I don't know of any white eggplant that are not edible and I've grown quite a few varieties. Most white types are actually quite mild. You might look into Baker Creek Heirloom seeds catelog (also rareseeds.com) to review descriptions of many ethnic varieties, some white, some orange, some red, some green. As Nc-crn mentioned there are a few of those that are very bitter but that is the cultural preference of some people. One of my more frequent customers of these varieties talks of a favorite eggplant recipe called "Bitter balls". There may be non-edible fruits that somewhat resemble eggplant. Baker Creek offers seeds of the nipple fruit that is listed as non-edible. If in doubt about what you are growing contact the seed supplier for a definitive answer.

OMG. DO you know the variety name. your seeds are probably going to fail. to make eggplant seeds you MUST allow the eggplant to remain on the plant for a very long time after ready to eat. well maybe you can leave it indoors on a counter. It is most important that the seeds remain in the eggplant as long as possible. when eggplant is made for seeds they leave the eggplant on the plant until it goes at least brown and changes to where it can no longer be eatten. Those eggplant look super good and I would love to grow them. Hope you know the variety name. hope I can find them. hope you get some good seeds for next year. best would have been probably to leave one plant with some eggs on them until as late as possible to harvest. hopefully leaving in the kitchen for a month or more will help. here is a short quote off the seed savers exchange website. Seed Saving: Isolate 1/4 mile from other eggplants to prevent crossing. Let the fruits grow far past maturity, so that the seeds can be removed from the soft flesh. Most seeds are brown and are usually located at the bottom of the fruit. below is the story with pictures of someone who failed because he did not let them go long enough. interesting read and pictures on saving eggplant seeds. they germinated when new but not in the spring. they died because they were not ripe enough. those are great eggplant seed do you remember where they came from. Here is a link that might be useful: seed saving pictures included of eggplants

I have two eggplant recipes at opposite ends of the scale I think. The first, Papoutsakias, will please nearly everyone and is a good introduction to eggplant for those who are unfamiliar with it. The second, Imam Bayaldi, is what I would consider the ultimate eggplant preparation for those who really like eggplant and like things with an ample amount of olive oil. I'm one of those. It's an exceptional dish. And vegetarian, BTW. PAPOUTSAKIAS ------------------------- This eggplant dish will be enjoyed by everyone. You don't need to be an eggplant afficianado to enjoy it. This is my own recipe for papoutsakias. It has been posted elsewhere. The name is Greek for "little shoes", which describes the eggplant halves, filled with a mixture of chopped eggplant, ground meat, sauce and seasonings, then roasted. I like to roast them covered in a Weber type grill for the smoky flavor, but they are very good done in a regular oven. 3 medium eggplants 1 lb ground beef or ground lamb 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce 1/3 cup olive oil 4 garlic clove 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese basil salt and pepper Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh of eggplants using a large spoon, leaving 1/2 inch of thickness to the shells (four halves are to be stuffed, the third eggplant is for extra flesh). Smear four shells with olive oil and roast, flesh side down, on grill or in 400 degree F oven until lightly brown, about 10 minutes. While the shells roast, brown the meat in a LARGE skillet, about 10 minutes. Remove meat and set aside. Meanwhile, chop eggplant flesh coarsely and the garlic finely. Add olive oil to the skillet and cook the chopped eggplant and garlic until the eggplant is well done and soft, about 30 minutes. Add all ingredients, except shells, to the skillet and cook until everything is nicely combined, about 10 minutes. Fill the shells with the mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Roast until bubbly and brown, about 10 minutes. IMAM BAYALDI ------------------------- The name translates to The Imam Fainted. Presumably he swooned upon tasting this dish. For real eggplant lovers, that would be understandable. There are other stories of its origin, but I like that one best. This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar. 2 medium eggplants 2 medium onions, chopped 3/4 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 medium tomatos, peeled and chopped salt and pepper Saute the onions in a little oil. Add the garlic, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook until it comes together as a very thick stew (no liquid). Cut the stem ends from each eggplant and cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Make 3 lengthwise slits, almost from end to end, cutting into the flesh about 1 inch deep. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, cut side down, and fry gently, until dark golden-brown on cut side. Turn over and fry on skin side a couple more minutes. Remove from oil (most of it will have been absorbed) and place on paper towels to drain for atleast 15 minutes before proceeding with recipe.. Preheat oven to 350°F. Hold each slit apart and spoon as much of the vegetable mixture as possible into each cavity. The slits won't hold much. Don't worry. Spread any remaining vegetable mixture on top of the eggplants. Arrange eggplants in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender. Let cool and serve at room temperature.

I just replicated a roasted vegetable melange per instructions of a Greek neighbor of mine who brought some of the stuff to me several months ago. It's awesome. Her words: "Don't skimp on the garlic or olive oil" So I didn't LOL Large shallow roasting pan. Preheat oven to 425F Cut into equal sized pieces: Eggplant - 2 (she said to buy the striped ones but I've never seen them so to avoid the issue with bitterness I used 2 Japanese eggplant). Zuchinni - 2 medium-large Red/yellow/orange bell peppers - 1 each Sweet onions - 2 Generously salt and pepper the veggies - toss in roasting pan with several generous swigs of EVOO and about 1/2 head of minced fresh garlic - a few long sprigs of fresh thyme and a few long sprigs of fresh oregano (I had these in my garden but I think dried herbs would do fine). Roast at 425 for about 1/2 hour, stir and roast 1/2 hour again or more... Then add canned tomatoes (she said she used a large can and crushed the whole tomatoes with her hands) but I had a box of POMI chopped tomatoes - so that's what I used. Keep roasting - stir occasionally but cook at least 1/2 hour or longer until the juices are thick. Makes a great sauce for short rigatoni. When I ate it the first time, I asked her if she added sugar or maybe sundried tomaoes but she said "no". Since I tried it myself, I realize the sweetness comes from the addition of the canned crushed whole tomatoes. I might add capers the next time...Now I have to persuade her to tell me how to make the feta mac & cheese (my words) that she brought with the roasted veg. So rare that anyone cooks for me. It's such a treat. seagrass