Signs of a Ripe Eggplant. Most Popular Seeds to Plant Now for Fall/Winter Gardening. There are several ways to tell if your eggplant is ripe: Glossy skin color Firm, unblemished skin One-third to two-thirds of mature size Velvety, green stem Skin squeaks when rubbing two eggplants together They're generally at their prime at about two-thirds of their mature size. What is the difference? Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Once you release, the skins should "bounce back". How Many Plants Can You Grow in a 12″ Container? USDA GROW ZONE LOOK-UP TOOL FIND MY ZONE. One of the easiest ways to determine if they are ripe is to gently squeeze the eggplant. Are worms GOOD or BAD for a vegetable garden? What is Diatomaceous Earth (DE)? Harvesting eggplants when they're small will give you better-tasting eggplants and will encourage the growth of more eggplants. All Rights Reserved. How does it work as an Insect / Pest Repellent in the garden? Let air dry. Dull coatings or seeds that have turned brown indicate overripe fruits. If it is dull, the eggplant is overripe. If the seeds are brown, the eggplant is overripe and likely bitter. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, University of Arizona Extension: The Elegant Eggplant, Virginia Cooperative Extension: Potatoes, Peppers and Eggpplant, Texas A&M University Extension: Japanese Eggplant. A glossy coating on the fruit is a sign of readiness.  FREE WILDFLOWER SCATTER GARDEN SEEDS  FREE 175-PAGE ORGANIC GARDENING EBOOK. It should be deep and dark all the way around, … Seeds of a ripe eggplant should be a light yellow. If the flesh is hard, with no give, the eggplant is immature and too young to pick. If your finger makes an impression that quickly fades, the eggplant is ripe and ready to harvest. Store picked fruit in a cool place until it is eaten. Eggplants will keep for about a week in a refrigerator at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A one-time farm boy, Richard Hoyt, holder of a PhD in American studies, is a former newspaper reporter, magazine writer and college professor. Eggplants are edible once they reach one-third of their mature size. The Complete Guide to Organic Gardening (175-pages) Includes, 8 Dehydrating Recipes You’ve Got To Try This Summer. Eggplants (Solanum melangona) come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors, but one variable is more important than all the rest in selecting a ripe eggplant: the skin has to be shiny or glossy. Fill a large bowl with ice water and place it next to the stove. You can also check ripeness by cutting into an eggplant. Eat the eggplant as soon as possible after picking it. In addition to looking for glossy skin, gently press your finger into the … Gardening with SeedsNow// NEW Facebook Group, 8 Ways To Get Rid of Garden Pests (Without Any Chemicals! How to Grow a GIANT WORLD-RECORD size Pumpkin! Copyright © 2020 SeedsNow.com. Collection of Tips & Tricks for the Garden ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Eggplants can be grown as herbaceous perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 12, though they are typically grown as warm-season annuals throughout USDA zones 4 through 10. Hard-neck Garlic VS Soft-neck Garlic? If you grow eggplants from seed, expect to wait 100 to 120 days. Which Seeds Can I START INDOORS? ), Best Seeds to Direct Sow (plant directly in the soil). You can tell if your Japanese eggplants are overripe and too bitter for eating by looking for the following: Yellow or dull skin Mushy texture Soft spots If the impression lingers, the eggplant is soft and is likely over-ripe. Use pruning shears or a knife to cut an eggplant off the vine. Which Seeds can I DIRECT SOW? Step 2: Examine the skin Look at the eggplant's skin. Eggplants do not ripen off the vine and deteriorate rapidly, becoming spongy. If indentations remain, the fruit is not quite ripe yet. PLANTING WHEEL - Know when it's the best time to plant! In addition to looking for glossy skin, gently press your finger into the eggplant. Because the stem is woody, cut, do not pull, the fruit from the plant. Penn State's Plant Village describes a ripe eggplant as firm, glossy and plump. The skin of purple varieties turns bronze when they are overripe. While writing 27 novels of suspense, he has lived on sugar cane, pepper and papaya plantations and helped keep bees in Belize. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Lightly salt the water or add 1/4 cup of lemon juice per 8 cups of water. What's the difference between Sprouts and Microgreens? To avoid the possibility of spreading plant disease, sterilize the blades of your shears or knife before and after cutting by soaking them for five minutes in a solution of equal parts isopropyl alcohol and water. Leave the green calyx attached to the stem end of the fruit. White eggplants will start turning yellow when overripe. Depending on the variety, most eggplants are ready for harvest about 65 to 80 days after transplanting from nursery seedlings. University of Florida IFAS Extension: Disinfecting Pruning Tools, Missouri Botanical Garden: Solanum Melongena. All prices USD. You can store it overnight at room temperature. Harvest long, slender Japanese varieties when they are no larger than your finger or a hotdog. New Orleans Time Picayune: When are Purple Eggplants Ready to Harvest? How to Freeze Eggplant. The tag on a nursery seedling should tell you the size of a mature eggplant for that cultivar.

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