggplant

We usually have a Pickled Eggplant jar in the fridge year long since they go well with everything.

Italian pickled eggplant is easy to include in any antipasto platter, as this eggplant recipe is easy to eat as a snack with crackers or Focaccia or rustic Italian bread (see our simple Italian Pangnotta Recipe).

Add to any pasta, sandwich, or potatoes for a flavor punch.

I also use their oil for additional daily preparations, like simple pasta.

Sometimes we chop one or two eggplant slices and a clove of pickled garlic from the jar and add them to spaghetti or rigati pasta for a lazy pasta night.

We usually have a tapa at the beginning of a meal, like a mini appetizer. Pickles are fantastic hassle-less options.

What to do with pickled eggplant

You can serve these Eggplants on an appetizers table next to Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Olives, assorted nuts, and Roman Style Artichokes (Carchiofi alla Romana)

Sometimes we just have some vegan empanadas, either with lentil filling or mushroom. We then serve these pickles on the same table and use them as a condiment.

Two of our favorite ways to eat eggplant pickles are to dice them and simply mix them with a nice bowl of pasta for an easy dinner or to pair it with plain mashed potatoes.

Learn 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Eggplants

Don't forget to get a look at another Eggplant favorite snack:

• Vegan Eggplant Babaganoush Spread
• Escalivada
• Vegan Eggplant Involvitini
• Indian Eggplant Curry
• Vegan Eggplant Pie

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld  on Instagram. Cheers!

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking points to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

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