Japanese eggplants are elongated and slender, averaging 20 to 25 centimeters in length, and have an oblong to cylindrical shape, tapering slightly at the ends.
How do you know when a Japanese eggplant is ripe?
To know for sure your eggplant is ready, harvest one and cut it open. The skin should be tender and delicate, the flesh firm, and the seeds should be small, pale and tightly packed. In an overripe eggplant, the seeds will be darker, and the flesh around the mature seeds may be looser.
At what size should you pick Japanese eggplant?
Prepare to harvest Japanese eggplants around 70 to 80 days after transplanting, or when they’re about the size of a finger (for the Little Finger variety) or a hot dog (for the Ichiban variety), and the skin is glossy and wrinkle-free.
How long do Ichiban eggplants get?
10-inch-long
‘Ichiban’ produces slim, purplish-black, 10-inch-long fruits on purple stems. The fruits have thin skins with a delicate, sweet, and mild flavor, and a succulent texture. Plants grow in an upright form, reaching 3-4 feet tall, and 2-3 feet wide at maturity.
How big should a Ichiban eggplant?
The slim, 10-inch-long, deep purple fruit tastes sweet and mild, making it a perfect choice for grilling and roasting.
Do you have to peel Japanese eggplant?
Japanese eggplants take on a tender and meaty texture and draw the mild flavors when cooked. As the skin is thin, it’s not necessary to peel the skin before use.
Can you eat the skin of a Japanese eggplant?
The Japanese eggplant’s thinner skin may be more easily cooked and consumed than the thick skin of a normal eggplant. The skin is also full of fiber that can help keep you feeling full, regulate your digestion and even lower cholesterol.
How do you know if an eggplant is too ripe?
Seeds of a ripe eggplant should be a light yellow. If the seeds are brown, the eggplant is overripe and likely bitter. The skin of purple varieties turns bronze when they are overripe. White eggplants will start turning yellow when overripe.
How do you know if eggplant is too ripe?
How To Tell If An Eggplant Is Bad
- It’s soft and/or squishy.
- The skin has lost its luster and/or appears shriveled.
- The fleshy inside is slimy and/or brown color, including the black seeds.
- There are rotting spots or soft spots on or in it.
- It stinks or has a rotten smell.
Can you pick an 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.
What is the best tasting eggplant?
Sweet, tender, flavorful and creamy, Fairy Tale are simply the best eggplants we’ve ever tasted,” says Taylor. This quick-cooking variety is so delicious that it doesn’t even need to be salted. Taylor suggests slicing them lengthwise, then tossing them into stir-fries or sautés, or skewering them on the grill.
How long do eggplants keep producing?
While other vegetables struggle through the summer, eggplants will keep producing until fall. Eggplants can be started from seed, but if you are new to gardening, planting transplants is a safer bet. Plant eggplants in sandy loam soil in full-sun about two feet apart, as they can grow up to four feet tall.
What is the lifespan of an eggplant plant?
Eggplants usually grow for only a single year before dying. This member of the nightshade family is one of the shorter-lived fruit plants. If you live in a tropical climate, the eggplant may produce fruit for 2–3 years. These purple fruits will ripen July through October.
How many eggplant will one plant yield?
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit. ‘Black Beauty’ is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit.
How do you make eggplant grow bigger?
Eggplants prefer warm soil. You can speed up their growth, by laying black plastic over your garden soil a few weeks before planting or mulching the plants with dark compost. 8. The first few flowers may drop off of each plant and fail to produce, but the remaining flowers will each yield a single fruit.
Do you peel Ichiban eggplant?
Ichiban is the most common of the Japanese eggplant varieties. These eggplants have a sweet, mild taste with tender texture and thin skin. Because of the thin skin, you don’t have to peel Japanese eggplant before cooking. They produce dark, purple fruit that grows up to 10 inches long.
Should I refrigerate Japanese eggplant?
The best place to store eggplant is not in the refrigerator, but at room temperature, where it’s likely to last longer. Keep eggplant in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, and use it as soon as possible after harvesting or buying.
What is the difference between Japanese eggplant and regular eggplant?
Japanese eggplants, like the Chinese variety, have an oblong shape, but they’re not quite as long or thin and have a darker hue. They have a delicate, spongy texture that works well in stir-fries and a creamy, slightly sweet taste. Japanese eggplant is often grilled, as the variety takes on a beautiful, smoky flavor.
Can Japanese eggplant be eaten raw?
Like all other eggplant, Japanese eggplant is never eaten raw. But unlike larger, seedier eggplant, Japanese eggplant generally doesn’t need salting. Because of its firm texture, which turns creamy during cooking yet holds its shape, Japanese eggplant is especially good for baking, broiling, grilling, and stir-frying.
Does Japanese eggplant taste like regular eggplant?
Japanese eggplants, like Chinese eggplants, have a tender skin and it has a sweet flavor as they are also seedless. A thing to note here though is that they do get a little more ‘bitter’ as they mature, so if you prefer a ‘sweeter’ taste, you may want to find a younger Japanese eggplant.
What is Japanese eggplant good for?
Nutritional value: Japanese eggplants are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and dietary fiber.