Eggplant - under-ripe, ripe, overripe - how do you know?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I am completely confused... It is known that you should harvest eggplants when the skin is glossy. With my Black Beauty eggplants, the glossiest skin is on the baby-eggplants that are under 3-4" long. The bigger ones, 5-7" long, become duller. Both small and big still have green blossom ends and some green streaks at the "tail" top. And I think, the bigger ones have more defined streaks. How do I figure out when it is under-ripe, ripe, and overripe?

Bellow is the picture of my eggplants (an egg is for sizing). They have never been of that beautiful deep purple color.... Neither of them look ripe/overripe, but the bigger ones did loose the shine. When finger-pressed, the skin pops back up on both large and small. Did i pick them too early? too late? Please help!

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Comments (4)

Labradors
9 years ago
I'm no expert, but I wait for them to turn black. They are still glossy, and they taste delicious and not bitter. I never peel them.

I had the worst time with Japanese Long because they are purple and white and I could never tell when they were ready.

Linda
farmerdill
9 years ago
Eggplants are used as immature fruit, so like cucumbers or summer squash you can use them at any time they are large enough for your use. A ripe eggplant is good only for saving seed. Quality rapidly deteriorates as they lose thier gloss. You either don't have have pure Black Beauties or maybe a disease problem. My bet is impure seed. Black Beauty is black from the gitgo. The shape is also off.
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digdirt2
9 years ago
I agree that the plants in your photo are not Black Beauty. Don't know what variety they are but I wouldn't hesitate to use all of them at this stage.

Dave
Shirley Smith
5 years ago
I looked here for the same reason. My eggplant are black beauty and look the same as yours in post. I think the heat has something to do with it. I’m using them anyway young or older NOT ever fully black or ripe.