How To Salt Eggplant
Discover two simple methods to salt eggplant and remove its bitterness. Salting, or purging, eggplant is one of the easiest ways to enhance its flavor. So, next time you’re preparing an eggplant dish, follow these steps for perfectly seasoned, bitterness-free results.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant*
- Kosher Salt
Instructions
Method 1: Sweating Eggplants
- Wash and slice the eggplant: Wash the eggplant under cold water and dry it with a kitchen towel or a paper towel. Then, slice off the stem and cut the eggplant as desired.
- Sprinkle eggplant with salt: Generously sprinkle eggplant slices* with one to two teaspoons of salt, being sure to cover season them on both sides.
- All the eggplant slices sweat: Place the seasoned eggplant in a colander for 30 minutes to an hour. Once little droplets of moisture start to appear, rinse your eggplant slices under cold water to remove excess salt.
- Pat-Dry the eggplant: Layer a baking sheet with a couple of sheets of paper towels and arrange the drained eggplant slices on top. Using another sheet of paper towel, gently press each piece to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Repeat these steps with all remaining slices of eggplant.
Method 2: Brining Eggplants (aka Soaking Eggplant in a Saltwater Bath)
- Wash and slice the eggplant: Wash the eggplant under cold water. Then, dry it with a kitchen towel and slice off its stem. Next, slice the eggplant as needed (either cubes or steaks/slices will work).
- Make the saltwater bath: Fill a large bowl with cold tap water and stir in a tablespoon of kosher salt.
- Soak the eggplant: Place the eggplant slice in the brine, submerging each slice of eggplant in the water. If needed, place a small plate on top to ensure no piece's float to the surface. Let them soak for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Drain and rinse them with cold water.
- Dry brined eggplant slices: Line a sheet pan with a few sheets of paper towels and place your drained slices on top in a single layer. Then, use a few paper towels to press down on the pieces, drying out the eggplant with gentle pressure.
Notes
- I use widely available globe eggplants. However, you can salt other types of eggplants using this method.
- *As you are salting the eggplant, make sure to coat the whole surface with salt. I use a teaspoon of kosher salt for a medium-sized globe eggplant. However, you can use more or less depending on the size of your eggplant.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 1049mgFiber: 14gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 105IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg
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