There comes a point toward the end of the season where the eggplants are still coming, but you can tell they’re not going to get much better.
They’re smaller, sometimes a bit tougher, and you’ve usually got more than you planned for. But they still need to be used. Leaving them on the plant isn’t going to improve anything, and letting them go to waste defeats the point of growing them in the first place.
This was one of those situations.
A run of eggplants, a lot of tomatoes coming in at once, and no interest in doing anything complicated. What made more sense was something that would hold for a few days and improve rather than needing to be eaten immediately.
So it ended up as berenjenas en escabeche.
Listada de Gandia like the ones I grew. As I negelected to take photos of mine I have got these from the internet. Luckily, from the guys at the Diggers Club where I got these plants from.
What was used
- Eggplant (Listada de Gandia, end of season)
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
- Bay leaf
- Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
What we did
The eggplant was sliced lengthways and salted lightly, then left for a short time to draw out some moisture. Nothing precise, just enough to improve the texture.
It was then cooked through in a hot pan with olive oil until softened and starting to colour. Not rushed — it needs to cook properly or it stays spongy.
Separately, garlic was warmed gently in olive oil, then vinegar was added along with bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. The idea is to bring it together, not reduce it heavily.
The eggplant was then combined with the liquid while still warm and left to sit.
This pic looks better than mine! Next time I’ll take my own photo.
What worked
Leaving it alone.
After a few hours, and better again the next day, the eggplant takes on the vinegar and garlic and settles into something much more balanced than when it first goes together.
This is one of those dishes that improves with time rather than fading.
What didn’t matter
Exact ratios.
It just needs enough vinegar to cut through the oil and enough oil to carry the flavour. Everything else is adjustment.
Final note
This is a good way of dealing with a run of eggplant that needs to be used but doesn’t need to be eaten immediately.
It keeps, it improves, and it turns something that might otherwise be wasted into something worth coming back to.
Make do. Eat well.
👉 If you can:
- use a photo of the finished escabeche
- or eggplant in preparation
If not, keep what you’ve got. Don’t stall. Eat well.
Rough Cut Kitchen 
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