Aubergine Query?

[fiskies]

Got some free seeds, sown, started coming through now in the propagator and I've never grown them before let alone tasted them, any advice please. Was planning on putting one plant in the plastic greenhouse between two cucumber plant to see what happens. I've no idea what they taste like, texture etc and no clue how to eat/cook em, or how to treat the plants????

I do know one thing about them though, American's call em eggplants and I know what they look like based only on the pictures on the seed packet?


Any suggestions?

[fruitylou]

I wouldn't put them outside for a while yet, mine are still on the windowsill for now. I can't describe the taste but the middle is spongy like courgettes so don't let them get too big. As for recipes aubergine mousakka is awsome, I also add it to ratatouille or use them sliced and grilled in tom and mozzerella stacks, I made a lovely dip with them once as well along the lines of roasted garlic and aubergines mashed with a fork with yoghurt and chopped mint mixed through it was gorgeous with pita bread. As a plant it requires alot of feed and is best grown in the greenhouse but I grew some outdoors lastyear and it fairly well, I had about 5 fruits from it. It also helps to pinch out the tops when it gets big enough to stop it putting its energy into growing and more into producing a good crop.

[Newton]

You are certainly a brave newbie.......they are disgusting slimy veg......yuck. Still good luck with them. They do look great before they are cooked.......waste of good gas or electricity........

[fruitylou]

You are certainly a brave newbie.......they are disgusting slimy veg......yuck. Still good luck with them. They do look great before they are cooked.......waste of good gas or electricity........

haha depends how you cook them, if your feeling brave you could dry griddle some, no slimyness just a lovely smokey taste, although my mum hates them with passion and cringes when I talk about them so I suppose its a love/hate thing

[fiskies]

Thanks guys, if they're that bad I could always mush em up for the baby or dog, you never know i may love em.

[Newton]

Cruel mum.......

[Patchninja]

I love them!!!

[Florence Fennel]

So do I! Growing them for the first time this year (well, I did rescue a couple of saggy plants from Wilkos last year, but they didn't do much) from seed and hoping for a decent crop.

[Dane End Dolly]

I grow them every year and i love aubergines, my crop is not always great, but i always appreciate what i grow, i also like growing different colours and shapes of aubergines.

[Alison]

Aubergines are one of my favourite fruits, really love them and have struggled to grow them over the years. Managed it most successfully last year in the polytunnel. Grew them on slowly on the window ledge from a January sowing, potting on into 5" pots over a period of months. Eventually planted them out in the soil of the tunnel at the end of May, by which time they were flowering nicely. Had a few fruit from each plant which I used in a mixture of stir fries, pasta sauces, mousarka etc. Also have a lovely veggie recipe somewhere with chickpeas, tomatoes, parmesan and aubergines, nothing remotely slimey about them at all.

[Bren In Pots]

I love Aubergines but last year mine failed and all I had was pretty purple flowers, its not put me off though.

[smallblueplanet]

You are certainly a brave newbie.......they are disgusting slimy veg......yuck. Still good luck with them. They do look great before they are cooked.......waste of good gas or electricity........

You sure you don't mean okra?

Aubergines are fab in loads of different dishes - fry 2cm cubes in with your curry, chilli, spag bol sauce - different types they have different flavours. We grow one called 'thai long green' that has a mild flavour - hard to describe the flavour of aubergines really.

Anyway they're tricky to grow outside a greenhouse as they are heat & humidity loving plants. Good luck.

[northepaul]

I am going to be sowing them this weekend - second year lucky (fingers X) I got some lovely plants last year with purple flowers but no fruit......

[binley100]

I grew long purple last year and managed to get some fruit off them. They were long and thin and very banana shaped....not much good for big slices in things like moussaka but were still good in other things. This year I'm trying some Black Enorma and hope they'll live up to their name.
As sbp says ....Newton I think you must mean Okra I've never noticed aubs as being slimey .....

[northepaul]

I think they're actually one of the most beautiful veg...