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How to Dry Eggplant: An Illustrated Guide

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By ButterflyWings


Courtesy of: Cooksgarden.com

Nearly all kinds of food can be dried. Eggplants are no exception. The re-hydrated product is, as you would expect, not quite like fresh from the garden, but is good and serviceable in many eggplant recipes.

So if you have an abundance of eggplants, and are wondering what to do with them all, dehydrating is a good answer! At least 10 medium-sized eggplants can then be stored in a quart-sized jar, and need nothing more than a little boiling water poured over them, to rehydrate the pieces. Add them to your recipes as you would fresh eggplant.

Step One - Slice or Dice Your Eggplants, One at a Time

Select firm, fresh eggplants, as they will preserve better than ones that are already wrinkled or deteriorating.
Select firm, fresh eggplants, as they will preserve better than ones that are already wrinkled or deteriorating.
Prepare only one eggplant at a time, as the flesh discolors extremely fast.
Prepare only one eggplant at a time, as the flesh discolors extremely fast.
I have chosen to dice mine. You may slice them, or cut them into any shape you please. You may peel your eggplants, if you wish.
I have chosen to dice mine. You may slice them, or cut them into any shape you please. You may peel your eggplants, if you wish.

Step Two - Blanch Your Eggplant Pieces

You may steam blanch your eggplant pieces 3 minutes, or boil them 1 minute. Add citric acid or Fruit Fresh to the water, to help the eggplants hold their color. Blanching is supposed to help vegetables keep better once frozen or dried.
You may steam blanch your eggplant pieces 3 minutes, or boil them 1 minute. Add citric acid or Fruit Fresh to the water, to help the eggplants hold their color. Blanching is supposed to help vegetables keep better once frozen or dried.
Immediately put the eggplant pieces in ice-cold water (called "shocking"), to stop the cooking. I usually use a sinkful of water, but a bowl works, too.
Immediately put the eggplant pieces in ice-cold water (called "shocking"), to stop the cooking. I usually use a sinkful of water, but a bowl works, too.
After a few batches, the water will discolor. That's alright. Add ice cubes with each batch, or pour off the water and get fresh.
After a few batches, the water will discolor. That's alright. Add ice cubes with each batch, or pour off the water and get fresh.

Step Three - Dry Your Eggplant Pieces

I use a commercial dehydrator to dry many of my foods. I have never tried sun-drying eggplant. Scoop each batch onto the screen...
I use a commercial dehydrator to dry many of my foods. I have never tried sun-drying eggplant. Scoop each batch onto the screen...
...then spread around as evenly as you can.
...then spread around as evenly as you can.
You don't need much room between pieces (they will shrink a lot, you know), but make sure you don't have any "clumps" of stuck-together pieces. Set dehydrator temperature to 140* F., and dry until quite hard.
You don't need much room between pieces (they will shrink a lot, you know), but make sure you don't have any "clumps" of stuck-together pieces. Set dehydrator temperature to 140* F., and dry until quite hard.

Step Four - Remove from Screens or Trays, and Package in Bags or Jars

After most of the pieces are dry, pick out any that aren't, to dry some more. Tip remaining pieces to the center of the screen...
After most of the pieces are dry, pick out any that aren't, to dry some more. Tip remaining pieces to the center of the screen...
...and place in an airtight bag or glass jar. In this bag are about three large eggplants.
...and place in an airtight bag or glass jar. In this bag are about three large eggplants.
Jars are usually better than bags for keeping dried food in. If there is a pinhole leak, or you don't get the bag sealed 100%, that means your food is steadily deteriorating. As this jar had lost its lid, I used waxed paper and a tight rubberband.
Jars are usually better than bags for keeping dried food in. If there is a pinhole leak, or you don't get the bag sealed 100%, that means your food is steadily deteriorating. As this jar had lost its lid, I used waxed paper and a tight rubberband.

How to Prepare Dried Eggplant for Cooking

To rehydrate, boil drinking water and pour over eggplant pieces, to cover or a little more. Be sure to remember how much the pieces have shrunk, and not to prepare too many! Let sit at least 30 minutes - 45 mnutes or more is better.

The eggplant, like many dehydrated foods, will not soak up quite as much water as it had originally, but it will rehydrate sufficiently to please you in your recipes.

Now you'll have eggplants to use all year, whenever you please!

An Experiment Regarding Unblanched Dried Eggplant

Here is a bowl of dried eggplant pieces which were NOT blanched before drying. Overall, their appearance is whiter, which I found a bit odd.
Here is a bowl of dried eggplant pieces which were NOT blanched before drying. Overall, their appearance is whiter, which I found a bit odd.
This is the same bowl, with the camera on a different mode. The lines are less clear, but the colors are more true, and less "warm" looking. I have not noticed any difference in the keeping qualites of the blanched vs. not blanched eggplant. Do as yo
This is the same bowl, with the camera on a different mode. The lines are less clear, but the colors are more true, and less "warm" looking. I have not noticed any difference in the keeping qualites of the blanched vs. not blanched eggplant. Do as yo

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Jarn profile image

Jarn  says:
3 months ago

Cool guide. What type of eggplants are those? I don't think I've ever seen that variety before. I only really know eggplants from the big ole' suckers you see at the store. And I suppose my follow-up question is, do they taste any better?

Ivorwen profile image

Ivorwen  says:
3 months ago

Looks good. I like eggplant, but it doesn't grow well around here... if I find some at a farmers market, I'll have to try this, because it would be great to have more than a couple of times a year.

fastfreta profile image

fastfreta  says:
3 months ago

Um,Um, sounds good, because I love vegetables of any kind. I must try this. I'll have to bookmark this one. Thanks for all of your work. Good hub.

ButterflyWings profile image

ButterflyWings  says:
3 months ago

Jarn, the variety is called "India Paint Eggplant." If my memory serves me, I bought three plants (non-hybrid) from The Cooks Garden (cooksgarden.com). This variety wasn't sold in seed packets, only several-week-old plants, and appears to be either unpopular, or obscure, as it is not being advertised anymore.

I've never done a side-by-side taste test with something popular, like "Black Beauty", but in my unprofessional opinion, "India Painted" is a very good eggplant. I have yet to taste any bitterness or other unpleasantness, whether or not the flesh is salted or soaked, and when I leave the skins on, there is never any toughness, as I've experienced with some other varietieis. Even my mother, who "doesn't like eggplant," thought these were fine fried, and my two-year-old daughter eats the dried pieces straight from the jar.

I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but this is a medium-sized variety, not a monstrous long beast - a good choice in a small family who likes eggplant pretty well, but only occassionally.

ButterflyWings profile image

ButterflyWings  says:
3 months ago

Ivorwen, I hope you can find some eggplants to your liking. I know with your large family, that must be something of a challenge to keep them in good vegetables, even with your garden.

I am so thankful I live in an area where, with persistence, I can grow most things that appeal to me.

ButterflyWings profile image

ButterflyWings  says:
3 months ago

Fastfreta, thank you for your kind remarks. I was surprised this morning to wake up to several comments, and I am glad that this topic appeals.

Let me know how it works for you.

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