If I cook eggplant today, can I use it tomorrow? Or will it end up mushy by then? (Please see details.)

You could try, but I’m guessing mushy by tomorrow. Maybe way undercook it might work. There’s really only one way to find out. Good luck.

Soak and drain it today; saute it tomorrow. Refrigerate it overnight. It would probably be fine even if you sauteed it today but this way you’ll be sure.

I never soak mine, never thought it was bitter either. Hmmmm, I think I’m with @Adirondackwannabe.

I never bother to soak mine either. I eat eggpant leftover all the time, I don’t see why it would be a problem to saute it tonight and use it tomorrow.

I don’t soak mine but I do salt and press it to get the moisture out before cooking it.

I never soak mine. I also like mushy eggplant. Is that weird?

You can out in under the broiler for a few minutes, works well enough, but…never as good as the first time.

Recently, I’ve kept cubes of roasted eggplant in my fridge for a week. I don’t soak it. I read somewhere that they way eggplant is grown and or picked nowadays or perhaps the variety that is in current use does not need unbittering.

I’ve been craving egg plant and I have no idea why. I think I had some 30 years ago. How does one cook egg plant?

@Dutchess_III I batter mine and make eggplant parmesan to die for. It can get a tad mushy if you don’t fry or bake first in that dish.

@Katniss Mushy is okay, but firm is better!

I make eggplant par and moussaka with it. In both cases, instead of battering and frying it, I salt it and press it and then drizzle it with olive oil and bake it before assembling the dish.

@janbb Press it how thin, bake it how long? I’d like to get away from frying but hubs doesn’t like it mushy.

When you say you batter it, do you beat the shit out of it first? :) Seriously….like, fried chicken batter? I need a recipe.

@Dutchess_III Thicker, like for fried mushrooms. Then press between paper towels, and when all oil is off, build in a baking dish (clear) like you would a lasagna in layers. It’s soooooo good!

It seems to me you could refrigerate it overnight, and it would be alright to batter and fry for tomorrow. If it was any longer than overnight, I would par-boil and freeze. The way I would do this would to slice the eggplant, soak it in salt water; while it is soaking, start the water to boil. After about 15 minutes (the water should be boiling by now) remove the eggplant slices from the saltwater and put them in the boiling water, for exactly one minute (give or take about 5 seconds). When you remove it from the boiling water, place it immediately into an ice-water bath. This will cool the eggplant rapidly, and stop it from cooking any further. Remove the eggplant from the ice water, and pat dry with paper towels. At this point, you may either freeze for future use (separate slices with parchment paper or wax paper), or you may batter and bread it, and freeze, separating slices as above (the latter would be my choice). It is all ready to saute from the freezer.

@Dutchess_III – This is going to be cubed and sauteed in olive oil with some salt and garlic. Maybe some oregano as well. It will get tossed into some pasta with cherry tomaoes and fresh mozzarella. I have also grilled eggplant and it’s yummy too.

@tedibear Served chilled?

Wait @KNOWITALL What do you build? I mean, for fried mushrooms you put the batter on first then fry them. At what point do you put the batter on?

@KNOWITALL The pressing is mainly to get the excess water out. So I slice it – maybe a1/4 inch thick – put it on paper towel on a plate, salt it, put another paper towel on, another plate and so on. Leave it for an hour or more. Bake at 350 with the olive oil on it for about ½ hour. Can be eaten just that way or used in parm or moussaka.

@KNOWITALL – Nope, served warm. Though chilled sounds interesting…

@Dutchess III HA! You do the batter, cut into ¼ inch thick slices, pat off oil, then layer it in a baking dish with sauce, (meat if you want), more veggies or cheese. Eggplant is good with anything really. I usually just use a minimum amount of sauce and mozzerella for hubs and I. Toss a salad on the side or something. Not as heavy as lasagna in the heat of summer.

@tedibear That’s what I was thinking, with a olive oil & parmesan & tossed.

I never soak eggplant and saute it until its mushy, I think it tastes best all mushy. I also sometimes peel and cook only the inside so it can get mushy quicker.

Eggplant Lasagna…Basically, you slice the eggplant very thin and use it in place of lasagna noodles.

2 large eggplants, peeled (optional) and thinly sliced
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs,beaten
½ cup milk
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage, or a 50/50 mix (skip for veggie style)
½ medium onion, diced (about ¾ cup)
½ large bell pepper (any color will do), seeds and veins removed, diced. (about ¾ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can tomato sauce
1 oz tomato paste (½ 6-oz can)
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (2 tsp dried)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, packed (2 tbsp dried)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, about 2 tsp each.)
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
Salt
15 oz Ricotta cheese (my mother used to substitute cottage cheese, it was cheaper)
1½ lb Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Slice eggplant, place slices in salt water, pat dry with paper towels, set aside in refrigerator

Brown meat (if used). Remove from skillet and drain.

Heat about a teaspoon or so of olive oil in skillet, add diced bell pepper and onions. Brown for a few minutes on medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add meat back to skillet (if used), and cook for about 5 more minutes.
Transfer mixture to medium sized (3–4 quart) pot. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. add seasonings, adjust amounts to taste. Add a splash of vinegar. Bring to a simmer, and lower heat to low simmer. Cook 15–45 minutes to thicken (stir frequently to avoid scorching bottom). Remove from heat
Break eggs into a bowl, add milk and beat with a fork until smooth
Dredge eggplant slices in flour; dip in egg mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs. Place breaded slices aside.

In a 13” X 9” X 2”-inch casserole or lasagna dish, ladle one cup of sauce and spread it along the bottom of the pan. Apply one layer breaded eggplant slices. Ladle ⅓ of the remaining sauce over eggplant. Apply a layer of ⅓ of the mozzarella on top of sauce. Add half ricotta cheese, by placing dollops every 2 inches. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese in thin even layer on top of ricotta.

Apply second layer of eggplant slices, top with half of remaining sauce, followed by Mozzarella and Parmesan, as above. Finish with another layer of eggplant slices. Spread remaining sauce over top layer of eggplant and sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella.

Tent lasagna pan with aluminum foil (not touching eggplant or sauce). Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. If desired, remove aluminum foil for last few minutes for a little extra crispy crunch.

Allow to cool before serving. Serves 8.