What to do to prevent the eggplant from being bitter and is it possible to eat bitter fruits

Many of us have encountered such a nuisance as bitterness in eggplant. Dishes with them are not only tasteless, but also unsafe for the human body. A natural question arises as to why this is happening and how to prevent it.

Today we will cover the main causes of eggplant bitterness and what to do to avoid it when growing.

Why are eggplants bitter

Bitterness in vegetables causes large amounts of the toxic alkaloid solanine... In large quantities, this is a real poison. Most often, the accumulation of this substance occurs in overripe fruits. But this is far from the only reason - we will tell about all in order.

Late harvest

If you do not harvest on time, then the skin of the fruit begins to coarse and takes on a yellowish tint. The flesh of these eggplants becomes bitter. Therefore, harvest vegetables when the seed part is still light - 40-45 days after the ovaries appear on the plant.

Weather drops

With sudden changes in air temperature the eggplant tastes bitter. Therefore, if the weather is changeable in the region, then it is better to grow this crop in a greenhouse.

Watering errors

Another reason why eggplants are bitter is arid soil... In sunny weather, drying out of the soil for growing this culture is unacceptable. Water the plantings with warm water (about + 25 ° C) every other day. And do it strictly in the morning.

Varietal features

In nature, there are varieties that will taste bitter, no matter how you grow them - this is their feature... Therefore, before purchasing seeds, study the description of the crop you intend to plant.

Choose proven varieties, eg:

• Nutcracker;
• Lolita;
• Diamond;
• Purple Miracle F1;
• Czech early;
• Thai white;
• Pelican F1;
• Rosita.

You will find even more varieties of this culture that do not have bitterness at the end of the article.

Is it okay to eat bitter eggplant

No, you cannot eat such vegetables. And why - it's tasteless. Eating bitter eggplant can also cause indigestion and serious poisoning.

But everything is not so simple. Do not rush to discard the fruit with bitterness. After all, their unpleasant taste is easy to get rid of.

How to remove bitterness

There are several effective ways to do this.

Soaking

Often, so that the eggplants do not taste bitter, they are soaked in cold salted water (for 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. l. salt). Chop vegetables and dip them in prepared brine. Place a plate with weights on top (for example, a bottle of water). Leave it for 40 minutes. During this time, the fruits will release juice, with which the bitterness will come out. Then rinse the vegetables from salt in running water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Soaking in milk

Slice the fruit and immerse it in fresh milk... Install the plate with the weight. Leave to soak for half an hour, then wring out and pat dry with a paper towel.

Salt

Cut the fruit into several pieces. Sprinkle with coarse salt and leave for 20-30 minutes... Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.

Important! Do not use fine salt for this method. There is a risk that vegetables will have time to absorb most of it. Then the whole dish will turn out to be too salty.

Skin and seed cleaning

The main bitterness in eggplants is concentrated in the peel.... Therefore, to get rid of it is sometimes quite simple cut the skin.

But this method is not always suitable... For example, if you want to cook stuffed eggplant or any other dish where fruits are used only with the peel, then use another method.

The seeds also contain a lot of solanine, especially in older vegetables.... To remove them, cut the fruit lengthwise, and then remove the seed with a spoon.

Note. The advantage of this method over others is that the fruits do not absorb additional moisture.

Freezing

Freezing – less popular of all methods, but also effective... Slice the fruit lengthwise into thin slices. Place on a platter and place in the freezer for four hours. Then squeeze the eggplant slices - the bitterness will go away along with excess moisture.

Important! After freezing, vegetables acquire a puree consistency during subsequent heat treatment.

How to grow eggplant without bitterness

Proper cultivation will help prevent bitterness in eggplant... What it consists of, we will tell you in order from the very moment of sowing the culture.

Growing seedlings

The very first thing to do is purchase seeds of varieties tested in your region... This, although not one hundred percent, is a guarantee of a good harvest.

Before sowing, rinse the seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In late February and early March, drop them into a box with soil... The planting depth is about 2 cm, the distance between the seeds is 3 cm. If you take the soil from the garden, then steam it first.

Cover the planting with plastic wrap to create greenhouse conditions (temperature around + 28 ° C). After sprouting, remove it and place the plants on the windowsill. Maintain a comfortable temperature for growing seedlings around + 22 ° C, water it regularly.

About two weeks after the sprouts appear on the plant, three leaves will grow... Then plant the plants in 0.5 liter pots with fertile soil.

Paired vaccination

It will be possible to plant seedlings when they become about 15 cm in height, and their stems will be more than 5 mm thick. Vaccinate in pairs:

1. Take two seedlings and on each stem, at the same level, make cuts with a blade about 2 cm.
2. Connect the stems cut-to-cut, wrap in plastic and leave for a week.
3. Cut the weaker seedling just above the grafting area and leave for another week.

As a result, you get one plant, which will have two root systems.... It is now ready to be planted in a greenhouse or open field.

Care

There is nothing difficult in caring for eggplants.... There is only one basic requirement: do not forget about regular watering - do not let the soil dry out. And pick ripe fruits on time, without overexposing them on the branches.

Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology will allow you to achieve high yields (about 30% higher than with the usual cultivation) and get vegetables without a bitter taste.

Eggplant varieties without bitterness

Breeders have introduced new varieties of eggplant - alkaloid-free... They have snow-white, sweetish flesh and thin skin. They may not even be cooked and added raw to salads.

Large assortment of varieties and hybrids of eggplant without bitterness... Therefore, when choosing, be guided by the climatic conditions of your region and the growing season suitable for you.

Early varieties and hybrids:

• Alekseevsky;
• Maxik F1;
• Behemoth F1;
• Nancy F1;
• Quartet;
• Purple Haze;
• Valentine F1;
• Purple Miracle F1.

Mid-season varieties and hybrids:

• Swan (pictured);
• Surprise;
• Ping Pong F1;
• Comet;
• Sailor;
• Diamond;
• Pelican F1;

Late-ripening varieties and hybrids:

• Bullish forehead;
• Brunette;
• Black handsome.

Growing varieties without bitterness is no different from growing conventional varieties. The only thing we recommend to pay attention to when choosing is adaptation to climatic conditions. For each climatic zone, its own varieties of eggplant are bred.

Conclusion

Now you know how to grow eggplant without bitterness. But, if you still did not have time to harvest on time or forgot to regularly water the plant, do not rush to throw out the bitter fruits. Use one of the suggested methods of pre-processing vegetables, and then feel free to cook your favorite dishes.