Very white aubergines in oil

INGREDIENTS

• 4 kg Aubergines;
• 2 l White Wine Vinegar;
• 150 g of salt;
• 4 hot peppers;
• 6 cloves of garlic;
• Parsley to taste;
• Mint to taste;
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

STEP

1. Sterilize the glass jars. Take a pot, place a cotton cloth inside, then insert the glass jars, the lids and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off, with kitchen tongs remove the jars and lids and place on a dry cloth and let cool;
2. Wash the aubergines and dry them well with a clean cotton cloth;
3. Remove the ends, peel and cut them first into slices and then into strips, about two centimetres thick, you can also leave them sliced;
4. As you peel and slice the eggplants, arrange them in layers in a bowl and sprinkle a generous handful of coarse salt and a splash of vinegar on each layer, then press with your hands. The vinegar should cover each layer of eggplants. Continue until you have used up all the ingredients:
5. After that, place a plate on the bowl and use a pan of water as a weight. Leave the aubergines to drain overnight;
6. Once the resting time has elapsed, remove the vegetable water, squeeze a few aubergines between your hands and then use a press or a potato masher if you don’t have a press;
7. Place the aubergines to dry on a clean kitchen towel for about an hour;
8. Peel the garlic cloves and cut into small pieces, cut the chilli peppers into pieces if using fresh ones.
9. Place the aubergines in the bowl and season with garlic, chilli peppers, mint and parsley, mix them carefully;
10. Let it flavour for about 1 hour;
11. At the bottom of each jar, place a few pieces of garlic, chilli pepper, a few mint leaves, a little parsley and two fingers of oil;
12. Place the eggplant strips (or slices) in the jars, pressing them down very well. Fill the jars up to a couple of centimetres from the rim, then cover with extra virgin olive oil;
13. Close the jars of aubergines in oil tightly with the cap and let them rest overnight in a cool place. If you need more oil the next day, put it inside and then remember to close the jar tightly;
14.  After that, proceed to label the jars with a sticker indicating the preparation date.
15. FABULOUS!

NOTE

Store the jars in a cool, dry, dark place. It is advisable to wait at least a couple of weeks before opening the jar. Once opened, make sure that the aubergines are always covered with extra virgin olive oil.