Eggplants are available all year round and can be used in many ways. Therefore - and because of their healthy ingredients - it is worth having the vegetable fruit regularly in stock at home. But what is the best way to store eggplants? We answer this question in our article.

The eggplant is best kept wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator

Which is fundamentally important for storage

Whether you're buying or harvesting, make sure you only use pristine aubergines that have a fairly firm texture - so don't bruise easily. This is the only way to store the fruit sensibly.

If you store your aubergines together with fruit or vegetables that will ripen later (e.g. apples, bananas or tomatoes), they will ripen/age faster. This is because such fruits and vegetables emit ethylene (a ripening gas) and thus push neighbors to ripen as well.

Our tip: only keep aubergines near ripening fruit or vegetables if they are not quite ripe yet. Otherwise, we expressly advise against it - especially since aubergines 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

At room temperature, aubergines quickly give up the ghost. Consume the dark vegetable fruits no later than the next day.

Store eggplants in a cool, dry place

Temperatures between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius are ideal for aubergines. So, if possible, you should keep them in such a cool, dark and dry place. Suitable premises are a basement, an attic or a pantry.

Take the following preparatory measures:

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

The paper bag absorbs the eggplant's moisture, extending 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 mold either in a bowl without a lid or in an open plastic bag.

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

Store eggplants in the refrigerator

Even if the refrigerator is actually a little too cold for aubergines, you can store them in it with a clear conscience. However, expect them to stain and generally change color and texture (wobbly, gummy) a bit. Aubergines will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Place the eggplant to be stored in a perforated or open-top plastic bag. A plastic container without a lid is also an option. Put the whole thing in the fridge in this form - preferably in the vegetable compartment, but without squashing. If it is too narrow, place the bag(s) on another compartment.

Note: Squeezing can rip open the skin, leading to pulp spoilage.

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. Shock the eggplant pieces in ice water for five minutes.
  5. Dry the wet pieces carefully.
  6. Place the cubes or slices in freezer bags.
  7. Seal the bags airtight.
  8. Throw the whole thing into the freezer.

The garden journal freshness ABC

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

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden