General information and discussion about cultivating eggplants/aubergines.
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March 12, 2016 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
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Location: AL
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Asian Eggplant
I am growing five different varieties this year of Asian eggplants. From the descriptions I have, looks like most are small and all but one are eaten when they are green except one that you eat before it turns yellow. That one I have no idea what the first color is.
Anybody else grown any Asian type eggplants? I've grown Black Beauty, a pink type and a white. I have never seen where you eat a green colored eggplant before. How do the Asian eggplants taste compared say Black Beauty, which is my favorite. Also, do the Asian plants get flea beetles bad too? |
March 12, 2016 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
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I grew Ping Tung Long last year. I liked it. I wish that they didn't turn brown when cooked on a grill. They come off the grill looking like bratwurst.
This year I have a Thai Green, a round Thai purple, and "hairy eggplant." |
March 12, 2016 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
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In general, asian eggplants have thinner skin, less seedy, milder taste even when mature. I'd probably also argue they have a higher water content. They have less dense flesh and usually have more give or shrinkage when cooked, but the end result is usually more creamy texture.
Besides Ping Tung, Ma-Zu I really liked some of the japanese eggplants kamo and mitoyo. |
March 12, 2016 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
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One of the ones I have is S. ferox, the Hairy-fruited eggplant. The description that came with mine is a small fruit, the "hair" is similar to a kiwi fruit and is brushed off before cooking; harvest fruit before the color turns yellow.
Is that one of the same ones you have Cole? Here is the descriptions I have on my other ones. Any sound familiar to you? #28 medium size, pick fruit when about 1 1/2", light green in color, with some green striping, shape is a flattened round shape. #00 Solanum melonga L. - Ma Khuea Khao, light green, harvest before fruits are 8" long, about 80 days from seed to harvest. #27 - Slightly egg-shaped, pick fruit when light green in color, size can be larger than an egg and smaller than a coconut but tastes best when small. #3 - 'normal size' small, round shape, bigger than a pea and smaller than a plum, harvest when light green in color. Grilled bratwurst with spicy mustard. Yum! : ) |
March 12, 2016 | #5 | |
Tomatovillian™
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With some of the ones I got saying they are pea to plum size, it doesn't sound like they would easily make eggplant parmesan. So how do folks eat these? |
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March 12, 2016 | #6 |
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I am attempting to grow Ping Tung this year. Attempting = I had three plants growing in 2" containers until our cat squashed one yesterday... 2 plants left.
I want to buy some eggplant transplants locally. It has been so long since we ate eggplant grown in a home garden - I forget what it tastes like. |
March 12, 2016 | #7 | |
Tomatovillian™
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As far as using them, Kamo is probably half the size of something like Black Beauty. Due to availability, I've know of expats subbing in asian eggplants over those traditionally used in the mediterranean, and usually, they simply use more of them size fruit size is smaller. On the other hand, some people actually choose to use japanese eggplants over italian vars for their eggplant parmesan because they're looking for a creamer texture or milder taste. So it all depends. Last edited by Scooty; March 12, 2016 at 10:34 PM. |
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March 12, 2016 | #8 | |
Tomatovillian™
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I didn't put out any eggplants last year here. The year before I had the flea beetles so bad. I'd kill eggs off every leaf and come back a few hours later to find the nasty critters had laid double the egg amounts again. Other than hand squishing, I couldn't find anything to get rid of them. I am thinking about netting the plants this year from the start, once they go outside and just raise the netting up as need be and hand pollinating. |
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March 12, 2016 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
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Yeah, that's it, Starlight, same one.
Speaking of eggplant, I haven't had Rosa Bianca yet. I want to try that one. I am also tempted to order the mix of mini-eggplants that Johnny's sells: Hansel, Gretel, and Fairy Tale. |
March 12, 2016 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
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Sevin kills flea beetles. I try not to use it, but flea beetles on eggplant are the most compelling case I have seen for Sevin being necessary.
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March 12, 2016 | #11 |
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The cats were playing. The eggplants are now outside on a table. There's no room for cats to jump up on the table or on them, so unless a buzzard lands on them - they should be okay. We do have a tower on the property that buzzards think of as their breeding grounds, so...
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March 12, 2016 | #12 | ||||
Tomatovillian™
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I do have some extra seeds of all the above if anybody wants some, just pm me. |
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March 12, 2016 | #13 | |
Tomatovillian™
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Oh I should add, if you cook eggplant Parmesan with asian eggplant instead of some traditional med variety, the end result is not something everyone is going to like. Expats usually have to mod their recipes to try to imitate original consistency. less dense eggplant + lots of sauce = a mushier dish. Of course not everyone likes a lot of sauce.... I think this is why a lot of faux steak dishes that use eggplants use mediterranean varieties when they grill, since they keep shape and don't shrink much. Last edited by Scooty; March 12, 2016 at 11:51 PM. |
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March 13, 2016 | #14 | |
Tomatovillian™
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Cole.... While I was googling for Mitoyo, I noticed Baker Creek said that Hansel attracted the most bugs. You may want to re-think that one. |
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March 13, 2016 | #15 | |
Tomatovillian™
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