They go from light green to slightly yellow when ripe. I believe you do not use them when they are ripe, but rather pick them when they're fully grown and develop a very light green color, they should be crisp to the bite and slightly bitter or tart in taste, and the seeds crisp but soft. They are used in Thai curry. The Vietnamese pickle the larger version or eat them raw. If the seeds are dark and somewhat tough, they're too ripe.

I grew them last year - 10 feet tall and covered with blooms - unfortunately it seems that they won't produce until the second year. For those growing in less temperate areas that means taking cuttings in the fall, wintering them over and planting out the next spring. Wish I'd known that before we tilled the whole thing under. If you have any extra cuttings I'd love to get some!

Don't let them over rippen as they become unbearably bitter. Pick when young-then they are delightful in Thai curries IMHO. Use when just picked!

Mary-Anne

Robbins--I don't understand. How can taking cuttings yield in year two? I'm Zone 6.

Sorry - forgot to check back here. The deal is you need to take cuttings, root them, winter them over in a green house or inside your house, then plant out next year. When they begin growing next year it is best to keep them wacked back to three or four feet to force them to bush more than just grow tall. They will then begin blooming and set fruit.
I never did this because I didn't get the info until I'd already tilled mine under. So seriously, if you get any cuttngs started I'd love to get a couple from you.
Wish some of this information had been included in the seed catalog blurb, but they had never grown it.
Let me know how it all turns out.
Robbins

This small pea eggplant must be very fresh or it will be bitter. It is used in Thai curries.

Where did you find them?

Mary-Anne
SF Bay Area

Mary-Anne
The seed is sold in the Baker Creek catalog.

Update--I have small fruit berries on my plants now--hope to be able topick them in about a week.

I'm in zone 4, planted small plants from the local farmer's market kinda late this spring and we have fruit to eat. Makin' a nice Thai green curry tonight--yum!

I didn't think there were different varities... I recommend y'all grow the ones that you don't have to winter over, unless you like the effort, of course.

Robbins,
Yes..I think it was my post a while back that had something to do about the pea eggplant. I recommended to those folks in cooler climate that may not be getting any fruits due to a much earlier winter than someone like me in SoCal, to take a cutting of a mature pea eggplant, root them, overwinter them and plant it out next spring.
There aren't many varieties of pea eggplant out there, all I know of is of a thornless variety besides that everything else is much the same. Hope that cleared up the confusion.

yes... most helpful... thank you for sharing the info

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to freeze pea eggplants?

Thank you

honora,

I'd imagine it would be similar to the process of freezing other eggplant varieties.

Here is a link that might be useful: Freezing Eggplant

Both the common green eggplant and the small eggplant (pea aubergine) should be picked when they are light greenish colour.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eggplant

I checked in Baker Creek catalog. I couldn't find the seeds. Probably because the thread was started in '04. Now it is '09.

I would like to get the seeds for the same. If anyone of you have it pls let me know.

Does anybody know where I get seeds for Thai Green Pea Eggplant? I plan to grow next spring. Thanks in advance

JIMMY