Eggplant Marmalade
Submitted by amy_lyn_hodges
Old-fashioned eggplant marmalade with cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon cooked to a thick, spiced preserve. A unique canning project that turns eggplant into something like fig jam.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
50 minCOOK
80 minREADY
130 minEggplant as a preserve sounds strange until you taste it. Cooked in a heavy sugar syrup with cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon, the eggplant transforms completely. The flesh breaks down into a soft, translucent spread with a flavor closer to spiced fig jam than anything you’d associate with a vegetable.
The two-day process is what makes this work. Diced eggplant gets a quick boil to soften, then sits overnight in the spiced sugar syrup. That long soak allows the sugar to penetrate deep into the eggplant cells through osmosis, replacing the water content with syrup. By the next morning, the eggplant has absorbed enough sugar to preserve properly and develop that concentrated, jammy character.
Day two is about reduction. The eggplant comes out, the syrup boils down for 20 minutes on its own, then everything goes back together for a final 30-40 minute cook. You’re looking for the sheeting test: two drops forming on the edge of a spoon, merging, and falling as one. That’s your sign the pectin has set and the marmalade will hold.
Pro Tips
- Peel the eggplant completely. Skin doesn’t break down during cooking and leaves tough, chewy bits in the finished preserve.
- The overnight soak is not optional. Skipping it means the eggplant won’t absorb enough sugar and the marmalade will be watery.
- Use a jelly thermometer if you’re not confident with the sheeting test. You’re targeting 220-222°F.
- Sterilize jars in boiling water for at least 10 minutes before filling. Unsterilized jars risk spoilage.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of fresh ginger to the syrup for a warmer, spicier preserve.
- Stir in a splash of vanilla extract with the lemon juice for a more dessert-like flavor.
- Use as a spread on toast, a filling for thumbprint cookies, or a glaze for roasted pork.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash, peel and dice the eggplant.
Barely cover with water in a preserving kettle and boil for about 10 minutes; drain and set aside.
Make a syrup by combining the sugar, water, nutmeg and cinnamon and bringing them to a boil.
Add the eggplant. Remove from heat, cover and allow to stand overnight.
The next day, remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and boil the syrup for 20 minutes to thicken it.
Return the eggplant to the kettle and boil for 30 to 40 minutes until the syrup sheets when dropped from a spoon (2 drops forming on the edge of the spoon, coming together and falling as 1 drop), or until a jelly thermometer reads 220 to 222 F.
Stir in the lemon juice and grated rind.
Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal.
To seal: Fill to within ½-inch head room, being sure to first wipe the rim and threads of the jars with a hot damp cloth to remove all particles of food, seeds or spices.
While contents are hot, cover with a ⅛ inch layer of paraffin.
When paraffin has set, add another layer of melted paraffin, tilting and rotating the jar to seal completely.
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