BEST SECRETS

Eggplant, a longevity vegetable.

In Ukraine and southern Russia they are called “little blue” - such a cute, homely nickname has stuck with this vegetable. However, it is not a vegetable at all, but very much a berry from the nightshade family. Little blue ones are not only blue, but also yellow and even white.



It is impossible to imagine a summer menu without eggplants. And at other times of the year, if you wish, you can make “overseas caviar” from store-bought eggplant. And not only caviar, but also the other hundred or two dishes withlongevity vegetable, as the Arabs who cultivated it called the eggplant. They, thanks to them, brought eggplant seeds to Europe in the 15th century. And Europe, 4 centuries later, also began to cultivate eggplant.

Benefits of eggplant.

This berry has many advantages. Eggplant can be placed in the place of honor in the refrigerator just for the potassium it contains. What is potassium for our body? This is the work of the heart muscle, this is the state of muscle tissue, this is the nervous system, after all.



Here's what else eggplant can do:
- regulate water-salt balance;
- reduce cholesterol levels;
- stimulate liver function;
- maintain acid-base balance.
It also breaks down fats perfectly, so if you’re on a diet, don’t forget to include eggplant dishes in your menu.

Harm to eggplant.

Yes, eggplant also has certain harm. Whose name issolanine. Solanumin Latin - nightshade. Solanine, a poisonous glycoalkaloid, is produced in all plants of the nightshade family. That's why you can't eat green potatoes? Because a green tuber is a sign of high solanine content. In eggplant, solanine is found mainly in the peel. And also in the seeds - those that have managed to acquire a brown color. However, avoiding the harmful effects of solanine and getting your share of the benefits from eggplant is quite easy and simple.

How to choose eggplants.

Rule number one:do not chase large specimens. It is those that are larger, darker and riper that contain the most solanine. Its weight also indicates that the eggplant is too mature - the more mature the eggplant, the lighter it is. Choose eggplants that are firm, not too dark and not too “airy” inside - the weight of an average-sized eggplant should be at least 200 grams. When pressed with your finger, there should be no trace left on the eggplant skin. Such a “specimen” will definitely have light-colored seeds. By the way, when cut, overripe eggplant darkens quickly - this is also a sign of increased solanine. In general, we choose eggplants that are younger and slimmer.



Rule number two:choose eggplants with fresh, not dried out tails. A dry tail eloquently indicates that the eggplant is no longer as young as we would like.

Why cut off the “tail” of the eggplant away from the stem?
In this place of the eggplant the concentration of nitrates is highest. So, we cut without sparing, “without waiting for peritonitis!”



How to reduce the amount of harmful substances in eggplant?
The amount of solanine is significantly reduced if cut eggplants are salted, waited until they release their juice, and rinsed with water. Bitterness comes out along with the juice - this is solanine. Another way is to soak the eggplants in salt water for 20 minutes.
When frying and boiling, the amount of nitrates automatically decreases: when frying - by 10%, when cooking for 15 minutes - by 60%.


How to avoid excess fat absorption into eggplant when frying?
Eggplant contains only 24 kcal per 100 grams, which is its big advantage in terms of diet and weight loss. The bad thing is that when frying, eggplant acts like a sponge, absorbing huge portions of oil.

There are three ways to avoid this:
- pre-blanch the eggplant pieces, then they will absorb less fat;
- fry eggplant pieces in batter, if this does not contradict the recipe;
- coat the eggplant slices with vegetable oil and fry them in a dry frying pan.

What can you cook from eggplant?

Marinated, fried, stewed, baked, grilled eggplants - there are many recipes with this berry in any kitchen in the world. Perhaps the most popular recipe iseggplant rolls.

You can wrap any filling into the fried plates - a win-win option. BS tried out a few of them this week and all are worthy of praise.



TOP 5 fillings for eggplant rolls:

- cheese, egg, garlic, mayonnaise;
- walnuts, chopped in a blender, with garlic;
- cottage cheese, dill, garlic, flaxseed oil, salt, lemon juice;
- mayonnaise, tomato and raw smoked sausage, cut into strips;
- boiled chicken fillet and mushrooms, cut into strips, mayonnaise.

It's really fast, tasty and convenient.
Well, what can compete with such a snack?

1. A freshly picked, not overripe eggplant should be heavy. The fruit is 15 cm long and weighs approximately 0.5 kg.

2. The stalk is a must! (Some sellers cut it off to hide its age). It should be green and not wrinkled.

3. You should buy medium-sized eggplants, since large fruits contain more solanine poison.

4. The main signs that the fruit has been picked for quite some time are: brown stalk, brown spots, softness, slipperiness, as well as wrinkled and dry skin. Do not buy such eggplants under any circumstances!

5. Before purchasing, press the skin at the base of the eggplant. If a dent remains from your finger, it means the fruit is old. Fresh eggplant quickly regains its shape.

6. Do not buy fruits that are too large! This indicates that the eggplants were over-fertilized and accumulated a lot of nitrates!

7. If the seeds inside a cut eggplant are dark and have an unpleasant odor, it is better not to eat this fruit, it is better to get rid of it - it has been sitting for a long time, and a lot of solanine has accumulated in it.

8. In fruits with pure white flesh that does not turn brown for a long time in the air, the amount of solanine is small. If the flesh is green and quickly turns brown (within 30 seconds), this indicates the presence of a toxic substance.

Eggplants are beautiful pear-shaped or elongated purple fruits with a shiny surface. Let's figure out what you should pay attention to when buying this vegetable and what are the signs of quality.

Advice to choose eggplants young, which are characterized by the absence of wrinkles, brown and light spots. Feel the vegetable - it should not be soft and limp, but should be smooth, dry and elastic. The stalk should be green.

Purple color without green, elastic dense pulp without voids, with small seed nests - this is what is valued. It is advisable that the seeds are not fully ripe. If they are darkened, this will be a sign of overripe fruits.

If you want to buy tastier eggplants, choose male ones. In such fruits, the depression at the base (the other end from the stalk) is small and round. In “female” specimens, the depression is large and oval, they contain a larger number of seeds, which can increase the bitterness. By the way, gender is determined approximately according to the same principle.

Avoid choosing heavy, ill-sized eggplants as they may contain too much water. And one more piece of advice. Eggplants purchased specifically for caviar should be mature, firm and dark purple.

Eggplants must be stored in a cool, dark place in the house; you can pack them in a bag, but not airtight. Be careful in a dry environment, otherwise they will dry out quickly. Therefore, in any case, it is best to cover the fruits with something or wrap them, for example, with paper.

At optimal temperature (8-10 degrees Celsius) and humidity (90%), eggplants can last up to 4 weeks. You can increase this shelf life if you take additional measures: wrap each fruit in paper, cover it with ash or coal. It is recommended to store the fruits separately in the refrigerator.

You can also successfully freeze eggplants, just like , you just need to take into account one useful tip - the fruits must be blanched before freezing (dipped in boiling salted water for a minute or two, then immediately in cold water). Naturally, you need to get rid of the stalks, dry them, chop them finely and put them in an airtight container.

And one last piece of advice. If you constantly consume beets, your body will definitely thank you. This is a root vegetable with unusual medicinal properties. Therefore, do not forget the basic tips provided here on how to make the right choice in order to buy the best quality product.

This article talks about one of the most popular vegetables used in modern cuisine. About eggplants. About how to choose the right fruits for the perfect dish.

Why you need to be careful when choosing eggplants

Eggplants are from the nightshade family. They come from Asia. So, the first who began to cook and eat were the Chinese, Indians and residents of South-West Asia thousands of years ago. Then the Arabs got hold of this fruit and brought eggplants to European territory. Where, however, it did not immediately become popular, as is the case with other representatives of nightshades: tomatoes and potatoes. And all because eggplant is a vegetable that should not be eaten uncooked. This happens because improperly grown or stored eggplants are filled with toxins that can cause acute poisoning, including hallucinations or behavior that is unusual for a person, including violent behavior. That is why for a long time in Europe the eggplant was called the “crazy apple”.

And it is precisely because of these characteristics of eggplants that it is so necessary to choose and cook them correctly.

The main advantage of eggplant is that, regardless of the method of preparation, it retains all vitamins and other beneficial substances even after heat treatment. But you need to be able to choose quality fruits.

Eggplants are also characterized by a weak aroma, which, however, can easily be “overpowered” by other odors, since eggplant perfectly absorbs the odors of other products. This quality allows you to use eggplant not only as the main ingredient in a dish, but also as an additional one. In order to impart a wonderful aroma to the finished dish, you must use only ripe fruits.

The best dishes naturally come from the highest quality, ripe eggplants.

To successfully select them, you can resort to some simple tricks that will allow you to accurately choose the best product. Do not forget that low-quality fruits contain too much of the poison solanine.

1. Some of the first signs that indicate a stale eggplant are: brown color, both the fruit itself and its stalk, poor condition of its skin: wrinkles or dryness, as well as softness and slipperiness of the fruit. It is better to put such a fruit aside immediately.

2. Any ripe, high-quality eggplant fruit looks lighter in appearance than it actually weighs. Therefore, first of all, to select an eggplant, one picks it up. If there are doubts about this ratio, you can compare other fruits in the same way. Thus, the average fruit is 15 cm long and weighs approximately half a kilo.

3. Secondly, the eggplant is inspected. The fruit is perfect and looks perfect: no scratches, cuts, stains or dents. That is, no flaws. But we should not forget that spots or specks are a characteristic feature of some varieties of eggplant, and, therefore, are not a flaw. Determining the appearance of the fruit is extremely important: damage on an eggplant indicates that the fruit is most likely spoiled, rotten or hard inside.

4. An eggplant must have a stalk. If there is none, it is undesirable to buy such a fruit. Since sellers usually resort to this technique to hide the true “age” of the eggplant. But the presence of a stalk is not yet a signal to buy: if it is brown, wrinkled or dry, it is a sure sign of an overripe or spoiled fruit.

5. But this is where the inspection of eggplants ends. You need to hold it up to the light and check the condition of the skin. It should be smooth and shiny. Cracks, various wrinkles, and dullness of the skin indicate the low quality of the eggplant.

6. Next you need to poke the eggplant. It is best to do this at its base. If you have to exert some effort to exert such an influence on it, the fruit is not ripe, but if, on the contrary, it is too easy to press on the eggplant, and the dent remains after such pressure, the fruit is overripe. So, an ideal ripe fruit gives in to pressure slightly, and the dent from pressing is quickly restored.

7. After pinpoint palpation, the eggplant should be examined with both hands. And if during such palpation you come across soft spots, this will be a sign of overripeness, or even complete deterioration of the fetus.

8. In addition, it is not recommended to buy fruits that are too large. This is due, firstly, to the fact that large fruits contain more poison solanine. And secondly, by the fact that large fruits are usually grown by excessive fertilization, as a result of which more than other fruits are filled with nitrates.

9. If you have the opportunity to look at an eggplant in cut form, then if it contains dark, unpleasant-smelling grains, it is better not to eat the fruit under any circumstances. This sign indicates long-term storage of eggplant, as well as the accumulation of a huge supply of solanine by the fruit.

10. Also, an excess of solanine poison is indicated by the green color of the pulp, which quickly turns brown in air (faster than in half a minute). If the flesh of the fruit is white and does not turn brown, the fruit is ideal for consumption.

Eggplants spoil very quickly. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare them on the day of purchase. If you have to store them, it is not recommended to use the refrigerator for this purpose - the eggplants will spoil faster there. The best option for storing eggplants is at room temperature in a plastic bag. It would be advisable, however, to find a cooler place for them.

In order to get rid of the bitterness in mature eggplants, and also to prevent them from absorbing too much oil during cooking, the eggplants are cut into slices or pieces and placed in a colander, then sprinkled with salt and left for an hour. Then the eggplants are thoroughly washed and dried.