Hattie’s Eggplant
Below is a list of the eggplant you can expect to find for this season. Eggplants will be available this year beginning around the 1st of May. The entire month of May up until early June is a good time to get your solanaceous plants in the ground.
Fun Fact: Eggplants are actually a fruit (and not a vegetable), just like tomatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers.
Asian
Asian eggplants are thin and long and do not need to be peeled. They are terrific for all kinds of dishes, especially middle eastern and Asian dishes and can be sliced in rounds for pizza or sliced long-wise and grilled for a few minutes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (oh that is good!).
Orient Charm
Compared to Orient Express, fruits are similar in shape but lighter in color, ranging from light lavender to bright purple. It reaches sizes of around 8 inches (20 cm.). Maturing in as little as 65 days, this variety of eggplant is an excellent choice for gardeners with short growing seasons. Excellent for stir frying and grilling. (65 days)
Orient Express Eggplant
Slender dark purple Asian type. 8-10” long. It features an ability to set fruit in cool weather as well as under heat stress. Tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking.
Tender and delicately flavored. Hybrid. (58 Days)
Italian Eggplant
Italian eggplants are more like the fat, black eggplant you are used to seeing in the supermarket, but they will be much nicer from your own garden. Use them like you would Asian eggplants and also for the traditional things like eggplant parmigiana when you need good thick slices.
Galine
Early bell-shaped Italian style eggplant. Very glossy, uniform, black fruits are 6-7″ long by 3-4″ in diameter. Mild, good flavor when cooked with pudding-like texture. Fruit averages about one pound each and this is a dependable grower. Hybrid. (72 Days)
Rosa Bianca
A gorgeous white-and-pink blushed, Italian heirloom variety with a delicate, mild flavor, creamy consistency, and no bitterness. Considered one of the best for all uses by gourmets and gardeners alike. Plump, 3-4” across and 5” long. Not as early as some, but worth the wait. High yielding, heavy fruit with a creamy consistency and delicate flavor. Open pollinated. (88 Days)