How to choose the right eggplant?

There are many varieties of eggplant varieties. Different types differ not only in the size and shape of the fruit, but also in color. Eggplants can be not only the traditional purple color, but also have black, green, red, orange, white or striped skin. Pear-shaped vegetables are especially thick-skinned. Oblong eggplants have a more delicate flavor, while pear-shaped varieties may have a slightly bitter taste.

White eggplant has the thickest peel. In addition, these varieties are less juicy and meaty than other varieties. They should be eaten only in a purified form. Flat and ribbed vegetables have the most pronounced taste with characteristic bitterness. If after the purchase it turned out that the eggplant is too bitter, then you can use a simple trick. The vegetable should be soaked in salted water for 20-25 minutes. The salt will remove the bitterness, and the taste of the eggplant will become more delicate.

How to choose an eggplant

The opinion that overripe eggplants should be chosen for making caviar is wrong. These vegetables become more bitter with age, so the taste of the dish will not live up to expectations. Eggplants should always be chosen firm, smooth and moderately shiny. The aroma of these vegetables is not very pronounced, so it is rather difficult to feel it without cutting the fruit. Odorless does not indicate chemical treatment.

If after the purchase it turned out that the eggplant pulp has dark spots or unpleasant-smelling seeds, then you should not eat such vegetables. In such fruits, rot has already begun to develop, which cannot be eliminated by simply cutting off the damaged areas. Eating eggplants in this case can be harmful to health. In addition, the bitterness caused by decay cannot be removed either.

What eggplants should you buy:

• the eggplant should be elastic and not squeeze when pressed;
• the stalk of the eggplant must be green;
• the color of the eggplant peel should be uniform and free of spots;
• the surface of the eggplant should have a characteristic shine (excessively shiny skin may be the result of treatment with substances to extend the shelf life);
• uneven color can only be in striped eggplants (this feature is implied by the variety);
• it is recommended to buy medium-sized eggplants;
• the eggplant must be dry.

What eggplants are not recommended to buy:

• if there are wrinkles on the surface of the eggplant, then this is a sign of its “old age” (the peel of such a vegetable will be thick, and the taste is bitter);
• a brown or dried stalk indicates long-term storage of the eggplant;
• brown spots on eggplant appear not only during prolonged storage, but also when the vegetable is overripe (in some cases, such marks appear when damaged by pests);
• it is not recommended to buy eggplants with cracks, dents or damage (the taste of such vegetables can be significantly impaired);
• you should not buy eggplants without a stalk (most likely, such eggplants were harvested unripe or the dried stalk was specially removed in order to pass off the old vegetable as a young fruit);
• eggplant with brown skin is not worth buying (varieties with such a shade do not exist, and its presence indicates the beginning of rotting);
• Slippery skins are usually found on spoiled eggplants.
• if the eggplant is soft, then rotting processes may already begin inside it or the vegetable is too ripe.

It is believed that male fruits of eggplant are tastier and rarely bitter. You can distinguish such a vegetable by its base. In female fetuses, an oval indentation is clearly visible, and in males, the base is more rounded. The bitterness of the vegetable is given by the seeds, which are much more in the female fruits than in the male varieties. In addition, the number of seeds can be determined by comparing the weight of the eggplant. If the vegetable is heavy, then it has a lot of liquid and seeds.