Harvest Highlight: Eggplant

This month, our harvest highlight is… eggplants! 

Eggplants are usually large, purple-colored, and have a glossy finish. Eggplants have a mild, sweet taste with a slight bitterness similar to summer squash or zucchini.

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Eggplants grow best in hot weather conditions! When planting eggplant seeds, make sure that the soil is at least 75 degrees. After you plant the seeds, the plant will need about 2-3 weeks to grow before transplanting them into your garden. When you transplant the seeds to your garden, make sure that the soil temperature is above 50 degrees. In Oklahoma, the best time to start sowing seeds is from the end of January to the beginning of February. Transplant the seeds to the garden throughout the month of April for the best results! 

Eggplant Varieties 

Eggplants are known for being a dark purple color but can actually be green, white and sometimes even yellow! 

The globe eggplant or the American eggplant is what you usually see in the grocery store. These eggplants are a deep purple color! This eggplant is very dense and meaty. It can soak up all the flavors you use to cook it. Try using the globe eggplant in our Spicy Chicken And Eggplant Stir-fry 

Another common variety of eggplant is the Italian eggplant! This eggplant is also a dark purple color but is not as round as the globe eggplant mentioned above. It is sweeter than the globe eggplant as well. This eggplant would be good to use for Eggplant Parmesan.

The japanese eggplant actually comes in many different colors. It can be a dark purple (almost black) or a very bright purple. These eggplants have a long shape like zucchini. 

The rosa bianca eggplant is purple and white! This eggplant has less seeds than the eggplants mentioned above. The purple and while markings on the eggplant almost look like tiger stripes! 

How to pick the perfect eggplant

When you’re picking your eggplant, you want the skin to be very tight. Avoid eggplants with wrinkles or that feel mushy to touch. The eggplant should feel heavy and firm to the touch. Choose an eggplant that has no spots or cuts in the skin. Also, look for a green stem. If the stem is brown, that could mean that the eggplant is old. 

Pro tip! Pick a small or medium size eggplant instead of the biggest one. Smaller eggplants usually have a sweeter taste.

How to Store Eggplants 

Eggplants are best stored on the kitchen counter. To check whether an eggplant is ripe, gently press your finger against the skin. If it leaves an imprint, it is ripe! Avoid storing eggplants close to fresh fruits. The fruits have chemicals that can make the eggplants over-ripen and spoil more quickly. It’s time to throw out your eggplants when the skin becomes wrinkled or develops brown spots.

Eggplant Nutrition 

The eggplant is not a huge source of vitamins and minerals, however it provides small amounts of manganese, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, copper and magnesium. Eggplants are also very low in fat!