Eggplant ~Sumpoog Ar.

[valley ranch]

Do you have room for Eggplant, do you like them but seldom serve them and never grow them ```

You can start them from seed ```

Don't have much room ```

you can put the container in the ground or keep them on your deck

Grow them in containers ```

Spring is coming ~ plant eggplant, of your choice there are many types ~ then we can talk about cooking them ~ start you seedlings with regular care in time move them outside when you know weather permits and watch them grow ~ they were once though to be magical, kinda look like it don't they ```

Papa use to make a dish called Babagunich ~ he'd set these big plump ones right on the coals or on the burner if on the stove, with the flame very low, after a time turn them over ~ eventually he'd open them up and whip the cooked meat in butter a bit of salt, pepper if you like, Olive Oil, Shad Lav ~ So Good , Mama on the other hand use to slice them and spice them, then cook them in the oven on a Limagoon Pan or make a stew ~ Margret Ricco, me crime partners mother, did Italian things that would taste as if made close to heaven ```

I'll bet you have wonderful ways of treating this magical fruit ```

 

[Zeedman]

DW & I love eggplant; we grow & freeze a lot of it. We prefer the long Asian eggplants though, and pick them when they are very young & tender. We grow a couple OP varieties, but this year will be growing one of the few hybrids we ever grow (the only other ones are hybrid sweet corn & "Yellow Doll" hybrid watermelon).

"Gretel" eggplant (hybrid). I wish I had taken a photo of the plants in bloom; the flowers are large, borne in clusters, and very attractive.

But we grow "Diamond" almost every year; it does exceptionally well either in pots, or in the garden.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

This will be my second year with eggplant. Funnily enough I’ve never eaten one! This year I’m growing Black Beauty, Rosa Bianca, and a hybrid called white knight which looks suspiciously like Gretel.

 

[Zeedman]

"White Knight" looks interesting; I've seen it in seed racks here, and I too wonder how similar it is to "Gretel".

For many years, we grew an OP white eggplant, "Casper". It had a very mild flavor (which DW & I both liked) and good disease tolerance; but the yield was too temperamental - and became almost zero during hot weather. We saved our own seed, and hoped that it would gradually improve. But that was not the case even after several generations, so we gave up on it. I would still recommend it though, for gardeners in cool climates, which seems to be its preferred conditions.

Both "Gretel" and "Casper" had thorns on the calyx, I will be interested to know whether "White Knight" possesses that trait as well. I suspect they are all closely related. I'm also curious to see if either of the hybrids can be stabilized as an OP version with better yield than "Casper".

 

[Artichoke Lover]

"White Knight" looks interesting; I've seen it in seed racks here, and I too wonder how similar it is to "Gretel".

For many years, we grew an OP white eggplant, "Casper". It had a very mild flavor (which DW & I both liked) and good disease tolerance; but the yield was too temperamental - and became almost zero during hot weather. We saved our own seed, and hoped that it would gradually improve. But that was not the case even after several generations, so we gave up on it. I would still recommend it though, for gardeners in cool climates, which seems to be its preferred conditions.

Both "Gretel" and "Casper" had thorns on the calyx, I will be interested to know whether "White Knight" possesses that trait as well. I suspect they are all closely related. I'm also curious to see if either of the hybrids can be stabilized as an OP version with better yield than "Casper".

Good idea! I may try saving seed from it this year if I have time.

 

[valley ranch]

Those look beautiful ~ how do you prepare them ```

 

[valley ranch]

Boy you guys have Eggplant under control that's great ```


Do you ever stuff they ~ you know ~ put a rice or a rice and meat mixture, in the smaller ones ```

 

[Dahlia]

DW & I love eggplant; we grow & freeze a lot of it. We prefer the long Asian eggplants though, and pick them when they are very young & tender. We grow a couple OP varieties, but this year will be growing one of the few hybrids we ever grow (the only other ones are hybrid sweet corn & "Yellow Doll" hybrid watermelon).
View attachment 39473
"Gretel" eggplant (hybrid). I wish I had taken a photo of the plants in bloom; the flowers are large, borne in clusters, and very attractive.

But we grow "Diamond" almost every year; it does exceptionally well either in pots, or in the garden.
View attachment 39474
View attachment 39475

Have you ever made Eggplant Lasagna? It's so good! I've never tried eggplant in any other dish!

 

[Zeedman]

Have you ever made Eggplant Lasagna? It's so good! I've never tried eggplant in any other dish!

Never tried it; the skinny ones we grow are poorly suited for it. Our favorite way to eat the skinny Asian types could I guess be called "refried eggplant". We steam them whole (with stem attached), allow them to cool, then peel them. At that point we either freeze them on a cookie sheet, or fry them. DW splits them several times from the blossom end, spreads the cut ends out into a fan, dips them in a seasoned egg batter, and fries them. With the stem attached, they make good finger food. You might be amazed how many people who otherwise don't like eggplant, like that refried version... all of our adult children & their children love it.

The left-over batter has a lot of eggplant juice in it, and gets fried like scrambled eggs... the grand children will race each other to grab it (if DW doesn't get it first). Sometimes we chop the eggplant into the batter & fry it up as an omelet, its good that way too. We also like the pre-cooked & cooled eggplant as part of a cold salad, sliced & mixed in with lightly cooked okra, and fresh chunks of ripe tomato, with vinegar & soy sauce.

Which reminds me, we still have frozen okra & eggplant in the freezer. Unfortunately, good tomatoes are hard to find up here right now. I wouldn't waste good veggies on supermarket tomatoes.

 

[Dahlia]

Never tried it; the skinny ones we grow are poorly suited for it. Our favorite way to eat the skinny Asian types could I guess be called "refried eggplant". We steam them whole (with stem attached), allow them to cool, then peel them. At that point we either freeze them on a cookie sheet, or fry them. DW splits them several times from the blossom end, spreads the cut ends out into a fan, dips them in a seasoned egg batter, and fries them. With the stem attached, they make good finger food. You might be amazed how many people who otherwise don't like eggplant, like that refried version... all of our adult children & their children love it.

The left-over batter has a lot of eggplant juice in it, and gets fried like scrambled eggs... the grand children will race each other to grab it (if DW doesn't get it first). Sometimes we chop the eggplant into the batter & fry it up as an omelet, its good that way too. We also like the pre-cooked & cooled eggplant as part of a cold salad, sliced & mixed in with lightly cooked okra, and fresh chunks of ripe tomato, with vinegar & soy sauce.

Which reminds me, we still have frozen okra & eggplant in the freezer. Unfortunately, good tomatoes are hard to find up here right now. I wouldn't waste good veggies on supermarket tomatoes.

Oh yum! Dipping the eggplant in batter and then frying it sounds really good! I'll have to try it!