Another egg plant question

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

How big do you let the eggplant get? Right now on our eggplant we have one that is about the size of a banana. My wife thinks we need to pick it so it don't get seedy, I think we need to let it get as big as we buy them in the store as right now it is under developed. Who is right? I did place a lid under it as it was touching the ground and I don't want it to rot or go bad.

Thanks.

[Steve Foss]

They may not be the same variety as the ones grown in the store, and certainly would be grown under different conditions. And there are elongated varieties than never get fatter than banana shape/size.

Do you know which variety you are growing? That will tell us whether it's the banana type or the fat type. My guess is that it's not going to fatten up much. The egglplant I've grown, which were the oval/round kind, didn't start out elongated and fatten up. They grew more like a tomato develops.

Eggplant that I've grown typically should be harvested when they are 6-8 inches long and still glossy. If they get dull, they are overripe and not much good on the table.

[pushbutton]

I am going to be diplomatic and say your both right. I would probably let it grow since there is plenty of season left. Although, if there are a lot of other smaller ones on the plant, picking the biggest one now could help the rest grow faster, and possibly have more in the long run.

As far as how big...really depends on the variety, some oriental varieties are supposed to be kind of banana shaped; in general though, the smaller they are picked the seed cavity will be less developed and tend to be firmer when cooking, if you can ever consider cooked eggplant as firm

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

Thanks guys, I will have to see if I rememebred to take the tag out fo the pot when I bought the plant from the greenhouse.

There are 2 other eggplants growing on this plant that are about the size of my thumb.

[Nainoa]

It's not a matter of size, since that varies by variety and indeed plant to plant. Right now I'm growing 6 Rosa Bianca eggplants and they all are providing slightly different size fruit in their life cycles.

What you want to look for in a ripe eggplant is a little bit of sheen to the skin and when you give it a light squeeze it has the same yeild as a newly ripe tomato.

[Dotch]

I would do the same thing I do with zucchini: Give it to the neighbors.

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

I did keep the tag and it says it is an Ichiban. The back said it will get to 10 inches long so we picked it. It wasn't easy to pick and actually broke it of just below the stem. I guess we will see how it tastes.

[Nainoa]

I did keep the tag and it says it is an Ichiban. The back said it will get to 10 inches long so we picked it. It wasn't easy to pick and actually broke it of just below the stem. I guess we will see how it tastes.

In the future, keep in mind that you should always snip or cut thick stem high water content stems.

When you slice it... Sprinkle a little salt on each side and set on a paper towel... Wait 15 mins and pat the excess water off. This will keep you from getting a spongy/rubbery eggplant when you cook it.