Korean-Style Eggplant for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Korean-style eggplant for the winter? Gather all your ingredients. Use field-grown eggplant — those tend to be small with a matte skin.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the eggplant, trim the stems, peel, and cut into sticks.

3. Step 3:

   

   Salt the eggplant (just a pinch is enough) and let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out the bitterness. Then squeeze the eggplant well.

4. Step 4:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the eggplant until golden — usually about 10 minutes.

5. Step 5:

   

   Seed and stem the peppers and peel the carrots. Cut the peppers into thin strips and grate the carrots — a Korean-carrot grater or a regular coarse grater both work.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the carrots and peppers to the eggplant and mix.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the black pepper and Korean-carrot seasoning.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the sugar and the rest of the salt.

9. Step 9:

   

   Pour in the vinegar. This recipe uses 6–9% table vinegar, so if you have vinegar essence, dilute it 1:8.

10. Step 10:

    

    Add the minced garlic. I pressed the cloves, but you can grate the garlic or chop it with a knife. Mix everything together.

11. Step 11:

    

    Sterilize the jars however you like. I microwave them with a little water for 5–7 minutes, but you can also sterilize them in the oven at about 212°F (100°C) for 30 minutes, or hold them over steam. Boil the lids for 5 minutes. Pack the eggplant and vegetables into the jars. If you're not putting them up for the winter, store the salad in the fridge for about a week.

12. Step 12:

    

    For winter storage, process the jars: line the bottom of a pot with a folded towel, set a jar of eggplant on it, and cover with a lid. Fill the pot with water up to the shoulders of the jar and sterilize over moderate heat — 30 minutes for pint (500 ml) jars, 1 hour for quart (1 liter) jars. Seal tightly or roll the lids down. Store in a cool place.

13. Step 13:

    

    Enjoy!