You can't can it, because it is made by sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil. If you didn't do that, it wouldn't be yummy ratatouille and if you pressure canned it it would turn to mush. Freeze it to preserve it, that's what my friends do. I just eat it all up, lol!

You can can tomatoes to put in ratatouille. You can can caponata, which is an eggplant relish with tomatoes and peppers, although I haven't liked the recipes I've seen. You can can stewed tomatoes with onions and peppers. Many of these recommendations require a pressure canner, if you're mixing acid, (tomatoes) and low acid vegetables. Eggplant, onions and peppers are low acid vegetables.

Alas!

I have frozen it but freezing breaks down the cell walls of the veggies and turns it to a mush-like consistency too. We like ours soft enough but with some tooth and definition to the veggies.

Eggplant is quite low-acid. It wouldn't be possible to can a ratatouille without added acid (unacceptable) and/or pressure canning, which presents texture issues due to the high heat.

You might try freezing a small sample batch just to see how it handles the cold. Otherwise, the best thing to do is to enjoy it fresh and treasure it as a gift of the season.

Carol

'Fraid you're right, Carol, and "gift of the season" might be part of what makes it special.

I think I knew this but I just have to keep trying... ;>

I don't know how I missed what you said earlier about freezer failures.

I don't know how you make your ratatouille, but have you considered a high-heat oven-roasted version? You'd get wonderful flavor and caramelization and because much of the water has been evaporated out it would freeze more successfully with less separation of liquids and better texture.

It wouldn't be the "same" as the summer version but could be excellent in its own way.

This isn't rataouille, but here's an example of a summer recipe I roast and freeze with great success:

Roasted Tomatoes, Peppers, Corn and Capers

Categories: Canning & Preserving Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 pounds tomatoes -- peeled if desired
3 1/2 pounds sweet peppers -- (red, orange and yellow), cut into 1-inch chunks - about 12 large
1 1/3 pounds Banana peppers -- (about 5 cut into 1-inch chunks)
2 pounds Sweet Onions -- (Walla Walla - about 3 large)halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 2/3 pounds corn kernels -- (about 6 large ears fresh corn)
36 kalamata olives -- pitted and coarsely chopped - (3/4 cup or 4.6 oz.)
1 cup Italian parsley -- chopped (.6 oz.)
3/4 ounce basil leaves -- minced
1 head garlic -- chopped
4 tablespoons capers -- rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 to 450 degrees (the hotter the oven, the shorter the roasting time).

If using cherry tomatoes, simply remove the stems and halve each one. Halve or quarter other varieties.

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan, jellyroll pan or any baking sheet with sides. Add the tomatoes, peppers, onion, corn, olives, parsley, basil, garlic and capers. You can crowd the vegetables together, but don't go beyond a single layer. Drizzle on the rest of the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast until the tomatoes' skins turn golden (if unpeeled). Depending on your oven temperature, this will take anywhere from 20 minutes to about 11/2 hours. When done, the tomatoes and peppers will have collapsed and darkened beautifully. Alternatively, you can roast the vegetables over indirect heat on a medium to medium-hot grill (see note), with the lid on.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven or grill and let the vegetables cool. With a metal spatula or wide, flat-sided wooden spatula, stir and scrape the cooled mixture to dissolve all of the cooked-on bits of food.

To freeze, ladle the sauce into freezer containers, leaving about 1-inch head space. Let cool completely, then attach lids and freeze.

Note: To peel tomatoes (don't peel cherry variety), cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Plunge them into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove immediately and plunge into cold water. Skins should slip off easily.

Note: To check grill temperature, count the seconds you can hold your hand, palm side down, 2 to 3 inches above the rack, until it feels uncomfortable: 4 seconds for medium; 3 seconds for medium-hot.

Description:
"-- From Jan Roberts-Dominguez (My Variation)"

Carol

I have several ratatouille recipes and I use them all but I haven't tried oven roasted yet.

I have frozen my ratatouille mixed in with brown rice. It's ok. I love the fresh stuff sooooo much. It is just about my favorite food.