Eggplant Jam
This is Chef Omar’s Syrian eggplant jam recipe, made with small eggplants that are first soaked in limewater, then boiled, cooled, drained, and cooked with sugar and water until golden and jammy. Citric acid and a cinnamon stick are added, then the jam is packed after cooling and served cold.
This is a homemade jam made from eggplant.
Like a fruit jam, but made with vegetables.
Cook carefully so the pieces stay intact and turn golden.
Ingredients
- 2 kg small eggplants
- 2 tbsp lime
- 1.5 kg coarse white sugar
- 2 liters water
- 1/2 tsp citric acid
- 1 stick cinnamon stick
- 1 clean cloth
- 2 trays
- 1 colander
- 1 pot
- 1 wooden spoon
- several clean, sterilized jars
Instructions
- In a bowl or basin, dissolve the lime in water until it is distributed as evenly as possible.
- Using a knife, make a slit on one side of each small eggplant without cutting through to the other end.
- Soak the slit eggplants in the bowl of limewater until fully covered.
- While soaking in the limewater, turn the eggplants about every half hour if they are not fully submerged.
- Leave the eggplants in the limewater for at least 3 hours; this may extend to a full night depending on the type of eggplant.
- Drain the eggplants in a colander, then wash them thoroughly with water once the soaking is complete.
- In the same bowl, discard the limewater and the sediment at the bottom; throw the sediment in the trash, not down the drain.
- Put cold water in a pot, then add the washed eggplants.
- Over high heat, boil the eggplants only until they begin to boil, then turn off the heat.
- Drain the eggplants in the pot and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and preserve their color.
- Arrange the eggplants on a tray lined with a clean cloth and leave them to release as much water as possible.
- Press the eggplants gently, then more firmly, to remove excess water.
- Put the sugar and water in a pot and stir over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves, without allowing it to thicken too much.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, wipe the sides of the pot with a clean tissue if sugar has splashed onto them.
- Return the eggplants to the syrup in the pot after the sugar has dissolved.
- Over high heat, let the mixture boil for about 15 minutes, pressing and turning it with a wooden spoon rather than stirring vigorously.
- Add the cinnamon stick to the pot during boiling if you would like the flavor.
- Lower the heat and add 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid to the pot.
- Continue cooking over low heat for about 1 to 2 hours, until the eggplants turn light golden and the syrup becomes jammy.
- If the pot needs slight thinning during cooking, add only boiling water, not cold water.
- Turn off the heat when the eggplants and syrup reach the desired golden color.
- Leave the jam to cool in the pot, then pack it into clean, sterilized jars.
- Serve the eggplant jam cold.