I don't know why I have such an obsession with growing eggplants.
It could possibly be that they eluded me for so long, but there are many other fruit and vegetables that I have not been able to grow successfully, and they have not grown into such a vegetal preoccupation. I consider eggplants as my personal challenge, and each time I see a new one come forth, I feel a quiet sense of victory.
I don't know why the eggplant should stand out so amongst others, but it does.
And this morning, my lovely bloggging friends, I have photographed for you what I consider to be a pinnacle of achievement in my personal eggplant challenge - The White Eggplant.
This is my White Whale, my Juliet, my I can't think of any more literary references this early, but this white eggplant is what I set out last year to achieve, and it looks as though achieve it I will.
I think that seeing this eggplant emerge is one of the most satisfactory fruit appearances I have ever experienced.
Now you might think that now I will be able to rest on my laurels from here, but no my friends, the eggplant challenge does not stop here. For this eggplant was grown from a seedling, which while is a success, it it not the success I am chasing.
I am growing this one for the seeds...
19 comments:
da da dahhhhh ...... dramatic music follows!
Congrats on raising the eggplant thus far, looking pretty good too.
Lol, it's a bit dramatic hey Wendy! Sometimes I like you all to think that I am a serious person :D
Congratulations Ali! She's beautiful!
Love the white egg plant. Hope that it goes well. My goal next year is for some of those pretty white/ pink/ purple eggplants. Not sure how they taste but they sure are pretty little things. I like the colour purple so I think thats why i like Eggplants.
Hope to hear how this goes - remember if you want to seed save this you need to leave on bush!! :)
I have never tasted white eggplant, it is really beautiful looking. We get batcterial wilt in the soil here so often have problems growing the solanacea family. I have one volunteer in the front garden that has been going strong now for about two years, so who knows.
ooohhhh a white one....never heard of it...
The eggplant for me was a challenge too Ali, as I married an Italian, whose friends and family grow gardens full of lovely produce, not to mention market gardners in the family too...I would visit backyards with these tall and lovely looking bushes with mountains of purple shiny fruit hanging from them, dare I say 'dangling'...and the dream began.
Let alone the fact I had never eaten on in my life, knew nothing about how to cook them, or how to grow them for that matter.........and now look at me...I have so many eggplants..I dont know what to do with them. I can post you some....actually , I can post lots of people some....
Did you see my pickling post?
My next challenge is the artichoke....
Cant wait to see how you prepare your white eggplants.....well done.....
A white eggplant eh? I had to google that just to make sure I'd got the right thing because we call them aubergines over here and I've only ever seen purple ones. It does look like an egg though.
Oh, and congratulations!
I love the way eggplants (aubergines) look, but don't really enjoy eating them or growing them. We have a big problem with flea beetles poking thousands of holes in the leaves. Is that a problem there?
Alan I've never had anything eat my eggplants, apart from myself... not even the leaves really. Mine are mostly planted far away from one another, I don't know if maybe that helps to confuse the bugs.
Have you ever had them barbecued? I slice them up thickly and cook them on the bbq with a little oil, salt and pepper. That's the way I like them best :)
Little Blue Mouse we call them both, but I think that eggplant is more fun to say :D
Suzanne, don't think I haven't noticed your eggplants! It is my dream to one day have an abundance such as yours... have you got any tips? I haven't seen the pickling post yet, no, I will come take a look though, I'm interested to see if I can do it too.
AA, if you have one, others can follow!
Elsie May I don't know the pink ones??? You don't mean the stripy ones, do you??
And thanks Phoebe, I tried my best with him!
Congratulations Ali. I think egg plants are the most beautiful of vegetables...they look so perfect on the plant.
You have obviously "done the white thing" with this one! Many people are probably puzzled by the name "eggplant" (we call them Aubergines), but when you see a white one the reason is all too evident.
I'm not mad keen on eggplant, but if I had to have one I'd probably go for the long thin ones (in Malaya we used to call them "Brinjals"); they seem to be a bit firmer, not as spongy as some can be. And they look great in the garden. You should add some to your collection...
Mark I didn't actually realize that there are quite a few countries that don't use both eggplant and aubergine, I don't actually know that we use aubergine that much here, but certainly a lot of people know the term.
How about zucchini and courgette I wonder.
I do have a long thin one, but it's called a lebanese eggplant on the label, so I don't know if it's the same kind as you are talking about. Elaine (who comments here) gave me some brinjal seeds last year, unfortunately they all gave up their will to live fairly early on :(
Hazel I agree that they are just beautiful, and the white one is my favourite so far. I'm going to have to put one in at the Geronimo shop planter boxes.
I have just started to grow egg plants and it is pretty exciting stuff to see if the seeds would germinate then waiting for the real leaves to grow…… be still my beating heart
Cathy, I think there's nothing more exciting than an eggplant, unless it's a banana of course! What kind are yours?
Now...what are you doing to protect it from critters? (by the way, it's a beautiful eggplant!)
Beautiful eggplant, Ali. It is one of my favourite vegetables, gorgeous flowers, striking fruit and SO DELISH!!!! In a curry, baked, BBQ´d or even pickled. You name it, an eggplant can make it so.
SG nothing seems to eat them... I haven't had any problems, and I've had eggplants growing (or trying to grow!) for about a year now. So fingers crossed it keeps up that way :)
Congratulations! Ali!
I remember how I got excited when my first eggplants grew successfully.
I recommend you water a lot till the fruits will be mature. Water can be distribute to the fruits and make them soft and delicious, I believe.
Aww thanks Takaeko. I am terrible at watering my vegetables, and I need to be reminded before they start to droop! I'd love to know how you prepare eggplant in Japan, I'll bet you do something fabulously delicious with them.
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