Eggplant preserve (melitzanaki gliko)

1 Batch

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 pounds Eggplant
2 Lemons
Blanched almonds
2 pounds Sugar
½ pint ;Water
½ cup Honey
1 small Piece of cinnamon
4 Cloves

Directions

Wash the eggplants and trim. Cut in walnut-sized pieces. Cover with water and the juice of 1 lemon and leave to soak for an hour. Boil until the pieces are just tender (about 10 minutes), remove and drain. Push an almond inside each of the eggplant pieces.

In a preserving pan, heat sugar and water and add the eggplant. Heat gently for 10 minutes. Leave in the syrup overnight. Next day, heat the syrup and add the rest of the ingredients, including the juice of the second lemon. Simmer gently until setting point is reached. Test in the usual way and put in hot jars. Seal and allow to cool. Store in a cool place.

Santa Maria writes: "This preserve, which is particularly liked in Crete, is made with tiny eggplants. If you cannot obtain them, here is a recipe which uses eggplant cut in pieces. Otherwise, use the same weight of tiny eggplants." From _Greek Vegetarian Cookery_ by Jack Santa Maria. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1984. Pg. 149. ISBN 0-394-74197-8. Electronic format by Cathy Harned.

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