The Eggplant Harvest Season

Basics

• Eggplant is edible from the time it is one-third of the way grown until the time it is ripe. A ripe eggplant has shiny skin with soft seeds on the inside. If the seeds are hard and brown that means the eggplant is overripe. Once it is grown and fully colored, the eggplant will remain edible for several weeks, meaning you do not need to harvest right away. The best time to harvest eggplant is when it is 6 to 8 inches long and its skin appears glossy.

Harvesting

• The use of a knife or pruning shears is recommended when harvesting eggplant. It should be cut from the hard and woody stem, leaving a piece of the cap and stem on the end of the fruit. It is not recommended to break or twist the stem with your hands. Some types of eggplant even have sharp pieces on the stems that can cause injury. Take care when harvesting and wear gloves if possible to prevent injury.

Time Frame

• Although the exact harvest season will vary from cultivar to cultivar, eggplant is usually ready to harvest about 65 to 80 days after having been transplanted outside. From seed, however, expect the entire maturation process to take 100 to 120 days until you can harvest your eggplants. On the short side, Millionaire and Dusky eggplant cultivars take only 55 days to mature when transplanted while Ghostbuster and Santana species take up to 80 days to be ready.

Harvesting Tips

• During the time of peak growth, you can harvest your eggplants up to two or three times per week. Large plants can produce four to six eggplants during peak time. If you do not harvest regularly, you will cut down on the formation of flowers and the amount of fruit yielded. If fruit looks dull or brown, it cannot be eaten and should be discarded. Eggplants can be kept for up to one week after being harvested at 55 F with 90 percent relative humidity.