Spicy Lacto Fermented Eggplants

I find it neat that Russian folks use lacto fermentation to preserve food for the sake of preserving food and making it taste good, rather than doing it in search of health benefits. Lacto fermentation – called kvashenie – is a process that every single Russian is familiar with from childhood. Of course, I love it that its practice is becoming so popular here but health conscious American folks get so obsessed with its health benefits, that they are willing to sacrifice the taste. I love this recipe for the intense burst of flavor from garlic and hot pepper but what I like even more is that thanks to natural fermentation (and a large amount of parsley), those flavors don’t stick around after I’m done eating. Like not at all! Even if I eat the equivalent of several cloves of garlic in one sitting..

We cut the fermented eggplants into chunks and eat them as a side dish with our meals, often along with sauerkraut, pickles or peas. I personally love them with buttered boiled potatoes, or buckwheat or on top of toasted bread.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY LACTO FERMENTED EGGPLANTS

Ingredients
8 eggplants, small to medium, washed
4-5 medium carrots
1 red chili pepper
Big bunch of parsley
2 heads of garlic, peeled
For the brine:
1 quart water
1 tablespoon salt
10 black peppercorns
5 white peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Equipment
Large stock pot
Large sieve
Rubber gloves for cutting chili peppers
Small pot for making brine
Fermentation crock
A fermentation weight, or a jar filled with water and a plate

Instructions
Remove the stems off the eggplants.
Make a pocket-like slit in each eggplant, trying to not cut to the edges.
Place eggplants in a large stock pot filled with water. Bring to boil, and cook on low until the skin is just tender, 8-10 minutes.
Once eggplants are cooked, drain them through a sieve and leave in a sieve with a weigh on top (a plate with a jar of water of top) – for about an hour – to remove moisture.
Prepare the filling: shred carrots with a mandolin slicer or a grater. Remove the tough stems from parsley (reserve some for tying eggplants later). Press or chop garlic. Using rubber gloves, finely chop chili pepper removing the seeds for less heat (from experience, if you don’t use gloves, your hands will burn for quite a while afterwards). Mix everything together.
Stuff the eggplants with the filling.
Make brine: Bring water to boil in a small pot, add the rest of the ingredients; remove from heat as soon as salt is dissolved. You can toss the parsley stems in hot water for a few minutes to make parsley more flexible for tying. Cool the brine.
Tie stuffed eggplants with parsley, place in fermentation crock, add the brine.
Place a weight on top, and cover tightly.
Leave at room temperature for 3-5 days, then move to refrigerator (I transfer them to a mason jar). They should keep for up to a year but I haven’t gone longer than 2 months, we eat them fast!

Print Recipe

Spicy Lacto Fermented Eggplants

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Lacto Fermented Vegetable

Cuisine: RUSSIAN

Author: Valeria - Beets 'n Bones blog

Ingredients

• 8 eggplants small to medium, washed
• 4-5 medium carrots
• 1 red chili pepper
• Big bunch of parsley
• 2 heads of garlic peeled

FOR THE BRINE

• 1 quart water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 10 black peppercorns
• 5 white peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Remove the stems off the eggplants.
• Make a pocket-like slit in each eggplant, trying to not cut to the edges.
• Place eggplants in a large stock pot filled with water. Bring to boil, and cook on low until the skin is just tender, 8-10 minutes.
• Once eggplants are cooked, drain them through a sieve and leave in a sieve with a weigh on top (a plate with a jar of water of top) - for about an hour - to remove moisture.
• Prepare the filling: shred carrots with a mandolin slicer or a grater. Remove the tough stems from parsley (reserve some for tying eggplants later). Press or chop garlic. Using rubber gloves, finely chop chili pepper removing the seeds for less heat (from experience, if you don't use gloves, your hands will burn for quite a while afterwards). Mix everything together.
• Stuff the eggplants with the filling.
• Make brine: Bring water to boil in a small pot, add the rest of the ingredients; remove from heat as soon as salt is dissolved. You can toss the parsley stems in hot water for a few minutes to make parsley more flexible for tying. Cool the brine.
• Tie stuffed eggplants with parsley, place in fermentation crock, add the brine.
• Place a weight on top, and cover tightly.
• Leave at room temperature for 3-5 days, then move to refrigerator (I transfer them to a mason jar). They should keep for up to a year but I haven't gone longer than 2 months, we eat them fast!

Notes

Don't be shy with parsley, you can't have too much here, the more the better 🙂