Eggplant is a vegetable with an unusual taste, while not having its characteristic smell. But it absorbs many smells, being close to other products. Therefore, you need to know a few tricks before freezing to prevent this from happening. The advantages of freezing a fresh vegetable are that more nutrients are stored in this way than when it is consumed canned. How to freeze eggplants for the winter, whether it is available to do at home and not to spoil the product, this article will tell about it.
Is it possible to freeze
Caring housewives are actively practicing the freezing of vegetables, and this method of preserving products is gaining popularity with each passing year. 
In winter, so often we experience a shortage of vitamins, and in stores fresh vegetables, not everyone can afford. So is it possible to freeze eggplants?
Of course, because there are a lot of vitamins and minerals in them, which can be preserved in bulk when frozen. 80%, and at conservation only 60%.
Selection of fruits for storage
To avoid unpleasant surprises after defrosting and cooking various dishes, it is necessary to choose the right eggplants before freezing. 
They must be ripe, with an intact shell, dense and have a shiny, elastic skin. Ideally, choose young eggplants, because they have less accumulated harmful substances.
Did you know? Keep fresh eggplants in a dark place, otherwise they produce solanine, which is poison and in large quantities can harm the human body. The substance is present in small quantities in these vegetables, which gives them a bitter bitterness.When cutting blue (as they are called by the people) pay attention to the cut, if it is immediately darkened, it means a lot of serotonin in the vegetable, which causes a bitter taste, if the cut is light, you can safely prepare the vegetable for freezing.
How to prepare vegetables
It is impossible to freeze blue ones without certain preparation, since they will look like bitter rubber. Therefore, first we need to prepare them correctly.
There are a few types of frozen eggplant: macerated, blanched, fried, dried in the oven. Each type of blanks has its own nuances, which we will discuss in more detail. But there are major freezing rules: The temperature in the chamber should be -12 degrees Celsius and below, at this temperature they will be stored for 5-6 months, while maintaining their taste and composition.
Before freezing, clean the maximum space from other vegetables, especially greens. Prepare sealed dishes or bags, because eggplants absorb the smell of nearby products.
If you want to freeze a mixture of vegetables (for example, for a stew), do not forget that the blue ones need to be frozen separately. Before freezing, be sure to dry the vegetables with excess water or oil, soaking them with dry towels or dried.
Learn ways to prepare for the winter in the home of plants such as: dill, parsley, celery, cilantro, basil, sorrel.Do not forget to sign the container or package at the end, it is very convenient in the winter when you get food from the freezer.
How to freeze eggplants for the winter: step by step instructions with photos
How to freeze the eggplant for the winter, you can read the proposed recommendations. Before freezing, wash them well, dry, cut the stalks and, if any, spoiled places. 
Cut them into cubes or rings, as you need, put in a deep bowl, cover with cold water and salt.
Leave them in this condition for a couple of hours in order for the bitterness to disappear, then drain the water and squeeze the slices a little to get rid of excess moisture. That's ready to freeze the eggplants.
With blanching
One of the most convenient and quick methods of freezing eggplants is blanching.
Already prepared (washed and chopped) vegetables soaked in salted water should be dipped in boiling water for 2 minutes and immediately dipped in ice water, a colander will help you with this, then place the eggplants on a dry towel to dry. 
Ideally, put a sliced vegetable in a single layer, so moisture is better left. Only after this procedure can you put everything in a container or a package, close hermetically, sign and send it to the freezer.
Important! Thawing such vegetables is best at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Microwave is not recommended.
With oven drying
There are housewives who do not like to blanch vegetables, so they use the method of drying. To do this, you can use a regular oven, and drying for vegetables or aerogrill.
Preparation of the blue remains the same as described above. Ideal for this method of peeling eggplants. If you use the oven, then lay the sliced pieces on a baking sheet and cover them with foil, but if you use drying or aerogrill, then just put everything in one layer. 
Ship contents to oven preheated. 55-60 degrees Celsius, and leave it ajar, if there is a fan, then we turn it on too and leave it for an hour. It is worth freezing the received semi-finished product the same as it is described above in article.
Did you know? For this type of semi-finished products it is better to cut the vegetable along (as in rolls). Similarly, you can freeze baked eggplants, the only difference is that the temperature in the oven should be 170-180 degrees, and the foil must be oiled with vegetable oil.
Fried eggplant for freezing
Preparation of the blue does not change. After you soak them, drain them and dry them, heat the vegetable oil in the pan and fry the slices on all sides.
To prevent excess fat from being absorbed, lay out roasted vegetables on dry paper towels. 
Wait until they cool down, take a cutting board that fits in the freezer, wrap it with cling film and put the cooled eggplants in one layer, wrap the blanks with cling film again, put the eggplants in the second layer and so on.
We recommend to get acquainted with the recipes for preparing other vegetables for the winter: corn, green beans, Bulgarian pepper, carrots, zucchini and zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms.After place the board in the freezer. After a couple of hours, when the slices are frozen, remove the board from the chamber and fold the resulting bag into a sealed bag or in a container with a tight lid and sign. Before use, defrost and, if desired, brown in a pan.
Important! For canning use small-sized vegetables, without flaws, damage and elastic flesh. It is better to take vegetables from the late harvest, because this way your preservation will be better and last longer.
Little about the useful properties of the product
Eggplant contains many useful substances, such as: fiber, pectin, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins of group B, vitamin C, nicotinic acid. (Frozen eggplants do not lose their useful properties.) 
There are not many vitamins in this vegetable, but it is a low-calorie product and thanks to the pectin contained in it, stimulates digestion, promotes the output of bile and excess cholesterol.
Blue, especially baked and stewed, is beneficial for people with cardiovascular diseases due to their potassium content and removes excess fluid from the body.
Eating this vegetable protects against atherosclerosis, anemia, gout, osteoporosis and osteochondrosis.
Did you know? Because of the nicotinic acid content (vitamin PP), eggplants are recommended for people struggling with nicotine addiction, thanks to which it is easier for the body to tolerate “nicotine starvation”.Do not forget to include in your diet more vegetables. After all, it is easy to save you from problems with excess weight, as well as tasty and very useful for the body.
Saturate the body with vitamins and nutrients, and he will respond with gratitude. You will always feel young, beautiful and healthy. Since eggplant is a dietary product, you can lose up to 5 kilograms by eating it.
