Eggplant

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  • in Fruit Vegetables

    When to Plant Eggplant

    Eggplant seedlings

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    Start eggplant seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before setting seedlings in the garden. Transplant eggplant seedlings to the garden 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. Eggplant seeds germinate in about 10 days. Eggplants grow best in average temperatures between 70° and 85°F (21-29°C). Grow long-season varieties in regions with hot summers. Grow […] More

  • in Harvest and Storage

    How to Harvest and Store Eggplants

    Eggplant Black Beauty

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    Harvest eggplant young as soon as the skin becomes glossy. The flesh of young eggplant will be more tender and the seeds smaller. The plant will produce more fruit if kept picked. When to Harvest Eggplant Harvest eggplants when they are firm and glossy and big enough to eat—about one-third their maximum size. To test […] More

  • in How to Grow, Plant, Tips

    Peppers, Melons, Eggplants—Hate the Cold

    Peppers transplanted

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    Cool days and nights can be a problem for tender warm-season crops such peppers, melons, and eggplants. Temperatures in the 40sF won’t kill these plants but their growth will be stunted. Wait to plant out very tender crops until the lowest temperatures do not fall below 50°F/10°C—55 or 60 degrees is even better. If you […] More

  • in Gardening Tips

    Epsom Salt, Tomato, and Pepper Growing

    Epsom salt1

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    Epsom salt used as a foliar spray or soil additive will help tomato and pepper plants grow and produce larger, tastier yields. Late in the season use an Epsom salt spray to increase tomato and pepper yield and keep plants green and bushy; early in the season add Epsom salt to the soil to aid […] More

  • in Fruit Vegetables

    Short-, Mid-, and Long-Season Eggplant Varieties

    Eggplant young fruit flowered attached1

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    Eggplants grow best in the garden when the soil temperature and daytime air temperature is at least 70°F and the night temperature is greater than 60°F. There is no reward for setting eggplant seedlings outdoors when temperatures are cooler—they will only suffer. Grow an eggplant variety suited to the number of days in your region […] More

  • in Fruit Vegetables

    Eggplant Growing

    Eggplant seedlings1

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    Aubergine or eggplant? You’ll find this vegetable under either name in cookbooks. Eggplant is the name used by most American speakers. Aubergine is chiefly a British usage. Eggplant was the name originally given to the white-skinned, egg-shaped variety of the vegetable sometime in the mid-eighteenth century. Aubergine followed about 30 years later. By the middle […] More

  • in Fruit Vegetables

    Oriental Eggplants

    Eggplant oriental2

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    Oriental-type eggplants are primarily slim, tapered or pointed elongated fruits that may remind you somewhat of a skinny, smooth and shiny cucumber. Oriental eggplants are mild, tender-skinned, creamy-fleshed, and quick-cooking eggplants. The Oriental-type eggplants can be divided into two groups: Chinese eggplants and Japanese eggplants. Chinese eggplants are lavender-blushed white, amethyst, and red-violet colored. They […] More

  • in Fruit Vegetables, Prepare

    Seven Ways to Cook Eggplant

    Eggplant grilled1

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    Eggplant can be broiled, grilled, sautéed, steamed, or pan-fried, or stuffed and baked. You make ratatouille or eggplant parmesan. The mild flavor and light, spongy texture of the eggplant make it a good match for other vegetables, browned and chopped meat, cooked fish or shellfish. Types of Eggplant The classic Western eggplant is cylindrical- or […] More

  • in Fruit Vegetables, Main Courses, Prepare, Recipes

    Eggplant: Ratatouille

    Ratatouille1

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    Eggplant? Did you say ratatouille? All of the key ingredients for ratatouille are available fresh and local in mid summer tomatoes, onions, zucchini, bell peppers and, of course, eggplant. When you think of eggplant, you think first of the oval, black-skinned cultivar known as ‘Black Beauty.’ That is the classic eggplant with its rich, complex […] More