Italian-Style Fermented Eggplant Pickles

Step 1

Wash the eggplant and remove some of the peel in long strips, so that about half the peel is left. You want enough peel to provide some texture, without it being overwhelming. Cut the eggplant into 1 cm (1/4 inch) circles, then cut the rounds into thin strips.

Step 2

Place the eggplant in a large bowl and toss it with the salt so that all the pieces are evenly covered. Loosely cover with a tea towel and leave the eggplant to sweat for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Step 3

Place the garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel, and oregano into a 1.5-quart jar (or divide between two smaller jars) for fermenting.

Step 4

Move the eggplant strips to a colander and lightly rinse. You want to remove some of the excess salt as it’s about twice as much as is needed for the ferment. Squeeze the eggplant to remove the bitter liquid and pack the eggplant strips into the jar.

Step 5

Pour enough fresh water into the jar to completely submerge the eggplant. Use a weight to keep the eggplant below the brine. Leave at least 2 cm (1-inch) of headspace for bubbling. Cap the jar with a lid that will allow gas to escape. Place it in a dark cupboard for 3 to 7 days to ferment. Store in the fridge to stop the fermentation, and enjoy within 2 months.

Step 6

Eggplant pickles finished in oil will last in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Step 7

Drain the fermented eggplant in a colander. Remove the garlic, and press the eggplant with a dinner plate topped by weight (see notes). Leave them to press for 2 to 3 hours. The goal is to press out all the liquid.

Step 8

Once the eggplants are drained, move them to a bowl and toss with 1/2 cup of oil. Start with a clean 1-quart jar. Drizzle a little oil on the bottom of the jar and pack in the eggplant as tightly as possible. Top with another 1/4 cup of oil. Cap with a lid and let it sit for a few hours. The oil will slowly seep into the eggplant, so check if you need to add more oil, the cap with a tight lid, and store it in the fridge.

Step 9

Alternatively, just remove some of the eggplant strips from the brine, and pack in a smaller amount of oil. Then once that eggplant is eaten, add more eggplant strips to the oil. The oil may end up with a bit of brine in it (since the brine isn’t being pressed out of the eggplant). However, it won’t affect the flavor of the eggplant pickles.