Storing eggplants - ways, instructions and tips

Storing eggplants - ways, instructions and tips

Which is fundamentally important for storage

Whether when buying or harvesting: Make sure you only use flawless eggplants that have a fairly firm consistency - that is, they cannot be easily dented. This is the only way to store the fruit sensibly.

also read

  • Freeze eggplants in advance
  • Harvest eggplant
  • Eggplant season in the garden or greenhouse

If you store your aubergines with fruit or vegetables that ripen afterwards (such as apples, bananas or tomatoes), they will ripen / age faster. This is because such fruits and vegetables emit ethylene (a ripening gas) and thus also push neighbors in terms of ripening.

Our tip: only keep aubergines near fruit or vegetables that are not yet fully ripe. Otherwise, we strongly advise against it - especially since eggplants only have a short shelf life anyway.

This is how you can store your eggplants

You have four options for storing your eggplants:

  • at room temperature
  • in a cool, dry place
  • in the refrigerator
  • in the freezer

Store eggplants at room temperature

Eggplants give up quickly at room temperature. Consume the dark vegetable fruits the next day at the latest.

Store eggplants in a cool, dry place

Temperatures between ten and 13 degrees Celsius are ideal for eggplants. So you should keep them in such a cool, dark and dry place if possible. Suitable rooms are, for example, a cellar, an attic or a pantry.

Take the following preparatory measures:

  1. Put the eggplant in a large paper bag.
  2. Wrap the paper loosely around the vegetable fruit.
  3. Put the "package" in a cool, dry place.
  4. Consume the eggplant within three days.

The paper bag absorbs the moisture from the aubergine and extends its shelf life. Thanks to the permeability of the paper, good air circulation is guaranteed.

Alternatively, wrap the aubergine in a paper towel and place it in the form either in a bowl without a lid or in an open plastic bag.

Important: Never store eggplants in sealed plastic bags, otherwise you will accelerate the deterioration (lack of air).

Store eggplants in the refrigerator

Even if the refrigerator is actually a little too cold for eggplants, you can keep them in it with a clear conscience. But expect that they will get stained and generally change their color and consistency (wobbly, rubbery) a little. Eggplants keep in the refrigerator for around a week.

Place the eggplant you want to keep in a perforated or open plastic bag. A plastic container without a lid is also an option. Put the whole thing in this form in the refrigerator - preferably in the vegetable drawer, but without squeezing it. If it is too tight, it is better to place the bag (s) on a different compartment.

Note: Squeezing can tear the skin open and spoil the pulp.

Store eggplants in the freezer

Eggplants can be frozen for up to nine months.

  1. Wash the vegetable fruit thoroughly.
  2. Cut the eggplant into cubes or slices.
  3. Blanch the pieces for three minutes.
  4. Frighten the eggplant pieces in ice water for five minutes.
  5. Carefully dry the wet pieces.
  6. Fill the cubes or slices in freezer bags.
  7. Seal the bags airtight.
  8. Put the whole thing in the freezer.

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How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh as long as possible?

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