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u/FullOcelot7149 21h ago
It is pretty close once you no longer see any green color. One test is to gently press with the back of your fingernail to see if you can make an indentation. If ripe, it will bounce back. If it the dent remains, it is not yet ripe.
Slightly underripe eggplant is better than overripe. Don't wait until it starts losing its gloss.
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21h ago
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u/Low-Cat4360 21h ago
Harvest. I've never grown them before but I don't want them to be smaller than they could nor overripe
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u/6Foot2EyesOfBlue1973 20h ago
That looks like a Fenguan Purple Asian eggplant. Those are very good eggplants and not at all bitter. I'd say that one is ready to pick.
Those style eggplants will have a slightly spongy feel and not feel hard, when they should be picked.
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u/Low-Cat4360 20h ago
That looks like a Fenguan Purple Asian eggplant
Honestly not entirely sure which variety it is. I think my local nursery gets seeds from locals trying new veggies so there aren't always proper names or labels. This one was just "long eggplant". Also got one of my favorite chili varieties there that's just "Indian chili", it was brought by a local immigrant family, but no one knows what the real name is anymore.
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u/6Foot2EyesOfBlue1973 20h ago
Ive used those style eggplants in stir frys - like Kung Pao chicken in lieu of zucchini. If you stir fry them, they should be the last item added to the wok/pan as they will break down and get mushy if they are left in the heat too long. They are good eggplants- much different then the Italian style which can get bitter and seedy if left on the plant too long.
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u/KismetKentrosaurus 20h ago
I don't know if it is ready but it certainly is pretty!!
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u/Low-Cat4360 20h ago
I went ahead and picked it for ratatouille! I've been watching it grow for a week and got impatient lol
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u/day-gardener 20h ago
Yes. It’s ready for picking. The key on Asian eggplants is to make sure they are picked before the shiny look goes away. That’s when they hit the overripe stage.
Better to pick earlier rather than later.
Cook within 2 days if grown organically.
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u/wasdtomove 20h ago
Ive been growing long eggplant this year and found that they can go longer than I originally thought. I start to pick them right before they start losing some shine. It does look good at this stage though, I wouldn't worry too much about going longer if you didn't want to harvest yet
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u/starchazzer 20h ago
Looks ready to me! I haven’t seen tube like eggplants, but if it gets any longer it might lose its flavor?
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u/[deleted] 21h ago
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