How can you tell if a Eggplant is ready to be harvested?

Question

Allready pulled one off today, it was not easy. It took some pulling and tugging but finally got it to come off.

Answer 1

Hi,

You can harvest at any size - some people (me included) like to eat them small when the seeds haven't formed yet. This is a great approach if you have a lot of epplant growing otherwise you will get a huge crop and not know what to do with it all.

You can also look at the shape/size depending on the variety you are growing. Japanese / Millionaire type should be thin. The regular type should be shiny purple. If it is soft, it is too late.

How hard it is to pull off is not an indicator of ripeness - they are all a pain to pull off. I would recommend cutting them because if you pull, you can break a whole brance of the plant off very easily.

Good Luck

Answer 2

The skin should be shiny......that's what the above answer means my tempting. If the skin turns dull purple, it's over ripe. In Greece they harvest eggplant from the time they are thumb size, pickling the tiny fruit. Here, first know what type you have, round, oval or Japanese slender and judge. Better to harvet early than too late.

Answer 3

They will be hard to remove from the vine. Use a knife or pair of kitchen scissors. They are ready when shiny but too late if soft. Best when about 1 - 1 1/2 lbs.

Answer 4

when the size are right and the color are tempting.