Mad About Eggplant?

Eggplant's token trademark used to be madness. In various parts of Europe, people suspected that eating eggplant made you go mad. They also thought it caused leprosy, cancer, and bad breath, which might explain why eggplant was used mostly for decoration in England and the United States until the 20th century!

Eggplant is now popular in the United States and across the world. Thomas Jefferson, who experimented with many varieties of plants in his Virginia garden, is credited with introducing eggplant to North America.

The dark purple eggplants are the most common type sold commercially in the United States. They weigh about 1 to 5 pounds each and come in two shapes: oval and elongated. The elongated variety is often referred to as the Japanese or oriental eggplant.

Specialty varieties include miniature eggplants that come in a variety of colors and shapes.

Eggplants are available all year. Their peak growing season in the United States is from July to October.

How to choose

When selecting eggplant, look for a symmetrical vegetable with smooth, uniformly colored skin. Tan patches, scars, or bruises indicate decay. Also avoid eggplants with wrinkled or flabby-looking skin. Oversized purple eggplants, usually over six inches in diameter, may be tough and bitter.

When you press gently on an eggplant, the finger mark will disappear quickly if the eggplant is fresh. Eggplant should feel heavy; one that feels light for its size may not have a good flavor. The stem and cap should be bright green.

How to store

Both cold and warm temperatures can damage eggplant. It is best to store eggplant uncut and unwashed in a plastic bag in the cooler section of the refrigerator. Eggplant may also be blanched or steamed then frozen for up to six months.

Wash the eggplant just before using it, and cut off the cap and stem. Eggplant may be cooked with or without its skin. However, large eggplant and most white varieties have thick, tough skin and should be peeled prior to cooking with a vegetable peeler.

Eggplant should not be eaten raw. 

Unlike many vegetables, few nutrients are lost from the eggplant by long cooking. An undercooked eggplant can have a chewy texture; but overcooked eggplant is just very soft. 

Use allspice, basil, bay leaves, garlic, chili powder, oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram, and parsley with eggplant. Eggplant is most often paired with tomatoes or onions.

• Baking: To bake a whole eggplant, pierce the skin with a fork several times, and cook it at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Baking whole eggplants produces a soft flesh that is easy to mash or puree.
  
  
• Broiling: Cut the eggplant into thick lengthwise slices, and score them lightly with a sharp knife. Place the slices on a broiler pan or grill; brush them lightly with oil. Broil about 5 inches from the heat, and turn slices when they begin to brown. Eggplant should be cooked for approximately 5 minutes per side.
  
  
• Microwaving: Eggplant may also be microwaved whole, cubed, or sliced. Cooking times vary from 6-8 minutes for a whole eggplant to 3-4 minutes for a pound of cubed eggplant.

A Word to the Wise! According to an Australian study, eggplant absorbs more fat in cooking than any other vegetable. When researchers deep-fried a serving of eggplant, they found that it absorbed 83g of fat in just 70 seconds—four times as much as an equal portion of potatoes—adding more than 700 calories. Try one of the many other cooking options instead of frying or sautéing.

• Sprinkle minced garlic and herbs over eggplant slices before grilling for extra taste

• Add eggplant to lasagna to add color, taste, and texture


• Blend eggplant to spinach dips or other vegetable dips

• Add eggplant to vegetable soups to for a heartier texture

• Grill eggplant, and add it to your favorite sandwich


• Try eggplant seasoned and mashed or pureed as a dip with pita bread.