What can I do with under-ripe eggplant?
The eggplant in my garden was doing very well up until a hard frost a couple of days ago (it's late December, and this was inevitable). Some of the plants died and I picked the eggplant.
I have several variety of eggplant, but they are all rather hard. Will they ripen indoors? And, would it be possible for me to use them in eggplant parmesan before they are fully ripe?
Best Answer
let them sit in a sunny window with southern exposure until they get a little soft. Then put them in a paper bag for a couple of days and they should be edible
Pictures about "What can I do with under-ripe eggplant?"
Quick Answer about "What can I do with 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.Is it OK to eat under ripe 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.Are immature eggplants edible?
ANSWER: We harvest eggplants in the unripe immature stage, like we do bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, okra and snap beans. As such, you cannot harvest them too early. Baby eggplants are a delight to eat.Can you ripen eggplant after picking?
You can ripen eggplants after harvesting, but results vary, depending on the problem. Ripen them on the counter at room temperature. It helps to put the eggplants in a paper bag where they should ripen within a few days.Is unripe eggplant poisonous?
True or false? False, raw eggplants are not poisonous. However, the leaves and flowers of the plant can be toxic. Plants in the nightshade family -- which includes eggplants, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos -- contain an alkaloid called solanine, which in very large doses can be poisonous.When Is It Ripe? Eggplant
More answers regarding what can I do with under-ripe eggplant?
Answer 2
Did some looking around, which you have probably done also, and noted that there was no definitive answer. An unripe eggplant is going to be hard and have more solarine which apparently some people react to.
However, since eggplant is a nightshade and some other nightshades ripen on the counter (think tomatoes) I would try leaving it out for a few days. The frost might have killed that possibility but maybe not.
Worst case, I would peel it, cube it and add it into a tomato based soup...say a minestrone or other vegetable soup, where it can either break down or, if it doesn't, provide a little texture without being the lead ingredient. If you use it in eggplant parmesan and it is tough, the dish will be inedible. 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.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: SHVETS production, MART PRODUCTION, MART PRODUCTION, MART PRODUCTION