Good afternoon, my reader. Eggplants require a special way of storage, as well as harvesting at certain times. In order to preserve the fruits until winter, there are several proven ways to store them for several months.
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When eggplant ripens
The maturation period of eggplants depends on the variety. There are early, middle and late ones. Ripening usually occurs 25-40 days after flowering is complete.
Sometimes gardeners do not know if the eggplant variety is early or late. In this case, you can try to determine whether the fruit is ripe, based on the appearance. Fruits acquire a characteristic purple, lilac, in some cases white color, which depends on the variety. The pulp acquires firmness, and the seeds turn white,
Overripe eggplants will have a bitter taste, the skin will become less elastic, and the flesh will be quite firm. Unripe eggplants will not be able to ripen if removed from the bush ahead of time. Unlike other crops, they will simply wither.
If you harvested on time and the fruit still tastes bitter, chances are the plant was not watered enough during the growing season. With a bitter taste, the fruit contains a large amount of solanine, which is considered a toxin and is harmful to humans in large quantities.
In order for the eggplant to ripen faster, you can cut the stem and move it apart a little. Due to this, nutrients will be less supplied to the leaves and will be directed towards ripening the fruits. This method is applicable for tall varieties. Alternatively, you can cover the plants with plastic to speed up maturation.
Harvesting
It is recommended to check how ripe the fruits are every few days. To cut the fruit, you need to use a pruner or knife, leaving a small piece of the stalk from 3 to 5 cm.
Do not wash the collected fruits, but wipe with a dry cloth and place in a dark room. The optimum air temperature is from zero to two degrees Celsius. Initially, the crop is best placed on the floor in one or two layers.
After a couple of weeks, revise the harvest and select whole fruits, wrap them in paper. Try to place them on the straw in a layer of 20 cm; it is recommended to cover the fruits with any cloth on top. Thanks to these conditions, eggplants can be stored for several months.
Early varieties are best eaten immediately. Late ripening ones will be stored longer than others.
If you are going to cook from eggplants almost immediately, there is no need to send them to storage. For a short time (about two to three weeks), you can store eggplants using the refrigerator or any cool place in the house. Use a dark plastic bag to temporarily store the fruit to prevent the production of solanine.
Since eggplants cannot be stored for a long time, vegetables can be preserved. In addition, you can dry a certain amount of fruit in a hot oven, and then send it to freeze. In this form, the vegetable can be used for cooking until the next season and harvesting. And the taste will remain the same as that of the fruits collected from the garden.
Do you know how to properly collect and store eggplants?
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