Spoon sweets - Aubergine

Version A 
"In our field we plant aubergines. When the aubergines are about a finger long we cut them off. I peel their skin off with a knife to make them softer. Some people leave the skin on to become more glossy. I pierce them with a fork and place them in water with lime for 2 hours. Then I rinse them thoroughly 3 times. I put them in a pot with 3-4 glasses of water and add rose geranium and cloves to become aromatic. I also add three lemon slices to help take away the smell of aubergine. I cook them until the syrup is ready and I am careful not to melt them." (Pepa Frixou, Pachna Limassol)

Version B 
Prepare a bowl with lemon juice and water. Wash and peel the skin off each aubergine and place it in the bowl to maintain its colour. Put them in lime and water and leave them for 1-2 hours. Wash them very well. Cut a slit in the middle and add the almond. Tie them up with a thread so that the almond does not fall out during boiling. In a pot, bring water to a boil and add the aubergines to cook. Remove them and put them in a bowl with lemon and water. In a pot, heat the syrup consisting of sugar, water and lemon. When it starts to thicken, add the cloves and the cinnamon stick and set it aside to cool down. Remove the aubergines from lemon and water and place them on a towel to drain. Put them in the cold syrup and bring to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Place the pot aside and leave it until the next day. Remove the thread from the aubergines. Place them back in the pot and boil until the syrup is ready. Add the lemon juice, allow to cook for a few more minutes and remove from heat. Once cool, transfer them to bottles. (Sotiroula Kyriakou, 56 years old, Dymes).