When Are Purple Eggplants Ready To Harvest? Dan Gill's Mailbag

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When are purple eggplants ready to harvest? Dan Gill's mailbag Share this
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Purple eggplant

You cannot harvest eggplants too early. Baby eggplants are a delight to eat. But you can leave them too long. Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size.

(David Grunfeld, NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune archive)

QUESTION: How do I know when my purple eggplants are ready to harvest?  --- Bill Bischoff

ANSWER: We harvest eggplants in the unripe immature stage, like we do bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, okra and snap beans.

As such, you cannot harvest them too early. Baby eggplants are a delight to eat. But you can leave them too long. Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size. But size can be confusing.

There are many eggplant varieties, and they produce fruit of many different sizes. I generally go by the skin. The skin should be glossy and dark (for purple varieties). If the skin turns dull, this indicates over maturity, so harvest immediately no matter what size. Harvest eggplants using pruning shears since the stem is tough.

If you leave the fruit on way too long, it will begin to change color. When fully ripe, eggplants will turn yellow, seedy, bitter and inedible.

Don't waste perfectly good eggplants by leaving them on the bush too long.

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