Male eggplants tend to have fewer seeds, and are therefore less bitter than female eggplants. To sex an eggplant, look at the indentation at bottom. If it’s deep and shaped like a dash, it’s a female. If it’s shallow and round, it’s a male.
How can you tell the difference between male and female eggplants?
Male eggplants have fewer seeds and are less likely to be bitter. To differentiate between male and female eggplants, inspect the flower end. The male has a small, round, smooth end; the female has an irregular, less smooth end.
Do eggplants have a gender?
Fruit, whether an eggplant, apple or orange is the product of the sex of the flowers, but they themselves do not have a sex. So, you can quit looking for the male and female bellybuttons when selecting yours in the produce department or farmers market. Flowers contain male and female reproductive parts.
How do you pick the right eggplant?
“Eggplant should be slightly firm but not hard,” says Leone. In other words, if you push on it with your finger and the veggie feels very soft, or you’re able to puncture the skin, it’s too far gone. A perfectly ripe eggplant will not have as much give when touched as a ripe tomato or peach.
Is it right to pull the eggplant from the stem to pick it?
Harvest eggplants using pruning shears since the stem is tough. If you leave the fruit on way too long, it will begin to change color. When fully ripe, eggplants will turn yellow, seedy, bitter and inedible. Don’t waste perfectly good eggplants by leaving them on the bush too long.
Why do you soak eggplant in water before cooking?
Eggplant works like a sponge, soaking up the milk into the flesh of the fruit. The final result is creamy and juicy, and the bitterness is all gone. The quickest way to make your eggplants less bitter is to scoop out and throw away the seeds of the fruit.
Why are my eggplant blossoms falling off?
Eggplant Blossoms Drying Out from Lack of Water
When an eggplant plant is stressed, its blossoms will dry up and drop off without producing fruit. The most common reason a eggplant gets stressed is due to a lack of water. Your eggplant needs at least 2 inches (5 cm.) of water a week, more in very hot weather.
Are there male and female flowers on eggplant?
Eggplants (Solanum melongena) do not have a male or female gender, but they are endowed with cross-pollinating male and female flowers on each plant. We tend to think of the eggplant as a vegetable, but like the tomato, it is classified as a fruit.
How do you pick an eggplant without seeds?
The younger, smaller eggplants have fewer seeds, and the larger, more mature ones are seedier and mushier. As a rule of thumb, choose young eggplants that have a round dimple at the bottom.
Which eggplant has more seeds male or female?
Female eggplants, therefore, have more seeds. Seeds are bitter on purpose so as not to attract seed-eaters. I mean, life is hard enough for females of every kind without having to worry about a predators wanting you for your seeds, right?! As a rule, though not always, they tend to be a little more round than the male.
When should I harvest eggplant?
Harvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted. Don’t wait too long to harvest!
Do eggplants need to be pruned?
ANSWER: Eggplants, like fellow nightshade family member tomatoes benefit from staking and pruning. In fact, eggplant actually produces more fruit when pruned. Pruning eggplant can also improve the fruit quality of the plant, and decrease the plant’s susceptibility to disease.
How long do eggplant plants live?
Most eggplant cultivars are grown as annuals and thus live for only a single year. In such cases, the plants die immediately after harvesting the eggplant fruits. Eggplant can be grown as a perennial, in which case it will live for about 3 years but this is uncommon.
How do you store fresh eggplant?
The best place to store eggplant is not in the refrigerator, but at room temperature, where it’s likely to last longer. Keep eggplant in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, and use it as soon as possible after harvesting or buying.
Is it necessary to salt eggplant before cooking?
Really? In most cases, that’s just not necessary. After an extended series of experiments, I found you only need to salt eggplant if you’re going to be frying it, and even then only sometimes. If you’re cooking it in some other way — roasting, grilling, steaming — salting has no effect.
Why do you salt eggplant before cooking?
Fried eggplant is crispier and more savory when it’s been pre-salted. When preparing eggplant for frying, the salting process ensures the vegetable absorbs less oil. As a result, taking the time to salt eggplant prior to frying yields perfectly seasoned fried eggplant with a silkier texture.
Do you salt eggplant before cooking?
Whether you’re working with slices or chunks, all you have to do is generously season the exposed areas of the eggplant with kosher salt, and place them on a plate or sheet pan lined with paper towels to help soak up the moisture that comes out.
Should I pinch off eggplant flowers?
Classic eggplants, black beauties, Ichiban eggplants, and other varieties that grow large, heavy fruits should have no more than 5-6 fruits per plant. Once you have half a dozen blossoms that are maturing nicely, pinch off any additional blossoms until your fruits are ready for harvest.
How often should eggplant be watered?
Eggplant also needs consistent water, at least 1 inch per week. It is better to give one thorough soaking than several frequent, short waterings, because frequent watering promotes shallow roots. Weather and soil type, of course, will affect water demand.
How do I make my eggplant bear more fruit?
If you have poor fruit set, hand-pollinate the flowers to help increase production. Use an electric toothbrush to vibrate to flower stems (not the flowers themselves) for a few seconds each to help the pollen move within the flowers. 9. The more frequently the fruits are harvested, the greater the fruit set.
Do I need to hand pollinate eggplant?
The answer is that the eggplant is self-pollinating due to its “perfect” or “complete” flowers. Perfect flowers contain both anthers (which produce pollen) and pistils (which receive the pollen).
Gerardo Gonzalez loves cooking. He became interested in it at a young age, and has been honing his skills ever since. He enjoys experimenting with new recipes, and is always looking for ways to improve his technique.
Gerardo’s friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of his delicious cooking. They always enjoy trying out his latest creations, and often give him feedback on how he can make them even better. Gerardo takes their input to heart, and uses it to continue refining his culinary skills.