Silly Question

OK - this is my first year doing any vegetable growing. I love the learning process. I have a silly question....how do you know when eggplant is ripe? Can they become overripe?
Thanks,
Anita

There's no such thing as a silly question! I've only been gardening for a few years myself, and the biggest thing I've learned is how much I DON'T know!!!

I generally find that as the eggplants are aging, they start to lose their lustre and begin to "shrink" inside their skin. So, I generally pick them when they are still slightly firm to the touch and shiny. As they age, they become rubbery, or leathery, to the touch and taste tough.

Happy gardening!

This message was edited Jul 18, 2006 12:21 PM

What Sequee said. Note that you don't want ripe eggplants, like summer squash, they are are used as immature fruits. As they mature they become inedible. You can pick them anytime up until they lose thier shiny lustre.

Thanks. Then I have lots to pick!!!! I thought they had to get bigger!

Depending on the cultivar, some get quite large. Lots of folks let them get to maximum size before picking. Once they start to mature tho , quality goes downhill like a bobsled racer. Purples are easy, they start down as they lose the glossy sheen. Whites and greens also, but they arenot so obvious.

This a Twilight that is still glossy but starting to mature.

Holy moly! That's one big a** eggplant!!! (And, yes! I am envious! Mine haven't gotten beyond the flower stage yet!)

Mine is a small cultivar. I think I have a ton that are ripe. I think they are called Small Boy...I'd have to double check the tag.

Not familiar with that one, But that are quite a few cultivars that are not designed to get larger than hen eggs.

Sequee if the Twilight impressed you, try the Balaroi. Still not as big as Black Beauty types, but the best producer I have ever grown.

Somehow those look bigger than my BB's have in the past. (Though I confess to fawning over each and every one of them! "Oh, baby...you are the biggest and best eggplant I have EVER seen!" I know I am sick, but I still get a thrill out of everything I manage to produce! I gave a pal an 8-Ball Zuke seedling and she delightedly called me to tell me she had to ready to pick. I was shocked when she told me she was going to use them for ratatouille! LOL!)

It's people like you with great enthusiasm for life that make the world go 'round. You're an inspiration to me. The heat and weeds and piled up chores here just make me want to sit inside and do nothing. But I will try to rally and get a few things done before sunset.

Thank you for the compliment! LOL! I am nothing if not enthusiastic. And I pretty much think I've convinced my plants the "weeds are our friends"! I rank weeding very close to housework!!! EEEEEEW!

I agree with the house work part, but I enjoy weeding, 'cause I get the up close and personal look at my flowers. It also allows me to enjoy their scents that other wise would go unnoticed. My favorites have been weeding aroung the Lavendar and Dill besides the rest of my flowers that are currently blooming.

Well, some of your enthusiasm wore off on me and I got busy and make some very unauthentic gazpacho with some overcooked tomato puree I wanted to use up and now I have a big pan of peach jam boiling on the stove. Now if only someone would push the vacuum and mop around, I'd have a great day behind me by dark.

I am very blessed in that arena (well, acutally in ALL arenas, but that's another story!)...

My neighbor recenty got married and moved to her new husband's farm. At 65 she didn't want to sell her home - figuring she might want a place to run and hide from time-to-time (lol). Her son is divorced, so he and his 14 year old daughter have moved into the house. He's kind of useless, but Gabrielle is a doll! She wanted to make som money over the summer, so she comes in and walks the doggies every afternoon, and while she's there she does the dishes and any chores she's in the mood for! Bless her little heart - she LOVES to vacuum! With 2 doggies and 3 kitties, that's QUITE a blessing!!! Someimtes she even leaves me home baked cookes!!!

Sounds like a keeper, I'm glad for you. Maybe she'd like to be adopted?
:-)

I asked...

She actually loves being at my house...no supervision, lots of animals, digital music she can blast through the house, and I set her up with user right on my computer. (I want to keep her happy!)

Oops - sorry for hijacking your thread Anita!!!

not a problem!! :)

Is Ronkonkoma on the Island?

yes it is. Exit 57,58,59. I live 5 houses off the Lake

Jumping in sounds wonderful right about now. 100 degrees in the shade. At least the veggies are enjoying it!

Well, here are my eggplants - those are cherry tomatoes with them. They are called Bambinos.

VERY nice! I've grown the Bambinos before - they are wonderful for shish-k-bobs...right next to those lovely cherry tomatoes, a few chunks of pineapple, some mushrooms baby onions, and chix breast meat. Oh, Lord - now I'm starving!!!! (You are SO evil - it will be forever before mine are ripe!)

Those are beautiful little eggplants. Cute little guys.

They were yummy too! I grilled them with my first zucchini [of normal size]. I had the same problem as someone from another thread, I'd get little one and the others would shrivel up. Anyway, I coated them with balsamic vinegraite....yummmm

My squash are doing the "baby to shrivel" thing, too. Dang! I hope it's just the first few, but... There are sooo many males, and so few females, I really can't afford to lose them, boo-hiss! I've never done well with summer squash. Don't know what I do wrong, but 4 years in a row indicates a more than casual failure pattern!

Notice Anita and Sequee. There are no photos of Bambino in plantfiles. No positive comments either. How about contributing.

You are so right Farmer...I'll do it right now!

all done!

I grow Iciban and Lavendar Touch both are ripe when glossy.A good size for a small family. You don't need to peel them when they are young.

Thanks - I love this small cultivar. I'm going to look into the Iciban and Lavendar Touch.