I'm on cloud nine!!
 

Well, maybe I should say I'm growing it....photo below and the only developing fruit so far. I was never sure about tasting eggplant until my wife and I ate at a local italian restaurant (run by people from Italy) a couple of years ago and had eggplant lasagna....it was heaven.

Jay

I think the secret to preparing eggplant is to slice it, salt it, and set the slices in a colander over a bowl. Then after 30 minutes, dry the slices with a paper towel. Getting as much liquid out of the eggplant as possible seems to improve things a lot.

We don't do any salting or draining at all - just peel, and prepare - we've found that as long as it is fresh picked we don't find any bitterness or wateriness at all...our top uses are marinate/grill, bread/bake to eat as is or in Parmesan dishes, or ratatouille.

I grew Cloud Nine several years ago and liked it very much. I grow one now called White Beauty which is also very good.

I don't salt them either. I just make sure to pick them before they get too seedy. Enjoy yours!

I never salt and drain. As l0ong as they are picked before they become too large they are great. Eggplant Parmigian and Eggplant Rice Dressing.....Can't wait until mine are ready!!!!
Becky

I am growing out an F2 from Cloud 9 this year (also an F2 from Zebra, Ichiban, Green Goddess, and some F3s from Orient Charm)...pretty interesting to see what sorts of things you find when dehybridizing eggplant!

Very good information. It's amazing how we have to rework recipes to suit the much better ingredients we get from the backyard.

I made some more spaghetti sauce today with a Brandywine and a Gregori's Altai and it only takes 30 minutes to develop a full, incredible flavor because I cook the tomato juice and the tomatoes separately. I guess I should post a separate thread in the Recipes forum.

Morgan,

I for one, would really like to try your sauce.:) Please post your recepie when you get time.

thanks,

Ray

Posted in Recipes forum. Will take pics next time I make it and post them here.

If you want to avoid seedy eggplant, first, only use glossy fruit. When it is a brownish purple, it is overripe and seedy.

Second, look at the blossom end. The blossom end will either be a slit ( - ), which is a female or round ( o ), which is male. Obviously, males will be less seedy.

The salting and pressing and soaking is usually done because most people have no idea of when a purple eggplant is at its peak.

Nowadays though, you can rest assured of never eating a bitter eggplant if you grow only the white or sicilian (lavender stripes on white, like Rosa Bianca) varieties.

Even with the purple, and a little overmature, skinning them ( like you would an oily fish), goes a long way, and is just as effective as salting and draining.

I'm growing Rosa Bianca (white with lavender stripes),
Proposa (purple with a little white around a purple calyx),
Nada (purple) and Black Bell II. Proposa & Rosa Bianca are
the a couple of the mildest & sweetest EP I ever grew. Salting and drying helps when you fry them (keeps the
cornmeal on!) otherwise I do not salt & dry them.

ButchT