Urban gardening 2010: Eggplants (June, July)

The eggplants were getting stout, and flowers started forming in late June. The first few photos are of the eggplants in the long trough.

Mid/late June

Late June

Eggplant blossom (Early July)

I had read that eggplants are really difficult to grow, and especially pollinate, and many people end up having to "hand-pollinate"... These have been our easiest crop to date! They were the last things to go in the dirt outside, but we've basically watered them when they're dry, and have left them alone. I guess we had some busy-bees because the next week, you could see the swollen fruit forming inside the flower "cap"!

Early/Mid July

The eggplant is peeping out! (Mid July)

Mid/late July

Late July

The eggplants were hanging out there a little too long! (Early August)

The type of eggplants we were growing were called "green apple eggplants"- which totally makes sense. They are the size of small apples, and are pale green. The only way to tell that they're done is to squeeze them slightly to see if they have any "give". Otherwise, they are super smooth and hard, kind of like an unripe tomato.

P sliced them up and pan seared them with some bacon fat and served them with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Yummy! Oops, ate them before I could take a picture! 

These last couple shots are of the eggplants in the terracotta pot.

Mid/late July

Late July

A perfect apple green eggplant! (Early August)