Any eggplant you freeze should be ripe and the seeds should not yet be fully mature. Look for eggplants that have a uniformly dark hue. Do not use eggplants that have soft spots or mismatched patches of color. Traditional black varieties tend to break down less in the freezer than purple Chinese and Thai varieties, but all types can technically be frozen for later use. Just be aware of the fact that the flesh will become softer after being frozen, but this is not usually an issue if you plan on cooking the eggplant after thawing it. If you are unable to freeze the eggplant immediately, store it in the refrigerator until you are ready. The sooner you can freeze an eggplant after harvesting it, though, the better.
If you harvested the eggplant from your own garden and have a hard time removing the dirt, you may scrub it gently with a vegetable brush.
Use a sharp knife to cut off 1/4-inch (6. 35-mm) from the top and bottom of the eggplant. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Stand the eggplant on one of its newly cut flat ends and peel the vegetable from top to bottom. Use a sharp knife to cut the remaining eggplant into slices that measure about 1/3-inch (8. 5-mm) each. Work quickly, and only cut as much eggplant as you are able to blanch at a time. Cut eggplant will begin to discolor after 30 minutes.
Give the water ample time to reach a rolling boil. Make sure that your pot is large enough to fit all the eggplant you’ve already cut up. You can blanch the eggplant in batches if you do not have any stockpots large enough to fit all your eggplants, but you should only cut up as much eggplant at a time as you can blanch in one batch.
The lemon juice prevents the eggplant from discoloring and does not dramatically affect the taste of the eggplant. [3] X Research source
Use a tray or more of ice to make sure that the water is plenty cold. Make sure that the cold water is ready before you begin blanching the eggplant.
Blanching destroys enzymes in the eggplant that cause the vegetable to break down over time. If you do not blanch the eggplant, it will begin losing nutritional value, color, and flavor within a month, even if you freeze it. You can safely use the same water to blanch multiple batches of eggplant up to five times. You may need to add more water and lemon juice as the water level dips, however.
By rapidly cooling the eggplant, you stop the cooking process. Allow the eggplant slices to sit in the ice water 4 to 5 minutes or until cold to the touch. Add more ice and water to the bowl as necessary to maintain the right temperature.
If packing the eggplant in freezer-safe plastic bags, remove as much air as possible from the bag to prevent freezer burn. Vacuum sealed bags are the best option, but you can still use standard resealable plastic bags as long as they are approved for freezer use. If packing the eggplant in freezer-safe plastic containers, leave at least 1/2-inch (1. 27-cm) empty headspace at the top of the container. This extra space allows the eggplant room to expand as it freezes. [5] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source Glass containers are not recommended for freezer use. Label the bag or container with the current date so that you will know, in the future, how long your batch of eggplant has been sitting in the freezer.
This step is only optional, but if you do not take this precaution, the slices will stick together upon freezing.
Vacuum-sealed eggplant that is deep frozen will will retain its quality for about 14 months.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Prepare a shallow baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil. Use a fork to prick the eggplant multiple times. Pricking the eggplant prevents pressure from building up inside of it as it bakes. The more holes you create, the safer it will be. Roast the eggplant 30 to 60 minutes. The eggplant is ready once it begins to collapse inside the oven. Smaller eggplants will only take 30 minutes, but larger ones may take up to an hour. Scoop out the flesh. When the eggplant is cool to the touch, cut it open lengthwise using a knife. Use a metal spoon to dig out the flesh. Pack the flesh into airtight containers. Leave 1/2-inch (1. 27-cm) headspace in each container. Freeze up to 12 months.
Wash and slice the eggplant as you would if freezing plain, blanched slices. Dip each slice in milk, beaten egg, or frying batter. Coat the slices in a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs. The bread crumbs can be seasoned with Italian herbs, Parmesan cheese, or left as plain, dry bread crumbs. Wrap the slices in wax paper. Instead of merely layering the slices between pieces of plastic wrap, make sure that each breaded slice is completely wrapped in its own sheet of wax paper. Freeze up to 6 months. To use, thaw the slices in the refrigerator and bake or fry them as you usually would.
