Eggplant is a wonderful plant to grow in your garden. They’re very easy to grow, incredibly tasty, and highly nutritious. The only problem with eggplants is that they can be harvested at different times depending on how you want to cook them. So when do you harvest eggplant?
Eggplants are best harvested when they’re about 8 inches long. The fruit should be firm and glossy, with unblemished skin. If the fruit starts to split open or look wrinkled, it’s time to pick them.
When you’ve picked your eggplants, store them in a cool place out of direct sunlight for up to three weeks before using them.
When Is The Best Month To Harvest Eggplants?
Eggplants are warm-season vegetables, so you will want to harvest your eggplant plant when it is mature and growing well. You should be able to tell when your eggplant is ready by looking at its stems and leaves. When the stem begins to shrivel up and turn brownish, or if there are any dead flowers on top of your plant, then it’s time to harvest!
Make sure that you wait until after all danger of frost has passed before harvesting an eggplant plant from its roots. The best time for this is late summer through early fall—anytime between August and October will work just fine depending upon where you live in North America.
Can You Harvest Eggplants Too Early?
The answer is yes, you can harvest eggplants too early. It’s a common mistake that happens when gardeners are eager for their eggplant plants to produce fruit.
The best time to harvest eggplant is when the fruit is fully ripe, but before it turns brown. The skin should be glossy and smooth, not wrinkled or dry. If you’re not sure how to tell if your eggplant is ripe enough, cut into it with a sharp knife. If the flesh is white and doesn’t have any brown streaks in it, then it’s ready to pick!
If you pick an eggplant too early, it may not grow properly or produce any fruit at all. So wait until your plant has produced several small fruits before harvesting any of them — this means that there are plenty of flowers on the plant and it has been pollinated by bees or other insects.
How to Harvest Eggplants
There are several methods for harvesting eggplant fruit. The easiest method is hand-gathering. When the plant is ready for harvest, simply cut off the stem at ground level with a sharp knife or pruning shears.
You can also use a rake to gently pull the mature fruit from the ground; however, this method may damage some of the smaller ones that haven’t been set yet.
If you’re harvesting eggplants from a container garden or raised bed, use a trowel or shovel to dig up the entire plant with as much of its root system intact as possible.
Storing Eggplants After Harvesting
There are a few things you can do to keep eggplants fresh after harvesting them.
The best way to store eggplants is in the refrigerator. If you have less than 5 pounds of eggplant, you can store them in a plastic bag or container. If you have more than 5 pounds, place the eggplants in their own paper bags and then place those bags inside a larger plastic bag. This will help keep them from getting too wet or crushed during storage.
Another option is to freeze the eggplants. You can place them in freezer bags or containers and then put those bags into your freezer. It may take up to two weeks for them to completely freeze, but once they are frozen, they will keep for several months if stored properly in your freezer.
You should also consider blanching your eggplants before freezing them so that they don’t turn brown when thawed out later on down the line. To do this, simply boil some water in a large pot and then add your fresh eggplants until they are bright green again before placing them inside your freezer containers for storage purposes later on down the road after harvest time has passed for good!
Conclusion
Eggplants are a great vegetable to grow in your garden. They’re easy to grow and can be harvested at any time of year. The best time to harvest eggplants will depend on what kind of variety you’re growing, but the general rule is that larger eggplants should be left longer than smaller ones. Also, remember that if you harvest too early then your yield may decrease due to lower fruit quality or size!
