Eggplant Sex

[shel]

Hi,

Would someone please remind me of how to tel the sex of an eggplant? Also, is the male or the female supposed to be "tastier?" What's your favorite eggplant variety?

Shel

[DC Sunshine]

The female wears high heels

[RAS1187]

I saw the title of this thread... and my mind wandered a little too far

[greyeaglem]

There is a lot of controversy on this subject with many claiming there is no such thing. The "male" is supposed to be the better eating and supposedly has an "outie" type dimple on the blossom end. Usually there is either a round or oval shaped dimple on the blossom end. Some say the oval is the "female" and is contradictory in that the oval dimple is supposed to be the less seedy, meatier of the two. They do seem to agree that the oval dimple is the better egg plant, so look for the oval, and don't worry about which one it is.

[bluezebra]

AB did a show on this but I can't ever remember...

Eggplant sex though...sounds a bit kinky for me!

[shel]

Originally Posted by bluezebra

AB did a show on this but I can't ever remember...

Eggplant sex though...sounds a bit kinky for me!

I'll look for AB's show.

Sex between consenting eggplants is OK, don'tcha think?

Shel

[Mezzaluna]

Oy! You guys are a stitch.

I thought the female ones were more rounded on the bottom with more seeds inside, and the male ones more slender with fewer seeds. (That was not intended to refer to anything but eggplants, you salacious people!)

I just bought an eggplant for a batch of ratatouille yesterday. The best one I could find was more rounded on the bottom. It proved to be VERY seedy.

[bluezebra]

*blush* (shel made me say it...) *blush*

Hey a t/j (threadjack) question here. I heart heart heart eggplant! But the last two times I cooked it (one time grilled and not so well done) and the second time, my mom's recipe for eggplant casserole = cooked the hellll out of it... my throat was really really itchy.

So does anyone else get this and is it normal or have I wonder of wonders developed an allergy to it?

[KYHeirloomer]

The only part of a vegetable plant that has gender characteristics is the flower.

Certainly the fruit doesn't. And, if it did, they would all be female because the fruit is merely the fertilized ovum.

Eggplant, like most of its cousins (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) has what are known as perfect flowers. That means they have both male and female sexual organs in the same bloom (and, yes Virginia, they can---and do--fertilize themselves. That's one of the methods we use to assure seed purity).

So, the idea that there are male and female eggplants is just more of Alton Brown's sillyness.

[Mezzaluna]

KYH, I'm happy to amend my information. Your idea about male/female flowers or flower parts makes sense to me. I didn't hear that from Alton Brown; I heard it many years ago. Are they different varieties of eggplant? Do the growing conditions, grower fertilizing, etc. make the difference? Clearly, there are differences. The fat-bottomed ones do have more seeds, and they're not necessarily larger or smaller than the ones that have fewer seeds.

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by bluezebra

*blush* (shel made me say it...) *blush*

Hey a t/j (threadjack) question here. I heart heart heart eggplant! But the last two times I cooked it (one time grilled and not so well done) and the second time, my mom's recipe for eggplant casserole = cooked the hellll out of it... my throat was really really itchy.

So does anyone else get this and is it normal or have I wonder of wonders developed an allergy to it?

Blue- this might be something worth discussing with your doc- be careful with food allergies!

And yeah, this subject line sure catches your attention...LOL

[KYHeirloomer]

"Are they different varieties of eggplant?"

As a matter of fact, Mezz, there are roughly 150 known varieties of open pollinated eggplants. Throw in the hybrids, and the number probably tops 200. About 70 OP varieties are in general trade.

These come in a range of sizes from those about half the size of marbles, to egg-sized, to the large Black Beauty types we're all familiar with. Colors include white, black, purple, orange, lavender, green, red, pink, and striped with various colors.

Used as we are to the Black Beauty and Listada de Gandia types, we often forget that most eggplants, particularly Asian varieties, actually are fairly bitter tasting. And it seems (but I can't prove this) that the smaller the variety the more bitter it is likely to be. Turkish Orange, for instance, which are about the size of golf balls, are fairly bitter. Some of the Thai varieties, about half that size, are so bitter as to be almost inedible. Etc. But putting the lie to that are varieties such as the Thai Green Pea, which resembles its namesake in size and color. I haven't eaten them, but Jere Gettle, who collected them in Thailand, says, "wonderfully strong, rich eggplant taste, perfect for stir fry, soups, and curries."

Yes, growing conditions can effect the appearance and taste of eggplants. So, too, can harvest time. Very often market-purchased eggplants are well past their prime. When choosing eggplants, they should be firm (but not hard) to the touch, with bright, shiny skins, and no loss of color. Be especially leery of those with bruizes and blemishes, and those which are starting to wrinkle.

[Luc_H]

Anything to do with plants... I go for what KYHeirloomer says!!

(very informative KYH... particularly the perfect flower bit)

Luc H