Melanzane sott'olio is a classic Italian dish featuring pickled eggplant layered in jars with garlic, oregano, and peperoncini, then submerged in extra-virgin olive oil. This delicious preserve can be eaten as an appetizer with bread, topped on pizza, or as a condiment for pasta and salads.
Wash the eggplants under cold water and pat dry them. Trim off the stem end and the blossom end.
Peel the eggplants and cut them into slices, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.6 to 1.3 cm) thick.
Stack a few slices together and cut lengthwise to create long strips.
Cook the eggplant
Fill a large boiling pot with water and vinegar. Add the salt and bring to a boil.
Working in small batches, add the eggplant sticks and let them simmer for 2 minutes or until tender but not mushy.
Remove the cooked eggplant with a slotted spoon and place them inside a strainer over a large bowl to remove excess liquid. Allow them to reach room temperature before doing the next step.
Pack the eggplant
Working in layers, add cooked eggplants to a sterilized jar, then some peppercorns, peperoncino, oregano, and garlic.
Pour enough extra virgin olive oil into the jar to fill it completely. Use the back of a spoon to gently push down the vegetables.
Repeat the process until all jars are filled.
Let the jars rest for about 20 minutes, then use a skewer to break the air bubbles that have formed.
Close the jars tightly and place them in a dark and cool spot for at least a week before consuming
Notes
You can use graffiti eggplant, Italian eggplant, or American eggplant to make this recipe.
For this recipe I don’t find it necessary to salt the eggplant, most of the bitterness is on the peel and we’re removing it. The boiling process and brine will remove the remaining bitterness.
Use sterilized jars to pack the pickled eggplant and make sure to read thoroughly the "how to store" section on the post.