Eggplant is a fleshy perennial fruit, native to India, and is classified as a berry. It can be long and narrow or short and oval and the colors of the skin ranges from white, yellow and green to reddish-purple and dark purple. Some popular eggplant dishes are moussaka, ratatouille, baba ghanoush, eggplant parmesan, and chutney.
How to Grow Eggplant
Eggplant likes hot weather and has a long growing season. Grown from seed, eggplant varieties take 100-130 days of warm, frost free weather to begin producing. If you're in a shorter growing season, you'll need to start your seedlings indoors.
Plant seedlings in a well-mulched or composed area that has maximal sunlight. Eggplant plants grow bushy and will produce hard stems. Flowers, generally white to purplish in color emerge. You may need to hand pollinate with a small brush if eggplants don't develop. Eggplants are mature just before they lose their shiny color, and can be picked early for best taste.
Eggplant Varieties
- Black beauty
- Black Magic
- Classic Dusky
- Little Fingers
- Tycoon
- Thai Long Green
- Dourga
- Casper
- Rosa Bianca
- Violetta di Firenze
Eggplant Cookbooks
- Amazon.com: The Totally Eggplant Cookbook | The Eggplant Cookbook
References
Fast Facts
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Scientific name
Solanum melongena
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Also called Aubergine or Brinjal
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Good source of folic acid, manganese, B1, B6, and potassium
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High in Fiber
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Easy to grow in warm climates
