Totally different process for edibles. Ornamental eggplants have to be fully ripe at which time they will dry naturally like the ornamental squash and gourds. Low humidity is desirable to hold down mold. The garden variety eggplant will usually rot before drying or at best shrivel up when trying to dry a mature one. drying for ornamental purposes only works for Pumpkin on a Stick (Solanum integrifolium), Burkino Faso(Solanum aethiopicum), Scarlet Chinese (Solanum integrifolium), etc. Regular eggplant is Solanum melongena.

Wow, you have lots! I am interested in the following, if you have any left: spicy globe basil calabrese broccoli purple of sicily cauliflower red corn edamame rosa bianca eggplant pumpkin eggplant curled parsley cherry bomb pepper clack cherry tomato Brandywine red tomato Caspian Pink tomato tree tomato echinacea marigolds poppy mix sunflower Of the ones you want, I don't have as many as my wants, but here goes: straightneck squash lemon drop squash sweet basil romanesco broccoli sweet banana pepper a couple of burpee's golden beets and several lettuce varieties: parris island cos, bibb, iceberg, arugula, & grand rapids leaf lettuce

Solanum aethiopicum/integrifolium (pumpkin tree) has wicked thorns on the stems like a rose bush, but I can't make them out in your photos. Are they there? In fact, even the leaves have thorns. It's a very inhospitable plant! USDA database calls them Ethiopian Eggplant. Also sometimes called Scarlet Chinese Eggplant. Google Solanum aethiopicum for a lot of good hits. As you say, they are full of seeds! I got mine at a grocery store florist. One fruit is plenty for trading. Rick

Hi Kristi, I haven't checked this forum in awhile. I hope you already found an answer but here's what I know in case you didn't. The pumpkins on a stick are actually a type of ornamental eggplant. Eggplant need to be over ripe to produce viable seed. I don't know if you've ever looked in an old eggplant, but the seeds get brown. Being that you described the seeds as whitish yellow, I'm thinking they are not mature enough seed to make new plants. If the seeds were mature enough, they don't need any treatment except cleaning and drying. Hope that helped, Remy