Kierkegaard, thanks for posting the photo. Your plant very closely resembles the Brazilian
S. gilo that I grew several years ago. The flowers were white, small, and borne in clusters, the fruit closely resembled yours in shape, and the plants grew to about 5' tall before killed by frost. I could barely tolerate the bitterness of the immature fruits.
"So, apparently, some varieties of eggplant, even some of the larger ones, can dry over a very long time without rotting, softening, or getting moldy. Pretty cool!"
Well, I guess there's something to be said when you are so bitter, even mold won't touch you.
Taboule, you had me until Step 3. That's how I freeze eggplant - cooked and peeled, with stem on - for the winter. When I pull it out, then it's Step 4, except I add the chopped eggplant to a seasoned egg batter & make mini omelets.