I took a Black Beauty (globe) eggplant that I’d harvested the week before and was beginning to go soft, cut off the stem end and quartered it lengthwise. I steamed the slices for 8 minutes (no more than 10!). The texture was silky and smooth, not at all bitter and incredibly light.
Why do you soak eggplant in water before cooking?
Many recipes call for salting and rinsing eggplant before cooking it to draw out its bitterness. Brining can be used instead and has the added advantage of helping the eggplant keep its shape when it’s cooked, whether your recipe calls for baking, frying, or grilling.
How do you know when Black Beauty eggplant is ripe?
Harvest the fruits when they are still glossy and 6 to 8 in.(15-20 cm) long for traditional-sized eggplant, 2 to 3 in.(5-7 cm) long for mini-size eggplant. Use a knife or pruning shears rather than breaking or twisting the stems.
What can I make with Black Beauty eggplant? – Related Questions
Are Black Beauty eggplants good?
As one of the most popular cultivars, Black Beauty eggplant info abounds. Dating back to the early 1900’s, this variety of open-pollinated and heirloom eggplant has been a favorite for vegetable gardeners throughout decades. When picked at peak maturity, these large glossy fruits offer impressive yields.
Is it right to pull the eggplant from the stem to pick it?
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.
How do you know when an eggplant is ready to eat?
How big should a black beauty eggplants get?
Black Beauty eggplants are a popular heirloom variety of eggplant with big yields! The bushy spreading plants grow up to 30″ tall and hold their purplish-black oval fruit well off the ground. This top-notch fruit averages 2 pounds, holds well, and retains good color.
What does eggplant look like when ready?
The skin of the fruit should look glossy and unwrinkled and have a uniform color. If you cut the eggplant open, the seeds should be soft but formed. If the skin looks faded and the seeds inside are dark and hard, the fruit will taste bitter.
How do I know when my eggplant is ripe at the grocery store?
If you press your finger against the eggplant, it should have a little give to it and bounce back, but not be as soft as, say, pressing your finger against a ripe piece of fruit. If it feels very soft, that means that the eggplant is old and overripe.
Should you refrigerate eggplant after you pick it?
Eggplants prefer cool, dark environments, like a pantry or wine cooler, and their optimum storage temperature is around 50 degrees F. Eggplant will last between five and seven days in the refrigerator as long as the skin hasn’t been removed or damaged.
What is the best way to cook eggplant?
The eggplant can be cubed or cut into rounds, depending on your preference. To cook eggplant in a pan on the stove, simply heat olive oil in a pan over medium or medium-high.Once the oil is hot, add the eggplant and cook until the eggplant is tender, around five to seven minutes.
Why is my Black Beauty eggplant green?
Sometimes the fruit will start out deep purple and change to green. This might be an indicator that the fruit is overmature. If so, it will be bitter. I would suggest picking the fruit before it turns green.
Is it safe to eat underripe eggplant?
Vegetables in the nightshade family contain anywhere from 2 to 13mg of solanine and eggplants contain 11mg at the most. So you would have to eat 36 raw eggplants to cause any harm. Therefore, there’s no need to be concerned about eating reasonable amounts of raw eggplant. You should, however, be wary of green potatoes.
Is it OK to eat unripe eggplant?
There is no problem with sporadically eating an eggplant raw, however, like most members of the nightshade family, eggplants contain solanine.
What it the best thing to do to prevent the eggplant from blackening after carving?
To prevent this from happening, prepare a bowl of water in advance prior to cutting eggplant.Then add a tablespoonful of milk to it. Add the freshly cut eggplant to this and it will not blacken.
Why do you salt and drain eggplant?
Salting: Salting removes excess liquid and some of the bitterness. Today’s eggplants are bred for mildness, though, so it’s not as important as it used to be (if you are frying eggplant, salting will ensure a creamy texture and rich flavor). This method works for eggplant slices, cubes, or planks.
Why do you salt eggplant and let it sit?
Fried eggplant is crispier and more savory when it’s been pre-salted. When preparing eggplant for frying, the salting process ensures the vegetable absorbs less oil. As a result, taking the time to salt eggplant prior to frying yields perfectly seasoned fried eggplant with a silkier texture.
Should I soak my eggplant in salt water?
“The only exception is when you deep fry it. I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn’t have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy,” Jenkins says.
