How to Harvest Eggplant So It’s Tender, Flavorful, and Never Bitter

If your garden is currently lush with healthy eggplants, you may be wondering when and how to harvest them. While it's a relatively easy process, picking eggplants at the wrong time affects their flavor and texture, resulting in bitter-tasting fruits with a spongy or rubbery mouthfeel. Likewise, harvesting the wrong way can damage or bruise the fruits. To ensure a delicious harvest, we consulted with gardening experts who shared their tips on when and how to harvest eggplants. 

When to Harvest Eggplant

Prime eggplant season is mid- to late summer, says Christine Coker, an urban horticulturalist and vegetable specialist at Louisiana State University AgCenter. "Most eggplant varieties are ready to harvest 60 to 80 days from the time they are transplanted into the garden," she adds.

As for time of day, Linda Langelo, a horticulture specialist at Colorado State University Extension, recommends harvesting eggplant early in the morning when temperatures are still cool and the eggplants are hydrated.

Harvesting at the Wrong time

Harvesting eggplants too late or too early in the season can alter their flavor and consistency. "The eggplant turns bitter the longer you wait to harvest it," says Langelo. Additionally, Coker notes that the skin will be dull and the flesh is likely to be spongy. While picking too early is better than picking too late, harvesting eggplant prematurely may leave you with tough and rubbery fruits.

Signs It's Time to Harvest

There are several telltale signs that it's time to harvest the eggplants growing in your garden, but touch is the easiest way to know when to pick the fruits. "If the flesh is firm, it is not yet ripe. But if it is soft and you can push into the flesh, then it is ripe," Coker says.

Size is another indicator of ripeness, with most eggplant varieties being ready for harvest once they reach 3 to 5 inches long, says Langelo. She also recommends observing the color of the plant. "If it's shiny and deep, then it is ripe. If the skin turns dull or is faded, there's a good chance it is overripe," she says.

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How to Harvest Eggplant

Harvesting eggplant is easy to do. Start by selecting fruits of the right size with shiny skin and slightly soft flesh. Eggplants will not continue to ripen once picked, so it's important to wait until the fruits have fully ripened before harvesting. Use pruning shears or a sharp knife to remove the fruits from the plant, cutting the stem above the calyx. Our experts recommend against plucking by hand, which can damage the plant.

How to Store Eggplant

After harvesting, store eggplants in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight for up to a week. "If you do not plan on using them within a week, then put them in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. The high humidity will help keep them fresher longer," says Langelo. "If you want to keep the eggplant up to six months, then blanch them and freeze them." When storing eggplant in the refrigerator, keep it away from ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples, which can cause the eggplant to spoil more quickly.