How do you know when a Black Beauty eggplant is ready to pick?

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.

How big should a black beauty eggplants get?

30″ tall
Black Beauty is 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.

How can you tell if eggplant is ripe?

Ripe eggplants should be firm but not hard. Flesh should be white with a slight green tint (orange eggplants ripen orange/green inside). If you are unsure of your eggplant’s ripeness, cut one crosswise and check the seeds. They should be clearly visible.

Why is my Black Beauty eggplant green?

If you discover that the eggplants are green because they stayed on the vine too long, then the flesh will be bitter with large seeds. If this is the case, you might consider leaving the overripe eggplants on the vine until the skin turns soft, scoop out the seeds, and save them for planting next season.

Does Black Beauty eggplant need a trellis?

Yes, it’s wise to create a support for eggplants. Staking eggplant keeps the fruit from touching the ground, which in turn, reduces the risk of disease and fosters fruit shape, especially for elongated eggplant varieties.

Is Black Beauty eggplant and heirloom?

An heirloom variety, Black Beauty Eggplant bears lots of classically shaped, glossy, purple-black fruits that are delicious grilled, baked, in Asian dishes and stir-fries.

Is it OK to eat unripe eggplant?

The thing is, eggplant won’t ripen off the vine, so there’s nothing to be done if it’s underripe. But here’s another thing: For the most part, the smaller, the better when it comes to flavor. And before it’s picked, eggplant can be ripe enough to eat before it’s fully grown.

Do eggplants continue to ripen after picking?

Storage. Eggplant doesn’t respond well to cool temperatures. This makes it hard to ripen the fruit after harvesting or to place them in a refrigerator for storage. Fruit that must be stored for one to two days after harvest can be wrapped in plastic and placed in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.

How long do Black Beauty eggplants take to grow?

80 days
Grows beautifully in garden beds or containers. Add a cage to your eggplant to help support stems when heavy with fruit. Place in full sun, and feed regularly. Matures in 80 days.

How long does it take for an eggplant to ripen?

When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted. Don’t wait too long to harvest!

How do you use under ripe eggplant?

If you use it in a vegetable stew, chewiness won’t kill the whole dish. Or you could cut it in half, rub olive oil on it and roast it in the oven. If it softens, use it in baba ganoush or in ratatouille. If it doesn’t, feed it to the chickens.

Are immature eggplants edible?

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

What do unripe eggplants look like?

Eggplants are actually eaten before they turn ripe. That classic, shiny, purple color is the color of an underripe fruit. When eggplants begin to ripen, their skin turns dull and their color changes to a rusty brown or yellow color, depending on the variety.

What should you not plant next to eggplant?

Eggplant – A good companion for amaranth, beans, marigolds, peas, peppers, spinach, and thyme. Do not plant eggplants near fennel.

How do you pick an eggplant?

“Eggplant should be slightly firm but not hard,” says Leone. In other words, if you push on it with your finger and the veggie feels very soft, or you’re able to puncture the skin, it’s too far gone. A perfectly ripe eggplant will not have as much give when touched as a ripe tomato or peach.

How can I make eggplant taste better?

Once your eggplant, broccoli, and onion are sufficiently roasted, just add them to a bowl with warm rice and sprinkle on some tasty garnishes. Green onion is kind of a must, but basil, mint, and cilantro are all great too.

Can you grow tomatoes and eggplants together?

Q: Can I plant tomatoes and eggplant together? A: Yes! Tomatoes and eggplant are both members of the nightshade family and have similar growing requirements. Just be sure to give them both plenty of room, and lots of compost or organic matter.

What is the best fertilizer for eggplant?

A balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) is often recommended for eggplant. Feeding too much nitrogen at this point can result in large, leafy plants that fail to produce fruit.

Do you need to stake eggplant plants?

Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants should be staked for optimum growth and yield (Figure 2). Staking keeps the eggplant fruit from touching the ground, which reduces disease and improves fruit shape, particularly on elongated fruit. Staking also makes harvesting easier.

Can eggplant grow with cucumbers?

If you want to plant both cucumbers and potatoes in your garden, plant them far away from one another. (Other members of the nightshade family, like tomato plants and eggplants, are fine to plant with cucumbers.)

Does eggplant like full sun?

As a basic rule of thumb, vegetables grown for their fruit or roots—such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, potatoes, or carrots—require full sun, which is defined as a garden location that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day.

What month do you plant eggplant?

The best time to plant eggplant is in late spring after the last threat of frost. Eggplants have a long growing season, so you’ll need to start them indoors around eight weeks before your region’s last frost date.