When should you harvest eggplants?
Eggplants are relatively easy to grow in home gardens, which is why it is often among the first crops of beginners. As a rule of thumb, you must harvest eggplants when they are still in their unripe stage. One clear sign of their readiness is their dark purple and glossy skin. How Do You Know When Your Eggplant Is Ready to Harvest?
How do I know when my purple eggplants are ready to harvest?
Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size. QUESTION: How do I know when my purple eggplants are ready to harvest? --- Bill Bischoff ANSWER: We harvest eggplants in the unripe immature stage, like we do bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, okra and snap beans. As such, you cannot harvest them too early.
How do you know when to pick baby eggplants?
Baby eggplants are a delight to eat. But you can leave them too long. Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size. But size can be confusing. There are many eggplant varieties, and they produce fruit of many different sizes. I generally go by the skin.
How long does it take for an eggplant to grow?
Eggplant is a warm-season plant packed with dietary fibers and other nutrients. Like most other plants that love the warmth, it is a perennial fruit that requires a steady supply of full sun and water. You can expect a good harvest within 16 to 24 weeks when planted in a growing zone with an ideal climate.
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How can you tell when eggplant is ready to pick?
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Will eggplant ripen if picked early?
Eggplant is a warm-season vegetable plant that produces an oblong-shaped fruit. While it is not easy to ripen the eggplant fruit off the vine, the best-tasting ones are those picked at an immature size. The only time you want to allow the fruit to ripen on the vine is for seed production for future planting.
What do you do after harvesting eggplant?
If you've got a crop of eggplant coming in, it's important to know exactly when to harvest them since eggplants can over ripen easily. Once they're ready, all you need to do is cut them from the stem. Eggplants generally keep for 1-2 weeks after harvesting, as long as you store them properly.
How can you tell if an eggplant is good?
A good eggplant will have glossy, taut skin. You'll also want to test the texture of the flesh. When buying an eggplant, the flesh should be firm but give slightly when pressed, then bounce back. If your eggplant is soft to the touch, that's an indication that it's beginning to spoil.
How do you ripen eggplant after picking?
You can ripen eggplants after harvesting, but results vary, depending on the problem. Ripen them on the counter at room temperature. It helps to put the eggplants in a paper bag where they should ripen within a few days.
Can you eat unripe eggplant?
The eggplant contains solanine. This is the poison of the nightshade family. Therefore, it should never be eaten raw as the substance can cause stomach and intestinal problems. It is advisable to let hard or unripe aubergines first ripen, as this reduces the solanine content.
How long does it take for an eggplant to ripen?
100 to 120 daysHarvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted. Don't wait too long to harvest!
How do you pick an eggplant off the vine?
Harvesting eggplants includes cutting a short piece of stem above the calyx (cap) attached to the top of the fruit. Use pruners or a sharp knife. Harvesting eggplants at their prime may take several days to a few weeks in succession, and frequent eggplant harvest promotes heavier yield of the fruit.
How to determine when eggplant is ready to harvest?
You’ll be able to determine when to begin the eggplant harvest by just looking at the fruit.
How long does it take to harvest eggplant?
Use pruners or a sharp knife. Harvesting eggplants at their prime may take several days to a few weeks in succession, and frequent eggplant harvest promotes heavier yield of the fruit. Printer Friendly Version.
Why is eggplant bitter?
Image by Mark. Learning when to harvest eggplants results in the tastiest and most tender of the fruit. Leaving the eggplant harvest too long causes bitter eggplant with a tough skin and large seeds.
What to wear when harvesting eggplant?
Once you’ve determined that it’s time to start the eggplant harvest, wear gloves and long sleeves, as the eggplant stem has prickles, which can irritate the skin.
Can eggplant be picked from the skin?
A member of the nightshade family and a relative of tomatoes, the appearance of the skin can direct you to picking an eggplant. Skin should be glossy and thin. Eggplant harvest may begin when the fruits are developed and small, but growing fruits to full size before harvesting eggplants results in more fruit for usage.
How to harvest eggplants?
Harvest eggplants using pruning shears since the stem is tough . If you leave the fruit on way too long, it will begin to change color. When fully ripe, eggplants will turn yellow, seedy, bitter and inedible. Don't waste perfectly good eggplants by leaving them on the bush too long. 1.
What does it mean when eggplants turn dull?
I generally go by the skin. The skin should be glossy and dark (for purple varieties). If the skin turns dull, this indicates over maturity, so harvest immediately no matter what size.
Can you leave eggplant on the bush?
Don't waste perfectly good eggplants by leaving them on the bush too long.
Can you harvest eggplant too early?
You cannot harvest eggplants too early. Baby eggplants are a delight to eat. But you can leave them too long. Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size. (David Grunfeld, NOLA.com |The Times-Picayune archive)
What does it mean when eggplant is ready to pick?
If you press a finger on the eggplant and it did not spring back, it means that it has the right tenderness perfect for pick ing.
How long does it take for eggplant to mature?
Since it comes in different varieties, it is hard to determine its readiness based on its size alone. It usually takes 16 to 24 weeks for the eggplant to mature after planting. You should start harvesting within this time frame to avoid overripe and bitter-tasting fruit.
What Happens If You Don’t Harvest Eggplant?
Eggplants ripen quickly; therefore, they require constant monitoring so that you’re able to harvest them at the right time.
How to Store Eggplant?
Eggplants are free of cholesterol, fat, and sodium. They also have low-calorie levels and are a good supplier of dietary fiber.
Why is eggplant bitter?
Also, harvesting eggplants frequently encourages the plant to produce and develop more fruits. If you allow the fruit to fully mature before harvesting, you will get a bitter eggplant with large seeds and tough skin. Remember that eggplants grow faster in a warm climate and slower in cooler weather.
How many fruits can an eggplant plant produce?
Once transplanted, eggplant bushes need full sun to thrive and grow, producing five to six fruits in one plant.
How to protect eggplant from thorns?
Also, putting on a pair of gardening gloves will help protect your hands from the thorns on the eggplant’s cap and stem. With it, you can keep your gloved hand safe from the sharp knife or shears you use during harvest. A long-sleeved shirt will also prevent skin irritations.
How to tell if eggplant is ripe?
To test eggplant fruit for maturity, press the fruit with your thumb; if the flesh springs back it’s green and not ripe ; if your thumb leaves an indentation, the fruit is overripe; the best tasting eggplant will be in between. A just ripe eggplant when sliced will have soft, well-formed but immature seeds; an immature and unripe eggplant will have ...
What temperature should eggplant be?
If exposed to temperatures below 41°F (5°C), eggplants will develop surface pits, bronzing, brown spots, and decay. Eggplant fruit discolors rapidly when cut open, so it’s best to use it immediately once sliced.
What happens when eggplant is ripe?
A just ripe eggplant when sliced will have soft, well-formed but immature seeds; an immature and unripe eggplant will have no visible seeds; an overripe eggplant will have hard, dark seeds. (Seeds forming inside the fruit cause the skin to go from shiny to dull.)
How to store eggplants?
How to Store Eggplant 1 Store eggplants in a room with high humidity to preserve texture and flavor and avoid dehydration. The optimal temperature for storing eggplant is 55°F (13°C). At 55°F, eggplants will keep for 1 to 2 weeks. 2 You can store eggplant in the refrigerator but not cooler than 50°F (10°C). Rinse the fruit clean, pat it dry with a kitchen towel, and place it in a perforated plastic bag to keep it from drying out. (Refrigerators are cold and dry, not humid.) 3 If exposed to temperatures below 41°F (5°C), eggplants will develop surface pits, bronzing, brown spots, and decay. 4 Eggplant fruit discolors rapidly when cut open, so it’s best to use it immediately once sliced. 5 Avoid storing eggplants with apples or tomatoes; ethylene (a natural plant hormone released in the form of a gas) given off by those fruits will cause eggplants to brown and decay.
How to cut eggplants from the plant?
Cut eggplant fruits from the plant with a garden pruner or sharp knife. Leave one inch of green stem attached to the fruit. Eggplants are very difficult to pull away from the plant by hand; doing so can damage the plant.
How long can you keep eggplant in the refrigerator?
The optimal temperature for storing eggplant is 55°F (13°C). At 55°F, eggplants will keep for 1 to 2 weeks. You can store eggplant in the refrigerator but not cooler than 50°F (10°C).
Can eggplants be stored with apples?
Avoid storing eggplants with apples or tomatoes; ethylene (a natural plant hormone released in the form of a gas) given off by those fruits will cause eggplants to brown and decay.
When to pick eggplant?
This is my first year with eggplant.
Comments (7)
I don't like eggplant but my brother does, so I had to grow them for a while. If the fruit are softball size, they are plenty big enough. I never noticed any real difference in their disgusting soggy bread flavor and texture regardless of when they were picked.
When is it time to harvest eggplant?
Once an eggplant shows signs of being ripe, it is time to harvest. If you wait a few days, it can start to turn bitter.
When to cut up eggplant?
Slice or cut an eggplant only when you are ready to use it. Once the eggplant is peeled, cut, or sliced, it will quickly expire. Only cut up your eggplant when you are ready to put it into a dish. If you cut it open and see many brown seeds inside, it means that the eggplant was overripe when it was picked.
How to pick eggplants that are overripe?
Because eggplants can get overripe quickly, it is best to pick them while they are still on the small side. Once the eggplant becomes glossy and tender, hold it up with 1 hand. Pick it when it is just slightly larger than your hand.
What to do with eggplant in the refrigerator?
If your vegetable drawers in your refrigerator have a humidity switch, turn it to “high” or “vegetables.” Store your eggplants in the drawer with other humidity-loving vegetables like spinach and peppers.
How long do eggplants last?
Once they’re ready, all you need to do is cut them from the stem. Eggplants generally keep for 1-2 weeks after harvesting, as long as you store them properly.
How to get eggplant to grow out of cap?
Raise the eggplant up with 1 hand. Hold the eggplant with your non-dominant hand. Move it so that you can easily reach the stem growing out of the cap. Raising it up slightly helps you get to the stem.
How to clean eggplants from a sandbox?
Rinse off dirt with water. Run the eggplant under a gentle stream of water. With your finger, gently remove any visible dirt. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels afterwards until it is completely dry.
How to know when to pick eggplant?
You’ll know when to pick Japanese eggplant when the skin is glossy and firm. If you press your finger on the outside of the eggplant, it shouldn’t leave an impression. When you pick your eggplants, they should still be young, and only about one-third to two-thirds of the mature size of 10 inches. When picking the ripe fruit, leave the stem attached to prevent air from reaching the pulp. Like a banana, eggplant flesh turns brown when exposed to air.
How long does it take for eggplant to grow?
They produce dark, purple fruit that grows up to 10 inches long. Ichiban eggplant matures in 50 to 60 days, if grown in full sun.
Why does eggplant turn brown?
When picking the ripe fruit, leave the stem attached to prevent air from reaching the pulp. Like a banana, eggplant flesh turns brown when exposed to air.
How long can you keep Japanese eggplant?
It’s best to use them right after picking. If you’re unable to cook them right away, you can store eggplant in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
What does it mean when eggplant is overripe?
Your eggplants are overripe when they display any of the following characteristics: Dull skin. Wrinkled skin. Yellow or brown skin. Mushy spots. If any of these symptoms show up on your Japanese eggplants, avoid using them in your recipes. They will taste bitter and spongy.
