Anyone try these "red" eggplants yet?

[bzzybee]

http://www.burpee.com/heirloom-seeds...rail=7006:2150


Eggplant, Turkish Orange
A Turkish heirloom producing abundant red-orange fruit.
Native to Turkey, this heirloom variety is a favorite of Italian gardeners and chefs. The petite 18-22" plants produce
read more...
Product Details

Height:
18-22 inches
Days to Maturity:
65-85 days
Sowing Method:
Indoor Sow
Buy This Product
Item # Order Quantity Price
59100A
1 Pkt.
(30 Seeds)

$3.25

[Wi-sunflower]

I grew them many years ago.

They do not get very large at all. Only about golf ball to tennis ball sized at best. Also they have a strong flavor, not mild at all like most eggplant. They are rather similar to some of the eggplant from the Vietnamese growers around here that are also small and strong (bitter) flavored.

I think I only grew them 2 years as no one here liked them.

Carol

[carolyn137]

I've also grown the Turkish orange one and when I had a Master Gardener's group over for a field day thay all thought it was an orange tomato just looking at it.

Most folks don't see them as edible, and I agree.

Favorite of Italian gardeners and chefs? I don't think so and after all it's Burpee we're talking about.

[Zeedman]

I grew them also, and have to agree with the comments thus far. "Turkish Orange" is a different species (Solanum integrifolium) from regular eggplant (S. melongena).

The recommendation is to eat the fruits immature, when still green & milder flavored. Even then, they were too strong for my taste; and as already noted, the yield is not impressive. I noticed one good thing about the plants though - they are more tolerant of shade (and of fluorescent lighting) than conventional eggplant. The leaves are attractive too, resembling oak leaves. With its bright orange fruits, it would make a pretty ornamental in an area with partial shade. You can even dry the ripe fruits on the stem, for flower arrangements. But unless you have a fondness for bitter cuisine, you probably don't want to eat them.

[bzzybee]

Thank you all for responding, this settles it for me, I won't be wasting my time with them. I lived in Italy for many years and never saw them there and we sure ate lots of eggplant...

[Aubergine]

this red turkish aubergines look very nice, but you can not eat them

good italian aubergines i like are per example Prosperosa and Rosa Bianca

[greentiger87]

I've seen them labeled "Pumpkin on a stick"... pretty apt name no?

[Deborah]

I wish I liked eggplant. There MUST be a way... The idea is so appealing but it always tastes metallic to me.

[Redbaron]

Deb,

Since you actually wish you liked it, and presumably would be willing to try it many possible ways to find a recipe you like......

Try the recipe I posted in the recipes section for feta eggplant. So far no one who has yet tried it didn't like it. And I gave it to many who claimed they didn't like eggplant.

But even if you don't like it, all is good. Tastes vary.

[riceke]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Deb,

Since you actually wish you liked it, and presumably would be willing to try it many possible ways to find a recipe you like......

Try the recipe I posted in the recipes section for feta eggplant. So far no one who has yet tried it didn't like it. And I gave it to many who claimed they didn't like eggplant.

But even if you don't like it, all is good. Tastes vary.

Red: I searched the forums Cookbook and Tomato Recipes and then searched all forums for the recipe Feta Eggplant and couldn't find it. Could you repost it??? Certainly sounds good and would like to try it.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by riceke

Red: I searched the forums Cookbook and Tomato Recipes and then searched all forums for the recipe Feta Eggplant and couldn't find it. Could you repost it??? Certainly sounds good and would like to try it.

Roasted eggplant w/Feta

INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably organic sheep or goat
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small hot pepper, such as jalapeño, seeded and minced preferably fully ripe red (optional)
1 cayenne hot pepper seeded and minced preferably fully ripe red (optional)
5-10 sweet grape, currant, or cherry tomatoes diced (extra sweet varieties)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional to taste)
Pinch of sugar (optional to taste)

Preparation
1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler.
2. Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
3. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to help prevent discoloring. Blend eggplant into a chunky paste.
4. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, hot pepper (if using), tomatoes, herbs and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed. (I never needed sugar but tastes vary)
5. chill

Note: This has 2 versions sweet and spicy. If you choose sweet, then sweet peppers should be used instead of Cayenne or jalapeño and no cilantro. If you prefer spicy then include both hot peppers and cilantro. Powdered herbs or chili powder can be substituted for fresh but it is much better with fresh herbs.

Serve with pita or any "dipping" bread. One festive way to serve it is in a hollow stuffing tomato with a mint leaf garnish.

Since I originally posted this I have tried a few variations. (can't help myself ) And the best variation I tried used pickled red cherry tomatoes from Moshou's recipe instead of fresh cherry tomatoes! Just WOW.

Credits: This is a slightly modified version of a Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip recipe
From EatingWell: September/October 2008, July/August 2012

[riceke]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Roasted eggplant w/Feta

INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably organic sheep or goat
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small hot pepper, such as jalapeño, seeded and minced preferably fully ripe red (optional)
1 cayenne hot pepper seeded and minced preferably fully ripe red (optional)
5-10 sweet grape, currant, or cherry tomatoes diced (extra sweet varieties)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional to taste)
Pinch of sugar (optional to taste)

Preparation
1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler.
2. Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
3. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to help prevent discoloring. Blend eggplant into a chunky paste.
4. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, hot pepper (if using), tomatoes, herbs and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed. (I never needed sugar but tastes vary)
5. chill

Note: This has 2 versions sweet and spicy. If you choose sweet, then sweet peppers should be used instead of Cayenne or jalapeño and no cilantro. If you prefer spicy then include both hot peppers and cilantro. Powdered herbs or chili powder can be substituted for fresh but it is much better with fresh herbs.

Serve with pita or any "dipping" bread. One festive way to serve it is in a hollow stuffing tomato with a mint leaf garnish.

Since I originally posted this I have tried a few variations. (can't help myself ) And the best variation I tried used pickled red cherry tomatoes from Moshou's recipe instead of fresh cherry tomatoes! Just WOW.

Credits: This is a slightly modified version of a Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip recipe
From EatingWell: September/October 2008, July/August 2012

[Redbaron]

Have you tried it yet?

[Darren Abbey]

Regular eggplant (Solanum melongena) and the common red eggplant (S. integrifolium) happen to have the same number of chromosomes (24) and will cross according to the research I've been able to find. The cross only works one direction, though I don't recall which way.

What I haven't been able to find is any photos of the F1 plant/fruit, or discussion of what happens in the F2 generation.

I have seeds for both types and hope to set up the cross next season. If I'm daring, I might setup inside lights to do grow a couple of the F1 plants over the winter so I can grow out the F2s the following growing season... time will tell.

Ah, found the link... http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00133296

[Deborah]

Worth a try, Scott. Thanks.