Eggplant jam with nuts for the winter - an unusual recipe for Armenian cuisine

Categories: Jam

Dishes of Armenian national cuisine sometimes surprise and delight with how skillfully they combine what seemed impossible to combine. We will now look at the recipe for one of these “impossible” dishes. This is jam made from eggplants, or “blue” ones, as we call them.

Ingredients: eggplant, walnuts, sugar, spices
Time to bookmark: Summer, Autumn

There are many ways to get rid of the characteristic bitterness of eggplants. Some extinguish them with lime, others with soda, but from my own experience I know that all the bitterness is contained only in the peel, and if you peel it, then all soaking is absolutely useless. You will only be wasting your time.

To make jam, it is better to peel the peel, this will make the jam more tender, and you won’t have to bother with lime.

Prepare the necessary ingredients:

1 kg of small, young eggplants;
1 kg sugar;
1 cup shelled walnuts;
Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves - to taste;
2 glasses of water.

Pour sugar and water into a saucepan and cook the syrup. While the syrup is cooking, peel the eggplants.

eggplant jam

If they are small enough, you don't need to cut them, but prick them with a fork to help them soak up the syrup. If you want it in pieces, then there will be no problem. Cut it in a way that is convenient for you to cook and then eat.

If the syrup boils, add eggplants to it. When boiling, foam forms that needs to be skimmed off.Cook the jam for at least 30 minutes, after which the jam should be allowed to stand and cool.

After about 3-4 hours, when the jam has cooled, you can continue cooking.

Place the pan over low heat and start cooking the nuts. Grind them a little. There is no need to chop them too much, just cut them into 2-3 parts.

Add nuts and spices to the boiling jam. It will be better if you grind them into powder so that they do not interfere with the finished jam.

After this, allow another 30 minutes and adjust the gas so that the jam simmers slowly but surely.

Prepare the jars. Sterilize them and put the boiling jam into jars. Close the jam with lids and cover with a blanket for 6-8 hours.

Eggplant jam can be stored for up to 18 months in a cool place, or 10 months at room temperature. But I'm sure you'll eat it before it starts to spoil.