Is it necessary and how to peel eggplant before cooking

Peeling eggplants is not necessary in most cases. The peel contains quite a lot of valuable elements, fiber, it helps to lose weight and cleanses the body of toxins. But in some cases, cleaning is necessary. How to do it right is described in the article.

Are eggplants peeled or not

You can peel eggplants for stewing, cooking caviar and other dishes in which it is not necessary to maintain the structure of the pieces. But if it is required that they do not fall apart and keep their shape, for example, with rings, it is not necessary to peel. Therefore, it is impossible to unambiguously answer this question – it all depends on what kind of dish or preparation for the winter is planned to be made.

In most cases, peeling is not necessary.

Are eggplants peeled for salad?

For salad, vegetables are best peeled, as they are cut into small pieces, and then the peel will be felt on the tongue. This is especially important if fresh fruit is to be used.

But if you need to keep the shape (for example, cubes), it is better not to remove the skin. It will allow you to maintain the desired structure – then the salad mixture will look more attractive.

Can eggplants be peeled for stews?

Stew involves a long stewing of various vegetables. At the same time, they are usually cut into a small cube, which has time to cook in a matter of minutes. Therefore, the skin should not be removed. Otherwise, the pieces may lose their structure.

Can eggplants be peeled for frying?

Eggplants are usually fried in longitudinal slices or circles. They must retain their shape in order to remain beautiful, unwashed on the plate. Therefore, peeling the skin is definitely not worth it.

Do I need to peel eggplant before freezing?

It is also undesirable to clean before freezing. The peel contains quite a lot of useful substances, it is used in dietary nutrition. Therefore, it is recommended to leave all parts of the vegetable without bothering with unnecessary work.

Do I need to peel eggplant for caviar

For caviar, it is not necessary to peel the fruits. But if they are old, and the skin is rather rough, you can remove it. Cooking takes a long time – during this time the pulp will have time to digest into a homogeneous mass.

Is peel useful?

Eggplant peel is quite useful. So, it contains a rare substance nezunin. It is an antioxidant that protects neurons and brain tissue from damage by free radicals. Along with this, the antioxidant prevents the processes of premature aging, is involved in the prevention of cancer. Another useful function is to ensure the health of the joints, the prevention of arthritis.

The calorie content of the peel is low – only 24 kcal per 100 g. The product is dietary, in addition, it contains dietary fiber (in 100 g 13% of the total daily intake). It is an important nutritional component that must be supplied on a daily basis. The benefits of fiber come down to a few things:

• reducing the feeling of hunger;
• promoting weight loss;
• stimulation of peristalsis;
• cleansing the intestines from toxic substances;
• lowering cholesterol;
• blood sugar control;
• prevention of heart attack, stroke and other dangerous pathologies.

The peel is quite useful, so it is better not to remove it.

It contains most of the B vitamins, cobalt, copper, manganese, magnesium and other trace elements. Therefore, all useful substances should be preserved.

Do eggplants need to be seeded?

Whether it is necessary to clean eggplants from seeds or not – this question also does not have a definite answer. In fact, everything is decided by the situation. In large eggplants (as well as large zucchini), the seeds are already well-formed, they have a dense shell, they are visually expressed. So that the grains do not come across on the tongue, it is really better to remove them.

But in small fruits, seeds are practically not expressed, so it is not necessary to clean them. Moreover, the grains contain quite a lot of useful substances, so it is better to leave them.

How to peel eggplant

Peeling an eggplant is quite simple. To do this, you need to arm yourself with a sharp knife and work carefully. Moreover, you can peel the vegetable from the peel completely or partially. The main rules are described below.

Complete cleaning

To quickly peel eggplants, proceed as follows:

1. Remove the base of the stem with a sharp knife.
2. Holding the vegetable tightly in your hand, remove the top layer. Work gradually, removing one strip after another.
3. Peel until the end, until there is no skin.

You can work not only with a knife, but also with a special vegetable peeler (housekeeper). This is a very convenient device that needs to be directed away from you so as not to get hurt.

Partial cleaning

Partial peeling will be needed in cases where you plan to cook vegetables so that they retain their shape, for example, bake in the oven. You can also work with a knife or vegetable peeler:

1. Remove the base of the stem.
2. Gradually remove the strips through one (retreating interval of 2 cm).
3. Then cut into pieces of the desired shape and size, for example, in small circles or in the form of cubes.

Partially peeled vegetables

After cooking

If you need to quickly peel baked or stewed eggplants, you need to let them cool. To do this, spread the vegetables on a board or on a thick plate. In this case, clean with a knife, carefully removing the skin. It will not work as a housekeeper – even with a little pressure, the pulp will be severely damaged.

If the fruits are too soft, you will have to work with your fingers or take a spoon or fork. These vegetables can be used to make salads or stews. Sometimes they are also used for stuffing, as is the case with bell peppers.

Conclusion

It is necessary to peel eggplants only in cases where you need to make a salad or fruits are old, and the skin is rather rough. In other situations, it is better not to remove it – this is extra work. In addition, the composition of the skin has quite a lot of useful substances.