dumb question abt eggplant

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oriole Mifflintown, PA(Zone 6a) Aug 15, 2005

How do you know when your eggplant are ready to harvest? When I did any gardening before it was always with my FIL and he always took care of the eggplant. I dont have him any more for help. Thanks dixie

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Aug 15, 2005

Eggplant are used in the immature satge like squash. You can pick them anytime up to the poin where the sheen begans to dull. Quality deteriates rapidly as the eggplant ripens.If you wish to get the maximum size, read the venders description, which should give you the average size expected of a particular cultivar. Then keep watch, when the surface begans to dull, pick it. Quality wise it is going to be all downhill from there, even if the fruit is not as large as you expected.

Post #1693325
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critterologist Frederick, MD(Zone 6b) Aug 15, 2005

Thanks, FD! I was just wondering the same thing, especially since I have this white eggplant forming on one plant, and I don't remember starting any seeds for white eggplants, so I really had no clue!

Post #1693716
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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Aug 15, 2005

White eggplant is tricky. The gloss is not as obvious as on purples or even greens. They are good tho. And if it starts out white it will be a white egggplant. Even the multicolors show color right away.

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oriole Mifflintown, PA(Zone 6a) Aug 15, 2005

Thanks FD. I will be having eggplant . I only have 2 planta in EB. I also have 2 ready to pull. I have an idea these 2 plants are going to give me more eggplant than I need Dixie

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Breezymeadow Culpeper, VA(Zone 7a) Aug 15, 2005

I like to pick mine fairly young. I mean - I can get the honking big ones at the supermarket any day - lol!!

That said, I've found that it's best not to pick old Italian-type standards like "Black Beauty" too young - like 4" - because the interior is likely to still be rather green & grassy tasting. I've found between 6" & 8" to be best for this type.

The oriental types can pretty much be picked as soon as they reach a usable length - but again, between 6" & 8" seems to work well for me, at least with the variety "Ping Tung".

The white, as well as the white/violet-striped Italian types seem to be great no matter what size you pick them at.

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critterologist Frederick, MD(Zone 6b) Aug 16, 2005

OK, that does it -- the white one hasn't gotten any bigger the past few days, so I'm picking it tomorrow and eating it for lunch! Ha!

Thanks!

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