Harvesting Time The fruit is usually between 4 and 7 inches (10 to 18 cm), depending on the cultivar. It would be best if you harvested white eggplants before the skin turns yellow.
When should you pick white eggplant?
They can be picked when the skin is white and still glossy, then left for one day to continue the ripening process indoors. Like the Asian cultivars, the skin of white eggplants is often very thin. The first sign that a white eggplant is becoming over-ripe is the appearance of tiny brown spots on the skin.
How big should an eggplant be before you pick it?
You can harvest eggplants any time that you see it, starting when it’s only an inch or two long.
Are white eggplants rare?
8. Lao White eggplant is rare. Similar is some respects to Easter Egg plant in that it produces fruits that are various shades of white, greenish and yellow as they are growing into a uniform creamy white. Fruits are ball shaped and small at about 1 to 2 inches round.
Are white eggplants edible?
White eggplants, similar to their purple counterparts, and best enjoyed cooked. They become creamy and milk with a light, sweet flavor. Neither the soft seeds nor edible skin needs to be removed. Best cooking methods: sautéing, roasting, pan-frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, grilling, steaming, barbequing, and baking.
Will eggplant ripen off the vine?
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.
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.
Why are my eggplants so small?
Why are my plants so small and growing slowly? Eggplants are sensitive to the cold. Either a transplant has been planted into cold soil, or a young plant has experienced cold weather, or a transplant that became root bound before being planted may be stunted for a short while or for the full growing season.
What does unripe eggplant look like?
Eggplants are actually eaten before they turn ripe. That classic, shiny, purple color is the color of an underripe fruit. When eggplants begin to ripen, their skin turns dull and their color changes to a rusty brown or yellow color, depending on the variety.
Do eggplants grow back every year?
Eggplant plants can come back every year but they usually won’t. Eggplants rarely survive long past the harvest months. A perennial plant eggplant is a rarity outside of tropical climates. Eggplants can come back every year in ideal, tropical conditions.
Do eggplants need a lot of water?
In hot climates, young plants need to be watered twice a week, to a depth of 12 inches. Eggplants do not like standing water, so mature plants should be watered deeply and infrequently. But do not allow the leaves to wilt during the day.
Do you peel white eggplant?
While the skin of a white eggplant may be tougher than purple eggplants and should be peeled off before cooking, the dense white flesh makes them better suited to baking, steaming or frying as they can hold their shape better.
What is a long white eggplant called?
‘Casper’ (Solanum melongena ‘Casper’)
Many white-skinned varieties of eggplant are in cultivation, particularly in Southeast Asia. One that’s readily available in North America is ‘Casper,’ an elongated white variety that matures fairly early and has a mild, almost mushroom-like taste.
What are small white eggplants called?
Gretel. With a name alluding to a beloved childhood fairy tale, ‘Gretel’ fittingly produces clusters of small, pure ivory-colored eggplant.
What kind of eggplant is white?
The inedible white eggplant is a different species of eggplant altogether, which is essentially wild. It is botanically identified as Solanum ovigerum, a separate kind of eggplant although of close resemblance to the Solanum melongena. The plant is cultivated and sold exclusively for ornamental purposes.
What type of eggplant is white?
White eggplants, botanically classified as Solanum melongena, are a part of the Solanaceae, or nightshade family along with potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. There are two categorically different White eggplants, an ornamental species and the commonly domesticated species.
Do white eggplants turn purple?
Usually, only white eggplants start off white. Many eggplants will be pale when they first start to grow, but they will still reflect the color that they are going to grow into as the fruit gets bigger and ripens. A dark purple eggplant will usually be dark purple as soon as it starts growing.
How long do eggplant plants live?
three years
How long do eggplant plants live? Eggplant plants can live up to three years in very warm climates, like zones 10-12. But in most regions they’re grown as annuals, and only live for one season.
What can you do with unripe eggplant?
If you use it in a vegetable stew, chewiness won’t kill the whole dish. Or you could cut it in half, rub olive oil on it and roast it in the oven. If it softens, use it in baba ganoush or in ratatouille. If it doesn’t, feed it to the chickens.
Can you eat small eggplants?
Baby eggplants can be fried, braised, roasted, and grilled.
Why do you soak eggplant in salt water?
Many recipes call for salting and rinsing eggplant before cooking it to draw out its bitterness. Brining can be used instead and has the added advantage of helping the eggplant keep its shape when it’s cooked, whether your recipe calls for baking, frying, or grilling.