School me on eggplants

[TXTravis]

I disliked them as a kid and never really tried them as an adult. However, I don't find them objectionable (like I do okra), and am considering allocating some dirt to them.

Can y'all recommend a variety or two for people who aren't sure if they like eggplant? Is it too late to start them in Central Texas? Or, more accurately, will they succumb to the heat and spider mites like all tomatoes eventually do? Anything special they need or that I should avoid?

[Rockoe10]

I haven't grown then, but I'm with you when it comes to seeing them on a plate.

What I've found out by happy mistake is that i actually like them baked in slices with parmesan cheese. Funny, i couldn't pin point what the darn thing was. I was out on a dinner date with my girlfriend (now loving wife) and said it had a watermelon like taste. But it obviously wasn't watermelon. After asking the waitress, who then asked the chef, i came to find out it was Egg Plant! Who knew i liked eggplant? Not me lol.

[pepperhead212]

There are countless things that I have put eggplant in - many, but not all, Asian dishes.
What is it you don't like about them - the flavor, or the texture? If it's the flavor, white eggplant varieties that I have tried have been almost flavorless! For the soft, gooey texture, the large kinds get that way quicker, but the Asian types keep their firmness longer.

Fortunately, spider mites are not usually a threat here (except indoors), probably due to the humidity. But they do attract flea beetles, and to prevent these, I spray the plants with Surround. I also add some potassium bicarbonate to the solution, to help prevent fungal diseases, though only some varieties are disease prone, from the humidity.

I'm not sure how late they will grow in your area, but I start mine on 4-1, and usually put them out a week into May (this year has been cool), so you need a little over 5 weeks from planting to transplant. Ichiban is always my earliest, and starts in mid June, but is not heat resistant, so probably not good for you. Unfortunately, one fairly heat-resistant variety - Neon - is no longer available (hopefully, it will be back, like it was another time years ago). Hari - a green Indian variety - is the most heat resistant variety I have grown, and grows over 6' tall, sometimes. And, like a lot of things I've grown, the ones in SIPs are like they are growing on steroids!

[Cole_Robbie]

School me on baba ghanoush. Mine never comes out right.

[Shule]

I think Aswad is a nice variety to grow, and it's supposed to have heat-tolerance. The flavor is pretty inoffensive, in my opinion. Big fruits. Works in containers or in the ground. Pretty easy to grow.

My precaution about growing eggplants is to avoid eating them when they're under or over-ripe. They can be toxic; I ate an over-ripe Diamond eggplant once and it made me sick (even though it was a small fruit). If they change colors, they're way too ripe for eating.

[PlainJane]

I like a white variety called Paloma F1. It stayed very tender at decent size.

[Ginger2778]

20210306_073349.jpg

Matrosik(Nikitovka seeds) is the bomb! It's firm, white flesh, and a super productive one. I found an easy recipe. Cut the eggplant into quarters, then cut each quarter into 1/2" thick slices. Beat an egg, dip each slice into the egg, then into a shaker bag with seasoned Panko bread crumbs. Spread a really thin layer of olive oil on a sheet pan, then place the breaded slices singly on it. Spray the tops with cooking oil spray, then into a 425F oven for 20-25 minutes. Air fryer might work too.They come out so crunchy, and delicious ,they make you feel like you are eating a decadent carb, but it really isn't much of one. And leftovers reheat back to really crunchy in a toaster oven for 10 minutes.

[karstopography]

I’ve grown a few eggplants. They seem pretty hardy and one of the more tolerant of the heat on the Texas Gulf Coast. They will certainly carry over summer into fall from a spring planting, although, they might sulk a bit in the worst of the summer heat. I don’t get a ton of spider mites here. Flea beetles can be a pest. I’ve smashed a ton over the seasons.

I like good old black beauty. Slow to get going but just keeps on keeping on once it does. Big, spreading plant, though, nothing compact about it. Seems less fussy than some of the long Asian types.

I’ve tried making baba gnoush and while I love the middle eastern restaurant versions, I can’t seem to get that type of flavor in mine. Eggplant Caponata is another one that I haven’t yet mastered. There is an eggplant and tomato sauce for pasta I make and it’s really good. The eggplant ends up melting away and adding a creaminess to the sauce.Yum.

[brownrexx]

I just grow plain old Black Beauty and my favorite ways to use it are Eggplant Caponata, Ratatouille and sometimes just brushed with olive oil and grilled.

[mention]karstopography[/mention] , here is how I make Grilled Eggplant Caponata. My Italian friends gave it high marks.

Grill flat slices of eggplant, onion, red peppers and tomatoes. Brush all vegetables with olive oil before grilling. Peppers may be skinned after grilling.

Cut all vegetables into small cubes and place in a bowl. Add a spoonful of capers and golden raisins and some chopped fresh oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and white wine vinegar. Season with salt and ground black pepper and allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Serve at room temperature on grilled slices of Italian bread.

Grilled Veggies for Caponata by Brownrexx, on Flickr


Grilled Eggplant Caponata by Brownrexx, on Flickr

[GoDawgs]

Eggplants are a bit slower growing than tomatoes so I start them a bit earlier. Seeds pop up in about 8 days and I usually plant them out around 6 weeks old whereas my tomatoes go out at four weeks so I start my eggplant two weeks earlier than the tomatoes.

There are two pests here that mess with the eggplant and those are flea beetles in the spring/summer and Southern army worms in late summer/fall.
I use pyrethrin spray on the FB's and bT on the army worms. If your area is subject to army worms, our extension service says bT is only effective on them when they're smaller than an inch long. After that you have to hand pick them.

For whatever reason (climate, growing method, etc), success of various eggplants varieties seems to vary person to person. "If at first you don't succeed, try try again." Because I have trouble growing the globe types, I've found the longer types do well for me and over time I've settled on 'Millionaire' as my annual go-to. Don't be afraid to experiment!

[worth1]

Florida market and black beauty are good ones.

[MissTee]

That's interesting about Millionaire. Never grew eggplants before - not big on the bitter taste, but thought homegrown might change my mind. Pre-ordered some Millionaire plants online, along w a few herbs from a local greenhouse. Unfortunately I didn't notice til I got home they were substitued with something called "Japanese Long". From the pic it appears to be a dark purple long thin eggplant. Did some internet searches and can't find any info on it. Anyone have any experience growing this Japanese Long variety?

[TXTravis]

Just picked up a Black Beauty plant that looked healthy yesterday from Home Depot and stuck it in a blank spot in the garden. I guess we'll see how this goes!

[pepperhead212]

School me on baba ghanoush. Mine never comes out right.

Here is some good info on baba ghanosh, with some good methods, and a good recipe given, which you can add some other ingredients to, if you prefer. I sometimes add a bit of cumin, and maybe some smoked paprika.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-la ... ba-ganoush

A question for you [mention]Ginger2778[/mention] - is Matrosik really heat resistant, or do you have to grow it in 2 seasons, as often done with tomatoes in your area? I am always looking for a heat resistant variety. Hard to believe that most varieties I've tried, including some that are supposedly from tropical areas, stop producing in Jersey, when the heat comes in late July and August! Millionaire was one that I really liked, until that happened, the two seasons I grew it.

[Cole_Robbie]

Great link. Thank you.

[Ginger2778]

School me on baba ghanoush. Mine never comes out right.

Here is some good info on baba ghanosh, with some good methods, and a good recipe given, which you can add some other ingredients to, if you prefer. I sometimes add a bit of cumin, and maybe some smoked paprika.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-la ... ba-ganoush

A question for you @Ginger2778 - is Matrosik really heat resistant, or do you have to grow it in 2 seasons, as often done with tomatoes in your area? I am always looking for a heat resistant variety. Hard to believe that most varieties I've tried, including some that are supposedly from tropical areas, stop producing in Jersey, when the heat comes in late July and August! Millionaire was one that I really liked, until that happened, the two seasons I grew it.

Matrosik did produce something like 14 fruit this last go around. That's round 3! It's now getting hot, so I don't know if its heat resistant yet, but the plant is strong, and HUGE! It is putting out more flowers, so well see. I started seeds for it last August, and it's been growing ever since, so just one long season.(TBH - I'm not sure I know what you are asking about having to grow it in 2 seasons)

[pepperhead212]

[mention]Ginger2778[/mention] That's great production! How large is the fruit, and how firm is it? I was thinking about how in some areas down there, the tomatoes basically get killed by the heat, plus disease, once the intense heat starts, so they do a second season of them, and sometimes the eggplants. I guess you are so far south that things like this grow through the winter!

[Ginger2778]

@Ginger2778 That's great production! How large is the fruit, and how firm is it? I was thinking about how in some areas down there, the tomatoes basically get killed by the heat, plus disease, once the intense heat starts, so they do a second season of them, and sometimes the eggplants. I guess you are so far south that things like this grow through the winter!

Yes, we grow right through the winter, we are in a frost free zone. Here's a photo of one in my hand so you can see the size.

20210306_073349.jpg

[Gardadore]

Millionaire is one of my favorites for my area. It is an early and prolific producer but slows down later in the summer when some of the later producers take over. My favorite white is Casper, good size and produced continuously all summer last season. Galine and Annina were my best large black last year. I will have
17 varieties this year. They grow super well in Earthboxes, not a well in the ground.

[SQWIB]

Black Beauty




Black Beauty and Purple Stripe.




Fried Eggplant and Caponatta on Ciabatta roll.




Shredded in Hamburger




Fried.




Parmesan




Dehydrated for Flour






Lasagna with Bacon






























Can be served cold.




Frittata






Buffalo Chicken Burger




Rollatini.




Lasagna




Fries




End of Season Garden Jambalaya




Black Beauty




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Listada Di Gandia




Bad Year






Rosita




Meatless buffalo Wings