Peel your eggplant by standing it on one end and peeling it from top to bottom. Then, cut your eggplant into slices that are roughly 1/3 to ¼ of an inch in thickness. You can lightly salt the eggplant to remove any lingering bitterness, if needed.
If you are worried about your eggplant discoloration after it has been frozen and thawed, you can blanch it ahead of time. This is optional – blanching does not impact the flavor of the eggplant. To blanch, simply boil your eggplant in water on the stovetop for about three to four minutes, then cool immediately in an ice bath (bowls of ice water). Squeeze it to remove any excess liquid, which will prevent ice crystals from forming later on..
(optional) Bake your eggplant, if you want.
Whether you’ve chosen to blanch and / or to bake your eggplant or not, your next step will be to flash freeze. Start by laying the slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer. This will make it harder for them to stick together.
Freeze for six to eight hours on the cookie sheet.
Next, arrange your frozen pieces of eggplant in a freezer-safe container, like a plastic bag or a vacuum sealer bag. Never use glass containers.
