Eggplants can be found in the garden of every second gardener, but few people know the rules for caring for these vegetables. In case of non-compliance with agricultural technology or overripe, the fruits acquire a green tint. They are dangerous to eat. Today I will talk about the causes of greening and how to avoid it.
Main reasons
The green color of the peel is due to solanine, an alkaloid toxic to humans. Blue or purple fruits also contain an alkaloid, but in safe doses. It gives the vegetable a specific, slightly bitter taste. Solanine can accumulate for two reasons:
- If the rules of agricultural technology were violated. Late watering, drought or lack of light can eventually lead to the accumulation of a toxic substance. I water my vegetables regularly. The need for watering can be determined by the surface of the soil. As soon as the top layer begins to dry out, it is necessary to water. But it is better to develop a system. For example, I water vegetables every 3-4 days in the morning. I use bottled water. I do not recommend watering with running water. This can lead to hypothermia of the root system.
- The second reason for the accumulation of solanine is untimely harvesting. Overripe fruits begin to turn green, brighten and may acquire a yellowish tint. The pulp and seeds of such eggplants become dark, almost brown.
Can you eat green eggplant?
In no case do I recommend eating vegetables that have overripe or accumulated solanine due to violations in the care. Even after heat treatment, solanine can be hazardous to health. Alkaloid poisoning is not the most pleasant thing that can happen, and after such a lunch or dinner you will have to spend several painful days at home or even in the hospital.
Some gardeners recommend soaking overripe vegetables in saline and then boiling them for 3-5 minutes in salted water. Allegedly, this technology allows minimizing the content of solanine. But I do not recommend experimenting with your own health. It is better to leave overripe eggplants for seeds and harvest next year more quickly.
When should you harvest eggplant?
I recommend picking fruits at the moment of technical maturity. It's pretty easy to check. I lightly press on the fruit - if the dent disappears after a couple of seconds, then the vegetable is ready, it can be picked from the bush, and if the dent does not disappear, then such an eggplant is already overripe. Even if the skin color hasn't changed, it's best not to cook it.
You can also focus on the information indicated on the seed label. The manufacturer always writes in how many days the crop will be ready.
Varietal features
In the store you can find seeds of green and even white eggplants. Manufacturers have developed hybrid varieties with extremely low levels of the dangerous alkaloid. Because of this, the peel of the fruit does not darken. Some varieties can even be consumed fresh. They do not need to be boiled or fried, soaked in salted water, and so on. The taste of such eggplant is not at all bitter and may even resemble mushroom.
Varieties of white and green eggplants:
- Emerald F1;
- Alenka;
- green;
- Green F1;
- Yoga;
- Louisiana;
- Thai green;
- Green galaxy F1.
They can be grown and eaten without fear. Solanine does not accumulate, and its total content is minimized.
What do you do with green eggplants and how do you prevent the accumulation of solanine? Share your experience in the comments.
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