How do I pick an eggplant?

16 years ago

I've gotten the yen for making eggplant parmigian or eggplant lasagna, but I don't know the first thing about how to pick an eggplant so that it's not nasty and bitter.

Any advice?

Featured Answer

rachelellen

16 years ago

Eggplants tend to be bitter, overly seedy and mushy when they were picked too late and when they are old.

So, bigger is not necessarily better for one thing. The skin should be glossy, not dull, and the eggplant should be fairly firm. If you press it lightly with your thumb, if it gives a little and then springs right back, it's ripe. If the indentation stays, it is overripe. If there's no give at all, the eggplant was picked too early, but even that is better than overripe. Soft spots & brown spots are bad.

If you get your eggplant home, and think it still seems suspect, or say you forget about it for a few days, all is not lost. Slice the eggplant and sprinkle both sides of the slices with salt. Leave them on a wire tray or colander for 20 minutes to a half an hour to "sweat" some of the water out...for some reason, this seems to help with both the bitterness and the texture of a slightly older eggplant.

Now, if you have a market that stocks a variety of eggplant types, I find that the Chinese eggplants (long, and more lavender than dark purple) make a very good Parmigiana or lasagna, you can cut them at an angle to make the pieces larger...also, the Chinese eggplants rarely have tough skin, so you don't have to worry about peeling or ending up with a dish full of chewy strips of purple.

Many people will tell you that there are "male" and "female" eggplants, the "females" being the ones with too many seeds. There are no sexes in eggplants, and some people claim the female has the "slit" blossom end and some people claim they have the "round" blossom end. I've never found any consistent difference based on the end shape.

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Comments (15)

robinkateb
16 years ago
In addition to the previous earlier tips, pick an eggplant that feels heavy for its size.

-Robin
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Asaf, I find that learning when to harvest any variety of eggplant comes with a little experience, and watching the fruit for appearance. Once the fruit begins to grow, the skin will become glossy. Glossy, shiny fruit tastes best. As it matures and reaches full size, the skin will loose that glossy, shiny appearance, and will begin to dull. The dullness is a sign that the seeds are developing, and the taste will not usually be as good as those with a shiny skin. If left on the plant, it will begin to develop a yellowish, brownish color (color changes vary by variety.) The color change is a sign that the seeds are developing and the taste will become bitter. So, by keeping watch on the fruits as they grow, you'll notice that one day they will still be shiny/glossy, and the next day they will begin to become dull. I like to harvest while the fruit is still shiny, but it's just beginning to become dull. When you get experience with a certain variety, you will know when a fruit has reached it's optimum size, but the skin still has that shininess. Overall, as said in comments above, regardless of variety, it's not size that tells the grower when to pick. It's the shine. One fruit on a single plant could be 3", another could be 8". Eggplant has an average size depending on the seed and variety type, but fruit size is very variable... even on the same plant. I hope that helps.
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Well actually, I don't usually do the salt water with home-grown eggplants as I find they do not have the bitterness at all. Much better that way than store bought. Looks like my dinner plans have changed so I went ahead and froze all the eggplant now anyway (shrugs). Thanks for the input. ANn
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lindac
16 years ago
I pretty well concur with rachael ellen and think I have seen that web site too.
I always salt an egg plant and allow it to sweat unless it's one of those long skinny Japanese eggplants.
And for parmegana or for lasagna I always peel...in fact I peel unless I know it was picked no earlier than day before yesterday.
When I peel and slice an egg plant, I then stack it up the way I sliced it apart and salt each layer and then sit an upside down glass pie plate on top of the stack as a bit of a weight and let it weep for about 30 minutes.
I then rinse the brown goo off and with it any salt that's left and then pat it dry and proceed.
Egg plant should feel about like a ripe pear...if it feels like a sponge, change your dinner plans!
Linda C
Lars
16 years ago
I allow salted eggplant slices to rest for at least an hour, and I have also left them for as long as two hours, but longer than that is not good.

When selecting eggplants, I have found that the ones that are longer and thinner tend to be better than the ones that are large and round. I never peel any eggplants.

I make Eggplant Parmigiano whenever eggplants are on sale, and so the ones I buy might be slightly old, but they are still good.

Lars
hawk307
16 years ago
Hey Lars:
The ones that lay around for 2 hours ( with a beer )
must be Male .

Rachel:
See that !!! And you said there was no difference.

Lars: Did you ever get your Allergy test?
Lou
rachelellen
16 years ago
Pickled eggplant!
steelmagnolia2007
16 years ago
Very firm. Very glossy. (A few imperfections on the skin that look like claw marks are not a big deal. It's when the skin begins to look shriveled that you have a prob.)

Well, I just posted this on another thread, so I might as well repeat it now. A scientist friend told me to avoid eggplant with a deep indention on the end -- instead, to choose one with a shallow 'scar' on the bottom. Rarely bother to sweat it, but I've never had a bitter eggplant following her method of selection.

sm
caliloo
16 years ago
All I can do is concur with the advice you have been given and say that I am now craving Moussaka. I know what is for dinner one night this week!

Alexa
kframe19
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, everyone!
fearlessem
16 years ago
Just one more note -- I now also salt my eggplant almost always (much less bitter), but the first time I did it I didn't know to rinse the salt off of it before using -- and got a very icky salty product! Just thought I'd pass that tip along, as I was once an eggplant newbie too!

Emily
mer4205
16 years ago
Firm, smooth and with bright skin. -maria
cloudy_christine
16 years ago
Julia Child also advised buying eggplants that don't have the dimpled bottom.
I salt the slices and just blot with paper towels rather than rinse.
Lars
16 years ago
I do the same as Christine - I wipe them with a towel rather than rinse. I usually use a tea towel rather than a paper towel, but they do get stained.

Lou, no I still haven't had the allergy test. I guess I'm not curious enough. I might buy a home allergy test, however.

Lars
steelmagnolia2007
16 years ago
kframe, you probably don't want my recipe for Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan) because it's a heart attack waiting to happen. lol But if you're craving eggplant, here's an ancient recipe from Gourmet Magazine that takes the fried version to a new level.

Slice eggplant (approx. 1/2" thick). Beat an egg with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt.

Dredge eggplant slices in cornstarch, tapping against side of bowl to remove excess. Dip in beaten egg to coat.

Dredge in seasoned breadcrumbs, pressing so that crumbs will adhere.

Dry briefly on paper towels.

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry battered slices for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels, sprinkling immediately with more kosher salt.

sm
rachelellen
16 years ago
Oh, another thing about eggplant! They are sponges when it comes to oil! I read somewhere that in some Middle Eastern country or other (I can't remember which), to say that a woman doesn't even care how much oil her eggplant soaks up is to call her a poor housekeeper and money manager.

They do seem to soak up just about any quantity you put in the pan, so with many recipes I cook them, at least partially, on the grill first, just brushing enough olive oil on them to keep them from sticking, before I add them to a pan with oil.

How do I pick an eggplant?

rachelellen

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robinkateb

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