Zap
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Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:20 pm
Location: Connecticut

Italian Eggplant - how do you know when it's ripe?

Long time tomato grower, first time eggplant grower. Have some Italian eggplants growing, some of which are about 8 inches long. How do I know when they're ready to eat?

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Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2005 8:42 pm
Location: Summerville, GA, Zone 7a

When they look good :)

I pick them when they are still firm, before they get too big. They don't taste as good if you let them get HUGE, so usually I took them off at around 7" or so. If you've grown squash you'll know its the same general rule - kind of a fine line between being ripe and underripe, but they should be firm without being hard. If they start to turn soft, then they are overripe already.

Hope that helps - I grew Japanese eggplant for the first time this year, and they are shaped more like curly bananas, and are not as long! Totally threw me for a loop.

Zap
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Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:20 pm
Location: Connecticut

Thanks - I harvested about eight of them seven or eight inches long. Made Eggplant & tomato parmigiana with some, and a curried eggplant, tomato & onion dish with the others. YUM!



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