When to harvest eggplants?

This must be the dumbest question ever, but...

How do you know an eggplant is ready for harvest? Every year I try eggplants and never had any success (the bugs killed the plant early in the season).

This year, however, I finally had successful eggplants! My plants are big and healthy, and the fruits are big! So, how do you know when to harvest them?

dave

Which cultivar, Dave? Bambino and Icaban are about 6" long but only a couple inches in diameter. Dusky, etc. get really fat. I would say if they are getting a bit soft when you squeeze them gently they are ready to cut from the plant. Once the skin looses its shiny look they are for sure ready. Try one and see if it is ready. If not, don't cut another one for nearly a week to see what has happened in that time period. Remember, eggplant don't get really soft as they ripen.

Thanks for the tips, leaflady. I'll go out later today and read the tag and see which variety it is (I can't recall and I didn't journal it).

Will write with the cultivar later today.

dave

First try for eggplant,I put in Ichiban. Bugs are chewing holes in the leaves,any suggestions? Thanks

I use safer soap on my veggies. I don't worry about the leaves too much as long as the bugs don't get carried away! I spray every 3 days at first, then once a week to maintain. It seems to help. Good luck. You will love those Ichiban's. Enjoy!!

scooterbug...you've just met up with the infamous flea beetle! Pesky thangs! If the plants get up in size they will be fine and can handle a few flea beetle bites...if they are small plants tho keep a close eye out. Them boogers can really defoliate a small plant in no time at all.

I often dust with wood ash, sometimes I use talcom powder also. Soap sprays w/ garlic is good, too.

Those beetles are what kept me from getting any eggplants last time I tried them a few years ago.

This year we figured we would try again (since we're in a new location) so we bought one plant. The bugs did eat them a little bit, but fortunately the plant survived. Now it's nice and big with plenty of big leaves and it is doing really well.

So shoe is right - keep the bugs off when the plant is small and it'll do fine once it gets big.

(BTW - I found out today that the type I'm growing is also Ichiban. I harvested two already - one about 12 inches long and one about 8 inches long. We'll eat 'em tonight!).

dave

Yumm...Ichiban.
Cut em in half, or in thick slices (quarter inch thick), marinate in olive oil, garlic, pinch of black pepper. Throw on the grill for 5-8 minutes, flip over for another 10 minutes (these times are for halves, slices will cook faster). Baste with the left-over marinade if you like while cooking. You're gonna love 'em!

(and if you add extra black pepper, it looks like flea beetles!...and they are getting their just reward!) ô¿ô

Good tips - shoe, thanks! We're grilling tonight anyway, so I'll ask Trish if we can use your recipe above.

dave

Thanks for the advice,I think I'm past the danger point.....U-mmm....little eggies & asstd. summer squash......Halved put in ziplock w/ olive oil,hot pepper flakes & salt-free Montreal Steak Seasoning, close & shake to distribute. U use a lot less oil like this. Grill and enjoy the fruits ...aka Veggies <;-)... of your labor.....Not too long for me now.....Later Gater,..>^,,^<

This message was edited Friday, Jul 18th 1:27 PM

This message was edited Friday, Jul 18th 2:54 PM

scooterbug: Thanks for the pic: that's exactly what mine look like (except mine are a bit straighter).

dave

Some of the first to set are at ground level. I had just gently moved thier little butts,they had no room and were trying to burrow into the ground. >^,,^< SB

Ok Shoe, so how long do you marinate them?

Have you ever cooked the small round purple ones-Prosperosas? This year I thought I'd try a new kind. Guess we will find out how they are.

But my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

HAH! What a thread this has turned into! We've got it all right here, from growing them to picking them, to identifying them to cooking them!

Jul, I've *"marinated"* them for an hr or so, especially if they're cut in slices so they absorb the flavors. (By the way, scooterbug (a chef) turned me on to the fact that a "marinade has some kind of acidic ingredient,Which would tenderize and enhance the flavor of the seasonings within. Oils can only coat,not marinate"). (See what I mean? All kinds of info available here!) Thanks scooterbug!

One last tidbit for grilling eggplant tho.
If you make parallel lengthwise cuts 1/4 inch apart that run from the fat end to within 1 inch of the stems, you can fan the slices out, making sure they stay attached at the stem end. Then 'marinate' in a baking pan...brush the eggplants, let stand 15 minutes, then flip them over, brush them again and let stand 15 to 30 minutes or so. Put the eggplants on the grill (mesh screen helps), grill for five minutes one side, flip, grill for 5 to 10 or until tender. 'Tis very good using a Tbs of sesame oil, 4 tsp soy sauce, at least 4 garlic cloves and 2 tsp white wine vinegar. (Can throw in a lemon/herb blend also.)

No matter what, I think dave is gonna eat good tonite!

YO! Iron Chef Country style,,,,,,,the bestest kind....IMHO

Hugs, SB >^,,^<

Shoe, I Put one of my fav summertime pasta recipes in "Recipes" SB >^,,^<

Shoe and scooterbug,

I think I will be grillin' tonight! I have a ton of those baby eggplants. I can't wait for the trombocino squash to try it out on that also.

Thanks for the lesson on marinating. You know, I knew that and forgot. Growing older and with all this info much wiser by the minute. Sometimes... LOL Bon Appetit!

thanks scooter! I'll check it out!

Jul...save some seed from those trombocino! Hope to see those on your trade list!

Flea beetles are the biggest problem eggplant seems to have. Try surrounding the stem of the plants with aluminum from planting to end of season. Put the shiny side up if using foil. I cut old pie pans thru to the center, make a hole for the stem and slip it on the transplamted plant. The bugs see their reflection and can't tell up from down so they leave the plants alone.

i like to pick them on the small side....
I'm sure alot of you have made the mistake of liking eggplant, so you grew 12 plants.

after stockpiling several hundred large eggplants you realized that one plant would have been more than enough.

anyway, they're great breaded/fried in bacon drippings....
any extra can be made into eggplant parmesean.

careful eggplant goes bad really fast after cooked.... we generally toss it if we don't eat it in a day or two.

drew

Leaflady, I had to laugh about the bugs not knowing up from down when you use aluminum around the plants. I wonder if that would work for small potato plants when the bugs eat them down to leaf veins. I haven't grown eggplant, aren't they related to potatoes? The marinated and grilled recipies sound very good, when I ate eggplant I thought it was so bland and uninteresting that most of it went for compost.

This message was edited Sunday, Jul 20th 9:24 AM

MaryE,

Actually, it depends on the kind of eggplant you grow. I personally think that Ichiban, Asian bride, and long scarlet are my favorite.

Shoe: I will post a pic of the trombocino vine under it's name, if you have at least 2 and a half more months of growing season, I can send you some seeds (58 days to harvest). They are Italian Heirloom. I planted them last year in August. They grew and produced in 60 degree weather. I finally just pulled them as they looked pittiful! LOL

PLEASE! Send them Jul....I'll stretch the season! I'll send you my first born...er, no wait, she may not like that...
I'll send you a dead chicken! Er, no wait, YOU may not like that! I'll send you a surprise? Will that do?? Please??? Purty please? :>

I'm so jealous, no eggplants big enough to eat yet. Maybe if I go stare at them it will help.

Kathy,

Put the double whammy look to those eggies! Actually, once you start getting them, theres no stopping them! I can't wait for the white ones!!!!! My friend cooks all kinds of eggplants and eggplants all kinds of ways! LOL She was telling me some tips and I should have written them down. Everything sounded so yummy. She fries them with breading that has parmesean cheese in it! Man, I can't eat the breading.... not yet anyway...