Eggplant is a common vegetable, but by no means beloved by everyone. Perhaps this is due to its taste characteristics. Blue dishes can be called somewhat savory. And all because of the tart and somewhat bitter taste. Therefore, it is believed that eggplant should be soaked before cooking. But is it necessary to do this? It turns out that the reason lies in the "age" of the fruit and variety. Let’s take a closer look after learning why and how to soak the eggplant. Perhaps this article will help to take a different look at common culinary habits or to change them a little.
Causes of unusual taste. Why and how to soak eggplant?
You know that, it turns out, not all fruits are so piquant in taste? Before you start cooking, you can determine whether they will be bitter.
Firstly, it depends on the degree of maturity of the eggplant. Young blue ones usually do not have astringent “shades”. And if you grow them at home, then this is a guarantee of obtaining an excellent-tasting vegetable. After all, on your personal plot, all garden work (top dressing, weeding, gathering) is carried out as expected. It is especially important to water the blue ones on time. Absorbing water, they are saturated with moisture and taste very good in cooked dishes. In mass cultivation, this rule is not always observed. In addition, the harvest is not carried out regularly, so large fruits with hard brown veins and dense pulp come across.
Secondly, breeders are trying to eliminate the shortcomings of plants when breeding new varieties. Therefore, eggplants grown from high quality raw materials and being modern hybrids, as a rule, are not bitter.
From all we can conclude that young fruits with delicate spongy pulp, grown at home from seeds of new varieties, will never be bitter. If you still want to play it safe before cooking, then use one of the processing methods: dry sprinkling with salt or immersion in a solution for a while. The choice depends on the processing technology of the fruit.
How to soak eggplant in saline?
Cut the little blue ones in the form of transverse circles or longitudinal slices. Then in 1 liter of cold raw water, dissolve 1 tablespoonful of salt, full of a hill. Pour the mass into the solution and leave for a while. How much to soak eggplant? It will take 20-30 minutes. Since they have a spongy structure, they can float. Many housewives cover the dishes with a wide plate and put the load on top, immersing the pieces completely in the solution. Before cooking, rinse the pieces under running water and let drain.
How to soak eggplant in a dry way?
Mug the salt using approximately 2 tbsp. l 2-3 medium eggplant. After a while, they will release juice, with which all bitterness will come out. With this treatment option, the peel can also be peeled with a sharp knife. After 35-40 minutes, rinse the eggplants with water and start cooking. Especially good pickled blue, pre-soaked in a dry method.