The standard eggplant is an oval or pear-shaped, glossy, purplish fruit 6 to 9 inches long. Japanese and oriental varieties tend to be elongated and slender with a thinner, more delicate skin. “Ornamental” varieties are edible and tend to produce small, white-skinned, oval-shaped fruit.
How many inches is the average eggplant?
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit 7 to 10 inches long when fully mature.
What is the height of an eggplant?
Whether you plant them in the vegetable garden or perennial garden, give eggplants plenty of space to mature. Plants can grow 2 to 4 feet tall and wide, which means they need to be staked.
What size should an eggplant be?
The fruit of eggplants can be as small as 2 or 3 inches long, or as big as 10 inches long. What is this? Eggplant plants will generally be about 2 feet in width, although they can range from 14 to 36 inches wide. The eggplant fruit itself is usually 4 to 8 inches long.
What size is a large eggplant?
A standard eggplant produces shiny fruit varying from 5-inch globes to 12-inch oblongs reminiscent of hothouse cucumbers. Although you may find deep-purple eggplant fruits at your grocery store, eggplant varieties also produce rose, white, purplish-green and gold fruits.
What is a medium sized eggplant?
A medium unpeeled eggplant weighs about 550 grams and it contains 32 grams of carbohydrates, 19 gram of fibre and 6 grams of protein. Average calories: 152 per one medium eggplant.
How big is a small eggplant?
Compact plants produce baby-size eggplants early and often. Equally at home in a container or in the garden, Patio Baby yields purple-black fruits that are 2 to 3 in. (5 to 7 cm) long and about 1 in. (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Does eggplant need to climb?
Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants should be staked for optimum growth and yield (Figure 2). Staking keeps the eggplant fruit from touching the ground, which reduces disease and improves fruit shape, particularly on elongated fruit. Staking also makes harvesting easier.
How deep do eggplants go?
Eggplants need ample space to grow. Transplant the eggplant seedlings at least two to three feet apart, in holes approximately one-inch deep, without disturbing the root ball. Cover the seedlings with a half-inch of soil.
How many eggplants can one plant produce?
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.
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.
Can you eat raw eggplant?
Can You Eat Eggplant Raw? Luckily, the answer is yes! While the leaves and flowers can be toxic, the eggplant itself is safe to consume both raw and cooked, and the compound that some might be sensitive to, solanine, is only toxic when consumed in large quantities.
How do you tell if an eggplant is ripe?
Ripe eggplants should be firm but not hard. Flesh should be white with a slight green tint (orange eggplants ripen orange/green inside). If you are unsure of your eggplant’s ripeness, cut one crosswise and check the seeds. They should be clearly visible.
What is a regular eggplant?
American or standard globe eggplant are the biggest, most common, and generally least expensive of all eggplant. They’re teardrop-shaped and range in length from 6 to more than 10 inches.
Are Smaller eggplants better?
Choose small eggplant for best flavor
According to SFGATE, selecting small, smooth, shiny eggplants ensures the flesh will be tender and sweet. As eggplant matures, the fruit becomes bitter, light in weight, and the skin becomes dull, wrinkled, and uneven in color.
What is the weight of a small eggplant?
They vary greatly in size but are typically about 8 inches long, 1-1/2 inches diameter and weigh 5 ounces.
Why do you soak eggplant in water before cooking?
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.
Can you eat eggplant skin?
While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, “Do you peel eggplant before cooking?” is yes, peel it.
Is eggplant good for diabetics?
It showed that they could reduce levels of specific enzymes that influence sugar absorption, helping reduce blood sugar ( 14 ). Eggplants fit well into current dietary recommendations for controlling diabetes, which include a high-fiber diet rich in whole grains and vegetables ( 15 ).
Is there a small eggplant?
The baby eggplant, also known as Indian eggplant, fits into the palm of your hand and is an exciting single serve eggplant with a little menu creativity. These small green eggplants are called Thai eggplant, and are perfect in Thai curry dishes.
Can eggplants get too big?
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.