Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
mensplace

Eggplants

mensplace
14 years ago

I am seeking both a recommendation and seed source for a sweet, dense fleshed, tender skin, long eggplant that will do well in stirfry without soaking up lots of oil.

Comments (9)

  • cyrus_gardner
    14 years ago

    I don't think eggplants will stir fry well. First, they need to be cooked longer, second they will soak up lots of oil. Stir fry vegetable are generally such that you can eat them raw. You cannot do that with eggplants.
    That is, of course, my opinion.

  • mensplace
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I had thought that one of the differences between the Asian eggplant and the "Italian" varieties was that they had thinner skin and a dense flesh that helped them both in liquids and in frying, i.e., the density of some varieties was supposed to resist soaking up the oil like a sponge. To my wife, most eggplant is simply limp, bitter, and otherwise flavorless, so I was hoping for something that doesn't so quickly turn to mush, doesn't have the very bitter flesh, and without the acrid flavor. Too, it would be a real plus to have something with a natural sweetness. For years, I went through the routine of soaking in salt to remove extra water, but it seems that most just simply fall apart unless fried, but I cannot digest oil soaked sponges. One suggestion was to spray lightly with Pam and then fry, but is there not an Asian eggplant with a natural, sweet flavor and dense flesh?

  • farmerdilla
    14 years ago

    Japanese , Korean, and Chinese type eggplant are sweeter and more tender than than European types on average. Never had one that is bitter. on the other hand Thai and to a lesser extent Indian varieties value a degree of bitterness. Stir fry is not as cyrus stated a good use for eggplant. However there are lots of uses for eggplant other than fried. It makes a great mock oyster stew,and a lot of casserole type dishes like Ratatouille. Just google eggplant recipes and you find enough to keep you busy for a while. I even found a stir fry recipe, altho it is a bit different from what I think of as stir fry.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Stir fry eggplant

  • grandad_2003
    14 years ago

    Of the eggplant cultivars that I've tried (and I haven't tried that many), Rosa Bianca has the densest flesh. It produces a round fruit. Having sad this, I've not done very well with it productivity-wise. My favorite eggplant cultivars are Ichiban (Hybrid) and Rosita (OP).

    A few years ago, I planted the Burpee Gourmet Blend below. Of these, I recall that the Snowy Hybrid had a very firm flesh.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Burpee's Gourmet Blend

  • mensplace
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Made a trip to LOWES and found the Burpees mix that was recommended. With four different varieties, that was quite a value and should serve me very well. Thanks for the great advice and recommendations.

  • cyrus_gardner
    14 years ago

    As Farmerdilla said, I have not found any Asian eggplants to be bitter.
    Oriental Eggplants can be baked(whole withe few holes) in 350F oven for an Hr 15 mins., cooled, skin removed, and copped/mashed into a patte(?). Then add your other ingriedients and spices. Or use them in eggplant parmesan, or in other stew-like dishes(as whole w/skin on , not smashed). This is healthy low fat/low calory way of using eggplant.
    I have some oven baked eggplants in my freezer from last year. They are very tasty.

  • kayan
    14 years ago

    Neither of my parents believe that such an Asian eggplant exists. What they've told me is that eggplants are notorious for their oil soaking. So what they do at their restaurant is deep fry it before cooking. Surprisingly by some sort of culinary science the effect seems reversed and instead of biting into a oil-soaked sponge, the eggplant is simply moist and tender inside. Otherwise stir fry it, but never with a low fire.

  • mensplace
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Kayan, Thanks for the clarification. I guess that quickly deep frying in hot oil seals the pores so that it is less prone to soak up oil like in slowly cooking at lower temps. That will be a huge help to me!

  • cyrus_gardner
    14 years ago

    Eggplants, when pan or deep fried, will soak up lots of oil first but once fully cooked most of that oil will come out. So when you bake them (@ 350f for an hour) they will get so moist and soft that will not absorb any oil. What oil does is to provide a high temperature to cook it. That is why you cannot cook them by boiling easily.