Lacto‑Pickled Eggplant with Oregano
Great on its own as a snack , these lacto-fermented eggplant wedges have a pleasant chewy texture while the brine takes on a beautiful purple hue.
Equipment
- 3 500mL Glass Mason Jars
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Eggplant, cut into 2 inch long wedges
- 3 tbsp Non-iodized salt
- 3 teaspoons Cracked black peppercorn
- 3 teaspoons Crushed red chili flakes or aleppo pepper
- 3 Garlic cloves, cut in half
Salt Brine
- 4 cups Filtered water 1L
- 2 tbsp Non-iodized salt 25 grams
Instructions
- Place the eggplant wedges in a bowl and sprinkle them with 3tbsp of salt. Mix to well combine. Allow to sit for 2 hours or longer, so that the salt draws out the moisture from the eggplants. There should be eggplant liquid on the bottom of the bowl after 2 hours.
- Rinse the eggplants in cold water to remove the excess salt. Gently squeeze them dry.
- In each jar, add 1tsp of cracked black peppercorn, 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, and 1 garlic clove. Pack in the eggplant pieces.
- Prepare the salt brine by dissolving the salt in a little bit of hot water. Stir to dissolve. Then add in cold water to make 4 cups of salt brine.
- Fill the jar with salt brine. Eggplant pieces should be fully submerged in the brine. Close the top of the lid and shake to evenly distribute the spices.
- Leave at room temperature for 5-7 days. Check the jar everyday by tapping the top of it. If the top of the lid does not give to your finger, gently loosen the lid to release the pressure from the CO2 gas building. You should see fizzing, which is a sign that the fermentation is successful
- When you are happy with the flavour, transfer the jar to the fridge for long term storage.