How can I tell an eggplant is not bitter and very seedy?
Aubergines / Eggplants are sometimes bitter or particularly seedy. Since this is at the market or supermarket, we can look at it, smell it and carefully touch it, but not poke mushy indentations in it or pierce its skin.
Is there a way to tell whether it is bitter or has many seeds?
Best Answer
Eggplants become bitter as they mature so your best bet is to buy freshly picked eggplants and to use them as soon as you can. Look for a full-size eggplant with a glossy and firm purple. Once an eggplant's color dulls, it becomes more bitter.
The "seediness" of eggplants may also vary depending on what variety of eggplant you've purchased so try a variety of them to see which ones you like best!
If you end up with a bitter eggplant, try slicing it, salting the slices, and allowing them to drain for an hour. Then, remove excess salt and moisture by pressing on the slices with a kitchen towel. This can help the eggplant taste less bitter.
Fun fact: Eggplants are bitter because they contain phenolic compounds, which impart bitterness! Lots more great science about eggplants in that link :)
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Quick Answer about "How can I tell an eggplant is not bitter and very seedy?"
Look for a full-size eggplant with a glossy and firm purple. Once an eggplant's color dulls, it becomes more bitter. The "seediness" of eggplants may also vary depending on what variety of eggplant you've purchased so try a variety of them to see which ones you like best!How do you tell if an eggplant has a lot of seeds?
Eggplants have a dimple at the blossom end. The dimple can be very round or oval in shape. The round ones seem to have more seeds and tend to be less meaty, so select the oval dimpled eggplant.How do you know if eggplant is bitter?
Old or overripe eggplants or those that are off color or sit out for a while after being harvested are more likely to exhibit a bitter flavor. Therefore, choose eggplants that are heavy, shiny and firm and avoid eggplants that are off-colored and/or do not exhibit a bright, glossy color.Why is my eggplant seedy?
The middle of an eggplant has a soft, pulpy core that holds its seeds. You don't have to remove the seeds to eat an eggplant, but they do sometimes have a bitter flavor that you might like to get rid of before cooking the eggplant. You can also harvest and save the seeds to grow your very own eggplant.Are eggplants seedy?
Eggplants are one of the seediest vegetables out there. If you slice into an eggplant, you will find hundreds of tiny seeds in the white flesh. Eggplant seeds are completely safe to eat, although different varieties \u2013 and the ripeness \u2013 of eggplant will affect how the seeds taste.Eggplant Recipes : How to Tell if Eggplant Is Rotten
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Answer 2
There are many varieties of eggplant. So that's one place to start. Chinese eggplant, the long, narrow, purple ones, generally have few seeds and are not bitter. However, that is one of, I don't know, over a dozen varieties. It might be good to attempt to locate some of these varieties and try them.
Not sure where you are writing from, but perhaps most common in the US, is the globe eggplant. Most of the bitterness has be bred out of this variety. In general, I look for smaller sizes, which tend to have fewer seeds. No matter which variety you choose, they should be firm, probably shiny...healthy looking.
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