RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Rina Perry Pickled Eggplants - pareve
It is the high season for making pickles in Israel. I pickle my own tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers too. I choose to send you the "Thai, or Japanese Eggplants Pickles" because it is quite a short season to get them in the market. I hope you can get them. We in Israel have 2 kind of small eggplants. The very dark one, and the one more in light color. I use both and , try to buy the smallest one. As you will notice that all the pickling are done with cold water, and then I put the containers out side in the warm weather to get sour. Unfortunately, the tomatoes and cucumbers of today, are not the same as before 20 or less years. they are tasteless. They don't have the aroma that they used to have . Only recently I heard in the news, that in Rchovot "Vulkan" agriculture research the are trying to bring back the old days tomatoes, and cucumbers . They hope to have some good results in 2 or 3 years. so till then, what you have to do is. Buy small, thin, hard cucumbers, put them for 1 hour in cold icy water ( it will harden them) and then continue to prepare the same way as the tomatoes. But.... leave them whole. Pickled Japanese or Thai Eggplants. Source: From my mother with love & more Chaviva. (Pola Oren's sister.) Ingredients: 3 pounds Japanese eggplants (small eggplants) 1 Head of garlic clove (about 7 big cloves) 3 Hot green peppers, or 1 red & 2 green (I use 2 green because I don't like it too hot) 2 Teasp Salt 1/4 Cup Vinegar 1 Level teas Sugar 2 Tabls Oil 1 Small Beet root - cut in 4 slices. Note*** Water.....+ 1 level teasp salt. Directions: Wash the eggplants and pull off its head. Fill In a big saucepan water, bring to a boil. Add the eggplants and boil 1 -2 minutes, or till the color of eggplants turn brownish. Do not over cook, they should stay semi-firm. Let cool completely in a sieve. Peel garlic, cut the pepper into thin circles and put it in the food processor . Work the pulse till you get very very tiny pieces. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt. Mix well. With a sharp knife cut to the length and make a pocket in each eggplant. With a small teaspoon fill each eggplant with some of the mixer. Put in a glass container and pile the eggplants on top of each other. On top of all put the beet roots. Note: The beet roots give beautiful color to the eggplants. If you have some left over mixture add it to the water. Mix the sugar & salt with the vinegar add to the container with the eggplants. Fill the container with water till it covers all the eggplants. Cover air tight and put it out side in a warm place. After one day taste it. Again... be careful with the salt before you decide to add more salt. It will be ready in about 3 - 4 days. After 2 days open the container to let the bubbles out and see if the water are sour. Cover again with plastic wrap. Keep airtight in the refrigerator when it is ready. This can keep in the refrigerator for month. Enjoy. Rina.
