What do eggplants taste like

Regardless of the variety, choose a firm, heavy eggplant for its size. The skin should be bright, shiny, and free from scars or spots.

Avoid eggplants with discolored skin or bruises, which usually indicate damaged flesh inside. Eggplant is best used soon after buying it or picking it from the garden. Within days is a good rule of thumb to follow. Store eggplant in a cool, dry place and avoid storing it in the refrigerator. Eggplant is generally grown in temperate climates and does not do well in cold temperatures, like your refrigerator.

There is certainly no shortage of ways to taste eggplant! While it can be eaten raw, eggplant tastes even better when grilled, baked, braised, or cooked and mashed in a dip.

Read Also : African mango weight loss study. There are many variations of the raw diet and you have the power to shape your own. Here are some tips to get started:. The reason for not eating raw eggplant or potatoes is an alkaloid called Solanin, which is also found in unripe green tomatoes.

For potatoes, these are the green spots they get, whereas eggplants only contain them until they are ripe. On an interesting side note, pretty much all plants are poisonous, although most of them are only eaten in large quantities. Slice them lengthwise and rub the salt on both sides.

So if you're in a rush, or just don't want to go through the bother of salting your eggplant, you are totally allowed to skip this step. Fried eggplant is great—but proceed with caution.

If you don't treat it right, you'll wind up with a soggy mess that tastes exclusively of oil, and is definitely not crispy. Left to its own devices, this veggie will absorb an enormous amount of fat, so take preventative measures: Coat the cubes or slices with egg and breadcrumbs to form a barrier between the oil and eggplant, or lightly coat them with oil and broil until browned and crispy.

Here's an instance where sucking out a little moisture with a pre-frying salt treatment might be helpful, but, says Saffitz, "I never do. You really don't need to. If that's your jam, we're not judging. Oh man, do we love a good eggplant parm. But that red-checkered tablecloth version trapped under a half a jar of marinara sauce and a caked-on, congealed mess of mozzarella cheese?

If it leaves a light imprint, it is ripe. If there's too much give, it's too old and will be bitter. Eggplant's silky texture is ideal for blending into dips and spreads, like baba ghanoush and moutabal. It also stands up well to nearly any other manner of preparation, and you can find delicious eggplant recipes from all corners of the world. You can buy standard Italian eggplant — the large, oblong, purple-black variety — at most supermarkets in the refrigerated produce section.

Asian and international grocers carry a wider variety, particularly the thin-skinned elongated kinds, and farmers markets around the country will stock uncommon and heirloom eggplants. Eggplant grows well in outdoor home gardens during the summer months. Eggplant is quite perishable and will not store long.

Depending on the freshness factor of the eggplant at the time of purchase, it may be refrigerated for up to four days up to seven days if you pick right from the garden or buy from the farmers market. However, it is best to use them as soon as possible.

Store in your refrigerator's vegetable crisper for maximum shelf life. Cooked eggplant may be refrigerated for up to three days it will get mushy when reheated or frozen for up to six months in puree form add a little lemon juice to discourage discoloration.

It holds up fairly well as a component of soups and stews when thawed in the refrigerator, but not as well on its own. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. American eggplants are normally shaped like pears or teardrops with a deep, glossy purple color and a green, leafy stem. Their flesh is cream colored. And the closest thing you can compare its taste to, is zucchini, which means you can expect a very mild and somewhat bland flavor, but you can easily pair it with more flavorful ingredients.

Although not as effective once salted, the eggplant acts like a sponge when mixed with oils or liquids and juices from other foods. So its flesh easily absorbs flavor from the ingredients you cook it together with.

Its nutritional content will support your well-being through a number of great health benefits and it has in fact been used in traditional medicine to improve a variety of problems like asthma and bronchitis.

Calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and vitamin K2 are some of the key nutrients which help keep your bones strong, protecting you from osteoporosis and bone fragility. Eggplant just happens to be a good source of all these nutrients, which makes it ideal for your bone health. Anthocyanin is a polyphenol antioxidant found in various plant foods, which has been shown to be effective in protecting heart health , and eggplant has a high content of this antioxidant in its skin.

As you probably know, adequate fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, supporting healthy digestion and helping you maintain bowel regularity among other benefits. Eggplant is rich in water and high on appetite-suppressing fiber content. To help even more with achieving satiety, you can pair eggplant with avocado. Several important nutrients play a role in helping your body produce blood cells, including the minerals iron and copper, as well as folate vitamin B9.

This nutrient is critical for normal baby development, which reduces chances of birth defects. Consuming eggplant regularly is a good way to boost your intake of folate. If you were thinking about putting your eggplant in the refrigerator, think twice.

An optional yet popular way to make eggplant ready for use in many recipes is to salt it, as this draws out the moisture and bitterness from its flesh, making it more palatable and improves the texture. Your eggplant is now ready to use for a variety of recipes.