Eggplant billets

Berry herbaceous culture with a dark fruit is called dark nightshade or eggplant. It grows in the open ground in Ukraine and southern Russia, in Siberia its cultivation requires special hothouse conditions. Eggplant berries contain sugar (up to 11%), proteins (up to 1.4%), fats (up to 0.4%), fiber, in addition, useful elements, vitamins and other nutrients: in the form of salts of calcium, phosphorus, potassium , Iron, B vitamins, carotene. Eggplants are used in kitchens around the world. They are fried, brewed, baked, stewed, marinated, cooked on the grill, eaten raw and make preparations from eggplants: dried and frozen for the winter, they prepare caviar and salads.

Ripened vegetables can not be eaten, young fruits should be selected only that have reached technical ripeness. In the overripe fruit contains solanine - a toxic glycoside (glycoalkaloid), which when ripening accumulates in eggplants and other plants of the Solanaceae family. Poisonous glycoside is found in all parts of the plant - in fruits, leaves, root crops and stems. It performs the function of natural protection and possesses insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Solanin even in small doses is toxic: it is able to decompose red blood cells, cause first the excitation of the nervous system, and then its inhibition.

Recipe 1

The most common blanks from aubergines are different vegetable caviar. There are many options for its preparation, one of them will require products:

• 10 eggplants of medium size are washed and cut into cubes (peel is not scraped);
• 5 carrots tinder on a small grater;
• 5 onions cut into cubes;
• 5 red, yellow and green sweet Bulgarian peppers (remove the seeds and cut into cubes);
• 1 kg of ripe tomato, blanch in boiling water for a few seconds, remove, peel and cut into cubes;
• vegetable oil;
• salt;
• pepper.

In order to get the right amount of caviar, you can change the proportion of the number of products. This is an uncomplicated way to harvest for the winter: the eggplant is abundantly sprinkled with salt, leave for 30 minutes, so that all bitterness comes out, then they are washed in running water from salt. In the heated vegetable oil, roast the onion until transparent, add carrots, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. All stew for 30 minutes, stir occasionally. In the end, add salt and pepper. Lay out the eggplant caviar in cans, sterilize for 30 minutes and roll.

Recipe 2

You can make blanks from eggplant in a salty form. You will need a minimum of ingredients:

• 5 kg of aubergines (not overripe!) Of medium size (peel is not scraped, the thick part of the fruit is cut along into 4 parts, and the part from the side of the stem leaves whole);
• 250 g of greens (parsley and tarragon) cut into a length of 3 cm;
• 150 g of salt.

Eggplants salted in places of their cuts, densely put in an enamel pot or bucket, each row pour salt, and through one row sprinkle with chopped herbs (salted eggplant should not be). Withstand 12 hours at room temperature. During this time, the fruits soften and give juice, they are pressed down by a load (not heavier than 1 kg). Leave at room conditions for fermentation of days by 10-14. Salted eggplants are stored at a temperature of no higher than 4C.

Recipe 3

Billets from eggplant can be made with adjika. Ingredients:

• 3 kg of aubergines are washed (peel is not scraped) cut along into 8 parts, each cut across into 2 parts;
• 15 red bell peppers (remove the seeds, cut along);
• 10 ripe tomatoes, blanch and peel skin, cut into slices;
• 4 heads of garlic, clean each tooth;
• 4 hot peppers, remove the seeds;
• 300 g of oil;
• 300 g of sugar;
• 1 faceted glass of vinegar;
• 3 tablespoons table salt.

Eggplants are salted and left for an hour, then washed in cold water (flowing). Sweet peppers, garlic, tomatoes and hot pepper are grinded in a meat grinder and laid out in eggplant. Add oil, vinegar, salt and sugar. All are boiled in a saucepan for about 30 minutes. Transfer them to prepared cans, sterilize for 20 minutes, close tightly with lids and leave the eggplant for the winter. The blanks are stored in the refrigerator.