How do I know when Eggplant are ripe?
 

Looking for some help from you more experienced eggplant afficionados...

I'm growing more than a dozen varieties of eggplant for market, and I want to make sure I pick only the ripe ones for my customers. How do I know when they are ripe? Can I pick them anytime they are the size I want and they look healthy (not yellow, split, dull, etc.)?

Thanks for your input!

Yes, glossy and firm is the rule - you can't really pick them too small (although if they are too small they aren't of much use) - but you can let them go too long - if they get dull looking, blemished, start to split. The real sign of hanging-on-the-vine-too-long is a color change toward yellow or gold - that is when they are ripe in terms of seed harvest, but beyond prime eating stage.

I have a question about this, too. My Black Beauties haven't been quite dark purple -- they've been paler on the bottom, which some people have said meant they weren't ready to be picked. But then a couple turned brown.

There are two now that are still pale on the bottom. They're about half the size of supermarket eggplant. So... I don't know whether to pick them or wait.

Christine

I would pick them now you can never tell by size all of the time when they are as they are going to get if that makes since.

Worth

I just pick them when they are full sized but before the skin starts to get dull. You can't really pick too early, because they don't really " ripen" like a tomato. Just don't let them change color, like Craig said. I think they're better when skin is still shiny but we eat a lot of them after the skin turns dull and those are fine, too.
I have learned to pick them right before making dinner, they seem to taste much better very fresh. Less bitter, more crisp. We eat the skins on ours, although sometimes the large variety gets tougher of more mature and I'll peel those.

Do eggplants in containers produce smaller fruit?

Rosa Bianca in a 5-gallon pot doesn't look like it's going to get larger than 2 inches. I've been waiting to see larger fruit, but I may have waited too long.

Ping Tung Long in another 5-gallon pot is only about 4 inches; they're supposed to get at least 12 inches long.

They shouldn't be smaller in containers unless the soil volume you have or fertilization has something to do with it.
My Rosa Bianca and Ping Tung are in containers. My Rosa Bianca get about 6" and Ping Tung between 8-12" long. I have 3 containers for eggplant, I not exactly sure how many gallons but one has to be at least 16 gallons and the others about 12 gallons. I have 2 plants in each container except the largest one where I tried 2 Rosa Bianca and 1 Ping Tung.

I took this picture last week, time to harvest these now.

One good clue is to look at the top of the fruit, if it has a white line, it's growing, and that is good. If it's not growing, it's probably too late. Also, open one from time to time and look at the seeds. They should not be hard (give it a bite if necessary). That will also tell you if they are bitter.

Size is not enough as not all fruit grow the same. It also depends on conditions.

To me, a good eggplant variety should never be bitter.

I know this might be off topic, but I'll ask anyway. I've had a terrible season with Eggplants this year, in that I've produced loads and loads of them and most have been terribly bitter. I've found that if I saute even one "bad apple" in a mix, you end up ruining the whole batch. The "Ichiban" type purple are the worst of about four varieties I'm trying. I'm growing primarily in 3, 5 and 7 gal pots. I love them when they're good, but from the middle to end of season every fruit has been bitter beyond consumption. I have learned that you can actually smell out the bad ones, in addition to the skin dulling/yellowing/splitting/etc.

So my question is: what are the best varieties out there for maximizing the time you get before the eggplant turns bitter (is that acid building up?)? What are your favorites in that respect?

Thanks,
Naysen

Varieties described as Japanese or Chinese, long, skinny and pendulous, are usually much less bitter, even when overripe. But.. Ichiban is one of those... people usually rave about it being very mild and resistant to bitterness.

"Oriental" varieties I've had luck with - Ma-Zu, Millionaire, Orient Express, Ping Tung

Others - Calliope, Green Goddess, Amethyst

With the American and Italian varieties, you just have to pick them earlier than you think you should.

The bitterness is now thought to be primarily phenolic compounds, like chlorogenic acids and free caffeic acid. Alkaloids are also possible contributors though. Extreme conditions in either direction can cause an increase in bitterness, but the tolerance for heat/dryness is much higher than the tolerance for cold and excess moisture.

In pots, one thing that seems to cause problems is overheated roots - especially in black nursery pots. Try fabric pots, name brand or diy, or find a way to shade both the outside of the container and the surface of the soil from the sun. A plywood box will work, as will any kind of opaque cloth.

Hi GT87, thanks for the recommendations. I'd heard that Japanese/Chinese are milder as well, but in my case the Ichiban are doing terribly. I surround my pots with foil to reflect the heat, after I noticed the plants would all wilt mid-day and I couldn't touch the plastic for more than a split seconds. Next season, I think I'll move the eggplant over to larger half-barrel pots.
--naysen

Eggplants can grow and fruit in half shade, much more tolerant than tomatoes.

[QUOTE=ilex;303058]Eggplants can grow and fruit in half shade, much more tolerant than tomatoes.[/QUOTE]

That is very good to know. That will help me place my plants better next year. Thanks.