How Do You Eat Baby Patio Eggplant?

Loaded with rich, mild, sweet flavor, ‘Patio Baby’s mini-fruits (never eaten raw) are delicious baked, roasted, or sautéed—excelling as a side dish, or starring in salads or dips. Thornless leaves and calyxes make for painless harvesting.

Can you eat patio eggplant?

Patio Baby is a very early and highly productive eggplant with a compact habit, making it a great choice for containers or in the garden. Deep purple, egg-shaped fruit should be harvested at baby size-2 to 3 inches, and are delicious roasted or in dips and salads.

Can you eat baby eggplant?

Baby eggplants are a delight to eat. But you can leave them too long. Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size.

How do you know when baby eggplant is ripe?

If you squeeze the skin it should spring back firmly when ripe, leaving no marks from your fingers. If there’s no give to the skin then your patio eggplants are not ripe.

Can you eat the skin on mini eggplants?

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, “Do you peel eggplant before cooking?” is yes, peel it.

Can you eat eggplant raw?

Can You Eat Eggplant Raw? Luckily, the answer is yes! While the leaves and flowers can be toxic, the eggplant itself is safe to consume both raw and cooked, and the compound that some might be sensitive to, solanine, is only toxic when consumed in large quantities.

What do baby eggplants taste like?

7. Little Green Eggplant. This heirloom variety is plump and round with a pale green-colored skin. It has a mild flavor and cooks up extra creamy.

What is the difference between eggplant and baby eggplant?

The smaller version of the larger purple skinned eggplant is often called Italian or baby eggplant. These have a somewhat more intense flavor and the flesh is much more tender. The straight thin eggplants known as Japanese or Asian eggplant have thin delicate skins like Italian eggplant but the flesh is sweeter.

What are baby eggplants called?

Indian Eggplant
5. Indian Eggplant. Also called baby eggplants, these adorable nightshades resemble grapes or cherries. They have a dark, reddish-purple color and a round shape.

How big does a patio baby eggplant get?

(15-20 cm) long for traditional-sized eggplant, 2 to 3 in. (5-7 cm) long for mini-size eggplant. Use a knife or pruning shears rather than breaking or twisting the stems. Many eggplant varieties have small prickly thorns on the stem, so exercise caution or wear gloves when harvesting.

Will eggplant ripen after picking?

Eggplants do not ripen off the vine and deteriorate rapidly, becoming spongy. Eat the eggplant as soon as possible after picking it. You can store it overnight at room temperature.

What is little finger eggplant?

The Little Finger eggplants are slender, petite eggplants that are excellent for grilling and cooking. This eggplant has a dark purple skin is thin and tender with a silky flesh. This variety produces few seeds and a mildly sweet flavor. Harvest when the eggplant is young and glossy.

What part of eggplant is poisonous?

Eggplants are part of the nightshade family. Nightshades contain alkaloids, including solanine, which can be toxic. Solanine protects these plants while they are still developing. Eating the leaves or tubers of these plants can lead to symptoms such as burning in the throat, nausea and vomiting, and heart arrhythmias.

Do you need to salt baby eggplant?

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 soak eggplant 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.

When should you not eat eggplant?

8 Tips to tell if eggplant has gone bad

1. Eggplant stopped being firm and starts getting soft.
2. It is not so nicely shiny any more.
3. The skin starts looking slightly shriveled’
4. When cut, your eggplant is slightly slimy.
5. The flesh, when cut, is turning brown.
6. The seeds are slimy.
7. There are rotting spots on the fruit.

What is the best way to eat eggplant?

Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Eggplants

1. Yes, You Can Curry It! Cut eggplant into cubes and add to your favorite curry sauce and simmer until tender.
2. Stir-Fry.
3. Baba Ganoush.
4. Roast, Peel and Serve over Pasta.
5. Eggplant Pizza!
6. Bread, Bake and Serve.
7. A New Kind of Kebob.
8. Appetizing Appetizers?

Should you put eggplant in the fridge?

Eggplants do not store well for long periods of time. Without refrigeration, eggplants can be stored in a cool, dry place for 1 or 2 days. If you don’t intend to eat the eggplant within 2 days, it should be refrigerated.

Can you freeze baby eggplant?

Yes! You can absolutely freeze eggplant. Eggplant that has been frozen and thawed will never be exactly like fresh eggplant, but there are some things you can do to preserve the texture and taste.

Can you keep eggplant in refrigerator?

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.

Should you soak eggplant in salt water before cooking?

If you’re new to preparing eggplant for cooking, you might be wondering, “Is salting eggplant necessary?” The short answer is no. Because thanks to the advancements made in eggplant farming, most of the time, salting eggplant is not necessary. For most recipes, I simply slice up the veggie and get cooking!