Eggplant

It is widely believed that eggplant go its name from early varieties that were white with an egg shaped appearance. Today, the most common eggplants have taken on a completely different appearance, with a pear shaped appearance and a glossy purple color.

Overall, eggplant has become a very popular vegetable, especially for vegetarians, because it is very filling and has a meaty texture. It also has very few calories and virtually no fat. Eggplant does have one shortfall; it does not provide a high level of essential vitamins or minerals.

Florida provides most of the United States crop. New Jersey is second and California third. A substantial amount of eggplant comes form Mexico.

Storage & Selection
The key to selecting a non-bitter eggplant is freshness. Therefore, look for an eggplant that is not too large that is lighter in weight-it will have fewer seeds that can cause bitterness. The flesh should spring back when pressed. All eggplant should be shiny and firm (but not rock hard) with a taut skin that is free of blemishes (such as wormholes or dark brown spots) or bruises. Heavy scarring is an indication of poor handling, but small scarring may just signal wind damage. A dull skin and rust-colored spots are a sign of age.

The color should reflect the specific variety. The stem, which should always be on the eggplant, should be bright green when it is appropriate to the variety. The inside of the eggplant should be white with few seeds and no green. Green indicates an immature eggplant.

Eggplant does not like severe cold, so the front part of the refrigerator where the temperature is around 46�F to 54�F is ideal for storage. Eggplant is ethylene sensitive, so store it away from ethylene-producing produce such as apples. If kept in a plastic bag (to retain moisture,) eggplants will last up to five days.

Preparation
The first decision you need to make is to peel or not to peel. With most preparations, such as eggplant Parmesan, grilled eggplant, and caponata, it is best to leave the skin on. It is not recommend cooking eggplant in oil because it will soak it up like a sponge. For this reason, it is best to boil or grill eggplant instead of frying it, but spray the sliced eggplant with an olive oil cooking spray first. You can also panfry slices in a nonstick skillet after they've been sprayed lightly with a cooking spray.

Many recipes call for salting eggplant before cooking. This helps to remove some of the moisture, resulting in a denser textured flesh. The best way to apply salt is to cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and sprinkle the surfaces with salt. Let the salted eggplant stand for up to 30 minutes in a colander. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.

Eggplant lends itself to a multitude of ethnic preparations from Indian to Moroccan, with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes in between. Garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, and sesame oils are merely a few of the many seasonings and vegetables that go well with eggplant.

Tony's Tip
Because eggplant is susceptible to bruising, don't stack other food on top of it, and be wary of retailers who do.

Tony's Favorite Recipe
Eggplant Pizza

Varieties
American eggplant has an egg-shaped globe appearance. It is almost black in color, with a green stem and green calyx or leaf protrusion that shoots out from the base of the stem and wraps the top of the eggplant like the cap of an elf. It has many commercial varieties, the main ones being Black Beauty, Florida Market, Myers Market, Florida High Bush, and New York Purple.

Italian eggplant is what smaller varieties of the globe-shaped eggplant are called. These should not be confused with the Rosa Bianco, a more obscure purple and white eggplant with a pronounced calyx.

Puerto Rican Rayada eggplant is also purple and white (but more purple than white) with a distinct calyx, although its shape is more cylindrical then the Rosa Biabco.

Japanese eggplant is smaller, thinner, and has a purple skin with a calyx that may also be purple instead of green. It is sweeter and less bitter than larger globe varieties. The primary variety is the Millionaire. There is a miniature version of the Millionaire that has violet and purple streaks and is straighter than the full-size Japanese eggplant.

French Bonde de Valence is a deep purple, medium-size eggplant whose calyx and stem are somewhere between the Japanese and globe in color.

White eggplant, is somewhat larger than its egg-sized ancestor. Specialty markets may carry the softball-size Easter egg and the smaller White egg.

Ghost Buster is the main white variety, about 6 to 8 inches long.

Casper is a white eggplant about the shape of a large zucchini.

Chinese white eggplant is similar in size to the Japanese eggplant.

Thai eggplants are small and round and may be green-streaked, purple, or white. One variety, the Green Bunch, comes in clusters like grapes.

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