When are eggplants ready to pick
When and How to Harvest Eggplants
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Eggplant Black Beauty
by Stephen Albert
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 eggplant fruit for maturity, press the fruit with your thumb; if the flesh springs back it’s green and not ripe; if your thumb leaves an indentation, the fruit is overripe; the best tasting eggplant will be in between.
- A just ripe eggplant when sliced will have soft, well-formed but immature seeds; an immature and unripe eggplant will have no visible seeds; an overripe eggplant will have hard, dark seeds.
(Seeds forming inside the fruit cause the skin to go from shiny to dull.) Both an under-ripe and overripe eggplant will be bitter tasting.
It is better to harvest eggplant just before its ripe than to wait too long.
Cut eggplant fruits from the plant with a garden pruner or sharp knife.How to Harvest Eggplant
- Cut eggplant fruits from the plant with a garden pruner or sharp knife. Leave one inch of green stem attached to the fruit.
- Eggplants are very difficult to pull away from the plant by hand; doing so can damage the plant.
- Store eggplants in a room with high humidity to preserve texture and flavor and avoid dehydration. The optimal temperature for storing eggplant is 55°F (13°C). At 55°F, eggplants will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.
- You can store eggplant in the refrigerator but not cooler than 50°F (10°C).
Rinse the fruit clean, pat it dry with a kitchen towel, and place it in a perforated plastic bag to keep it from drying out. (Refrigerators are cold and dry, not humid.) - If exposed to temperatures below 41°F (5°C), eggplants will develop surface pits, bronzing, brown spots, and decay.
- Eggplant fruit discolors rapidly when cut open, so it’s best to use it immediately once sliced.
- Avoid storing eggplants with apples or tomatoes; ethylene (a natural plant hormone released in the form of a gas) given off by those fruits will cause eggplants to brown and decay.
More tips: How to Grow Eggplant.
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When to Pick Eggplant? & How to Pick and Store Properly?
Eggplants or aubergines, as they are called in England, are crops that grow well in warmer climates.
Just like their relatives – tomatoes and peppers, eggplants are sensitive to cold, and exposure to frost might cause serious injury to the plant. It is therefore advisable to check the date of the last spring frost before transplanting this crop outdoors.
The usual planting periods for eggplants are March and April, though variations are common, given the different frost dates throughout the US.
Apart from the planting time, you must also plan when to pick eggplant, as each variety has different maturity days.
Table of Contents
- Best Time to Pick Eggplant
- 1. Chinese eggplant
- 2. Sicilian eggplant
- 3. Indian eggplant
- 4. Black beauty eggplant
- 5. White eggplant
- How to Pick and Store Eggplant?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Eggplant harvest time is usually anytime from July to October, 65 to 90 days after they are transplanted.
Since they are not tolerant of freezing temperatures, keep in mind to harvest eggplant before the first fall frost arrives. Here are the harvest times of some common eggplant varieties:
You can harvest long purple eggplant varieties like the Chinese eggplant 50 to 60 days after transplanting, and at this point, their length should be around 18 inches. Pick Chinese eggplant when it is showing signs of ripening such as having glossy skin and a firm fruit.
2. Sicilian eggplantPick Sicilian eggplant when they reach about 9 to 13 inches in size. This variety takes about 61 days to mature from transplanting before the fruits could be harvested.
3. Indian eggplantThere are multiple varieties of Indian eggplant, but one common cultivar is called Bharata star, and it matures 60 to 70 days after transplanting. It produces round eggplants that are deep purple in color.
Black beauty eggplant is ripe when the skin is glossy and deep purple in color. The fruit’s full size at harvest should be around 5 inches, and it should have brown or black stems.
These eggplants have a rather long growing period and mature 75 to 90 days after planting.
5. White eggplantWhite eggplants are ready for harvest when their skin and seeds are white or creamy in color. Depending on the variety, it usually takes white eggplants around 75 days to mature.
How to Pick and Store Eggplant?Harvesting from a full grown eggplant plant is relatively easy. Below are some of the key things you must take note of when harvesting eggplant:
- Observe the seeds of your crop. An eggplant ready to harvest should have seeds that are soft and formed. Brown seeds indicate overmature fruits.
- The best method when picking an eggplant is to cut the fruit’s stem off the main plant using a knife or clean garden shears.
Avoid forcefully pulling the eggplant as it might damage both the fruit and the plant. - It is not advisable to wait too long before harvesting. Eggplant ready to pick should be removed as soon as possible to allow the plant to divert its energy into producing more fruits.
Once you have carefully picked your eggplants, good storage practices are the key to optimizing their shelf life. Eggplant storage tips are as follows:
- If you are using them within the next few days, you can keep eggplants at room temperature. It is ideal to place them in a cool area with good airflow and away from direct sunlight.
- If you want to prolong the eggplant’s shelf life to about a week, it is important to increase airflow and keep it away from moisture. To do this, wrap them in a paper towel before storing in an uncovered container in the refrigerator.
- Avoid washing them before storage as moisture might cause their quality to degrade prematurely.
- Do not mix them with produce that emits ethylene gas such as apples and bananas as this gas quickens the ripening process, making your eggplants rot before you could consume them.
How do you know when to pick an eggplant?
You can pick an eggplant when its surface appears generally smooth and glossy as compared to an overripe eggplant that is wrinkled and dull in color. Harvest the eggplant by cutting it off the main plant using a pair of clean shears. Remember to wear gloves to avoid getting pricked by the small thorns on the fruit’s calyx.
How big should eggplants be before picking?
The size of a ripe eggplant largely depends on its variety and growing conditions and is not a clear indication of the fruit’s maturity. However, here are some of the average sizes of common eggplant varieties:
- Chinese eggplants: 18 inches
- Sicilian eggplants: 9-13 inches
- Japanese eggplants: 3-6 inches
- Black beauty eggplants: 5 inches
What does a ripe eggplant feel like?
Pick eggplant from garden when the fruit appears glossy and the skin bounces back slowly when pressed lightly.
A fruit that is either too hard or too soft indicates that the eggplant is either too young, or too ripe to be eaten.
Will eggplant ripen after picking?
In case you need to harvest them early, you can ripen eggplants after picking by placing them in a paper bag and storing them at room temperature. They would ripen in a few days. Also, produce that releases ethylene would be helpful in this case to accelerate the ripening process.
ConclusionEggplants are amazing plants that will reward you with a bountiful harvest when their growing requirements are met. They come in many shapes and sizes – long eggplant, round eggplant, or mini eggplant, and each has a unique flavor and maturity date.
You should therefore pick the most suitable type for your environment and resources. Knowing how to grow and when to pick eggplant are a must so that in a few months’ time, you can have your own supply of garden eggplant.
Categories Planting CalendarA Few Words From the Author
Hi, I am William – Floridayards’ digital content creator. My job is to find answers to all your concerns with thorough research and our team’s expert advice. I will also bring you honest reviews on the best products and equipment for raising your beautiful garden. Please look forward to our work!
– William Golder
When to harvest eggplants and how to know the ripeness of a vegetable
Eggplants have long established themselves as whimsical plants. To get a good harvest of this vegetable crop, it is necessary not only to provide it with proper care, but also to have time to collect vegetables from the garden in time. It's no secret that overripe eggplants have a characteristic bitter taste.
It is due to the content of solanine - an alkaloid, which is harmful to humans in high concentrations. Therefore, it is very important to figure out when you need to remove the fruits from the bush so that they are as healthy as possible.
Contents
- 1 When to harvest
- 2 Video “Growing eggplant”
- 3 How to do it right
- 4 Video “Eggplant. Harvesting”
When to harvest
The timing of harvesting eggplant depends on the purpose of their use. If vegetables are grown for consumption and processing, then they should be removed from the garden at the stage of technical ripeness. If you need to collect seeds from eggplant, then it is better to wait until the fruit reaches biological ripeness.
Here the question arises - how to know that the eggplant has reached its technical or biological maturity? Well, firstly, you need to find out what is the ripening period for this eggplant variety. This information must be indicated on the packaging with seeds.
Eggplants are subdivided according to ripening time into:
- early-ripening - the period of ripening of such vegetables is 90-110 days from sowing seeds for seedlings;
- mid-early - the fruits ripen in the period of 115-130 days;
- late-ripening - reach maturity in 130-140 days.
If the proper conditions are created for the plants, and no force majeure circumstances (drought, frost, sudden temperature changes, diseases) have occurred during their growing season, then usually the vegetables have time to ripen on time, and by this time they meet their technical parameters .
This does not mean that ripening time is the decisive criterion for harvesting eggplant. It is equally important to consider technical parameters, especially when vegetables are grown in cold climates, or weather conditions do not meet the needs of the vegetable crop.
Eggplants reach technical maturity within 3-4 weeks from flowering, or 2-3 weeks from the formation of the ovary.
Technical ripeness implies such a state of the fruit, in which their internal and external characteristics are fully consistent with the varietal description. The technical ripeness of a vegetable can be judged by the following characteristics:
- achievement of a size corresponding to the varietal parameters;
- firm flesh without characteristic bitterness;
- glossy surface of the vegetable - of course, various hybrids have now been bred for which a smooth skin is not characteristic, but still, most classic eggplant varieties have a smooth glossy surface.
There is a practice of determining the ripeness of fruits by color, however, in the case of eggplant, this criterion is not always appropriate. By color, it is easy to separate a ripened eggplant from an overripe (reached biological maturity), since the latter has a brownish color. It is impossible to separate the unripe fruit from the ripened to technical ripeness by color, since eggplant ovaries initially have a color characteristic of the varietal description: purple, lilac, black-blue or white.
It turns out that the main sign of fruit ripening is the acquisition of the optimal size. It is different for each variety - there are eggplants that do not exceed a length of 7-10 cm, but some varieties can grow up to 25-30 cm. Here you need to look at the fruit - if it has not grown within a week, this means that it is time to take off.
Sometimes vegetable growers prefer to pick small fruits, citing that they are young and not bitter. However, this decision cannot be called correct. If, for example, cucumbers are more valuable while they are small, and eggplant needs to be given time to ripen to the end. Of course, it is not forbidden to use unripe eggplants for food, but it should be borne in mind that they do not have such a rich aroma and taste.
As for the pulp, its consistency should be firm and springy. In a fruit hanging on a bush, the state of the pulp is checked by light pressure. If the peel sagged, but quickly leveled off, the eggplant can be considered ripe.
And vice versa, if the pulp is too dense, and a dent does not appear in the peel when pressed, therefore, the vegetable has not yet reached technical ripeness.
In order to obtain seeds, the eggplant must be left on the bush until it is fully (biologically) ripe. The following characteristics testify to the biological ripeness of a vegetable:
- dark, brownish, sometimes even yellowed skin color;
- fluffy, easily pierced flesh;
- Black or brown seeds visible when cut.
The largest and most beautiful eggplants are chosen to obtain high-quality seeds. They are left on the bush as long as possible - until the peel begins to dry out. Then the vegetables are removed and placed for 1-2 weeks in a cool dark place so that the seeds can ripen.
Every gardener wants to preserve his harvest as long as possible. It is clear that it will not be possible to preserve early and mid-season varieties of eggplant until winter, but vegetables of late varieties have a high chance of this.
If suitable conditions are created for such fruits, they may well last until the New Year, and even longer.
For winter storage, eggplant should be harvested shortly before the first frost. In this case, you need to carefully approach the selection of fruits. For storage, young specimens of a saturated color, with a smooth and even skin, are suitable. It is very important that there are no damages on the vegetables, and mold or rot on the stalk. It is not recommended to wash plucked vegetables - you just need to put them in boxes, lay them with parchment or straw, and put them in a dark, cold place.
Video “Growing eggplants”
The video tells about when exactly it is necessary to harvest eggplants.
How to do it right
Eggplants do not ripen at the same time.
So, first, the lower fruits are removed, which have stopped growing and meet all the technical parameters of the variety, and then, as they ripen, the upper ones. You need to check the ripeness of the fruits 1 time in 5-7 days - so you will not let them overripe. Fruit should not be left on the bush , which no longer grow, as they slow down the growth of new ovaries.
Ripe eggplants are cut off with a sharp knife or secateurs along with a stalk 2-3 cm long. It is not recommended to tear or remove the fruits in any other way, as this may damage the bush on which the crop is still ripening. As a rule, the harvest lasts until the very frost, until the last eggplant ripens. In the cold, cut vegetables can be stored for a month, sometimes more.
Video “Eggplant. Harvest”
Experienced gardeners talk about how to properly pick eggplant from the garden.
When to harvest eggplant from the garden
Properly caring for the plants, you can end up with a good and big harvest.
And in order for only tasty and ripe fruits to get into the basket, you need to know when to remove the eggplants from the garden. How to determine the maturity of fruits and the time of their collection should be known to every vegetable grower.
Contents:
- The best time to harvest
- Fruits that have reached technical maturity
- biological ripeness
- Harvest process
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If the fruits are further processed, then it is necessary to wait for their technical maturity. If eggplant is needed to obtain seed, then you should wait for its biological ripeness.
Technical maturity is an indication that the fruit is ripe and suitable for consumption.
Biological ripeness is the full maturation of seeds, which will later be used to grow new plants.
By the way, we advise you to read the article about when to harvest tomatoes.
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Fruits that have reached technical maturity
The ripening time of a particular variety is always indicated on the package with seeds. If the eggplants in the garden grew in favorable conditions, were not exposed to diseases, the effects of low temperatures and other harmful circumstances, then they ripen on time. Usually the full maturity of the fruit is reached 3 to 4 weeks after the start of flower formation.
The size of a ripe eggplant corresponds to a certain variety: it has a dense flesh that does not taste bitter, a flat, smooth surface, in most cases. The ripe fruit may be purple, lilac, black-blue or white, depending on the variety.
If the eggplant is brownish in color, this indicates that the vegetable is overripe.
There is an opinion that it is better to eat small eggplants because they are young and taste better. In fact, unripe, small fruits do not have such a rich taste and pronounced aroma as mature vegetables.
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Biological maturity
To use the fruit for seed production, it is left on the bush until full biological maturity. Fruits with a dark brownish or yellowed skin color are best suited for extracting seeds. Their pulp has a loose structure, which is pressed through with a light touch of the hand. Ripe seeds should be black or brown.
For seed production, fruits with dark brownish or yellowed skins are best suited In order to obtain sound seeds, the largest and most beautiful vegetables should be selected, which are left on the bush until the peel dries.
After that, the fruits are harvested and left in a dark, cold place for 1 - 2 weeks, for the seeds to ripen.
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Harvesting process
Eggplants do not reach their ripeness at the same time. The lower fruits ripen immediately, this is noticeable when the vegetables stop growing. Eggplants located closer to the top of the bush ripen next. It is impossible to pluck the fruits, they must be cut along with the stalk, using a secateurs or a knife. Cutting off the blue ones, you can damage the plant on which the crop is still ripe.
Eggplant picking lasts until the first frost, until the last vegetable is cut.
Video Tip: When and How to Harvest Eggplants
How to Preserve the Harvest Before the Winter Holidays
To keep fresh fruit as long as possible, choose late varieties.
