Eggplants come in a range of shapes, colors, and sizes. We arrange the varieties in the following list by shape so that you can choose the variety that’s right for your tastes. (The days to maturity in the following descriptions represent the time from transplant to harvest.)

• Large and oval: These are the dark purple, teardrop-shaped fruits that you see in grocery stores. The plants grow 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 m) tall, each producing an average of 8 to 10 fruits. Here are a few of our favorites:
  • ‘Black Beauty’: Classic, large, purple-skinned eggplants mature in 75 days and grow best in areas with long, hot growing seasons.
  • ‘Purple Rain’ hybrid: Beautiful, white-striped, lavender-skinned eggplants are early and productive, maturing in 66 days.
  • ‘Rosa Bianca’: Italian heirloom features white fruits with lavender streaks across them. They mature in 75 days.
  • ‘Violette Di Firenze’: Violet-skinned fruits have an unusual oval shape, are ribbed like squash, and take 80 days to mature.
• Cylindrical: Traditionally called Asian eggplants, these cylindrical fruits are long and thin (2 inches (5 cm) wide and up to 10 inches (25 cm) long). The plants are smaller than the oval-shaped varieties, reaching only 2- to 3-feet tall, and produce about 15 fruits. Try the following:
  • ‘Asian Bride’ hybrid: White with lavender streaks, these 6-inch-long (15 cm) fruits have tender skin and take 70 days to mature.
  • ‘Neon’ hybrid: Stunning deep-pink-skinned fruits are 6 inches (15 cm) long and take 65 days to mature.
  • ‘Ping Tung Long’: Long, lavender-skinned fruits grow on plants with good heat and disease resistance that take 65 days to mature.

Eggplant Ripe For The Pickin

You can pick eggplants at almost any stage. The key is not to let them become overmature, or the texture will become soft and mushy. To check eggplant maturity, watch the fruit’s skin. A dull-colored skin means it’s over-mature. Double-check by cutting into the fruit and looking at the seeds. Brown-colored seeds are another sign of overmaturity. A simple test for maturity is to push the eggplant’s skin with your finger nail. If the skin bounces back, then the fruits are ready to harvest. If your nail indents the skin, then the fruits are overmature. If your fruits are really mature and rotting on the vine, just pick them and throw them out; they won’t taste very good.

Some eggplant varieties have sharp spines on their stems, so wear gloves when harvesting. To harvest, cut eggplants with a sharp knife just above the top of the green cap on the fruit. The fruits will continue to ripen after you harvest them, so store them in a cool place.