The eggplants belong to the nightshade family. Most plants in this family are poisonous, but some are primarily edible. For example, aubergine is related to the tomato, the pepper, the potato, and the tobacco plant. The eggplant is also called eggplant.
The Aubergine: In Many Colors
The eggplant is the fruit or vegetable of the eggplant. Actually, eggplant is a kind of large berry. In the heart are all small seeds in the flesh. In the store, the aubergine is available all year round. In the Netherlands, especially purple aubergines are sold and eaten. Yet the aubergine is also available in all kinds of other colors and shapes. There are eggplants in the following colors:
- Orange
- Green
- White
- Striped
- spotted
Round And Egg-Shaped Aubergines – Each With A Different Taste
The aubergine owes its name to its shape. However, there are also small and round aubergines. They are mainly used in Asia in, for example, curries. The different types of aubergines also all have different tastes.
The Aubergine Plant
The aubergine plant can reach a height of 40 to 150 centimeters. The plant has large, roughly lobed, and softly hairy leaves that can grow up to 20 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide. Wild aubergines get even bigger. They can be more than 2 meters high and often have leaves of about 30 centimeters. The stem that forms the core is often spiny. The large flowers from which the aubergines later grow are white to purple in color. As with the tomato, the eggplant flower has a yellow heart.
The Eggplant Comes From India
The eggplant comes from the Indian subcontinent. This includes the countries:
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
- Bangla Desh
- Pakistan
The Aubergine Has Been Around Since Prehistoric Times
Aubergine has been cultivated since prehistoric times. The Arabs took the plant to Europe in the Middle Ages. The word aubergine comes from the Arabic al-ba in n. In Catalan it became albuginea and in French it became aubergine.
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Growing Your Own Aubergines
The aubergine is originally a subtropical crop and therefore does best in the greenhouse. The plant can also be grown in the open ground, but only after Ice Saints. In the Netherlands, the plant is an annual, while the crop is actually a perennial. However, he does not survive the winters in the Netherlands. Eggplants love heat and feel best at 20 to 22 degrees. At a temperature of below 16 degrees, the plant does not hold, so it makes no sense to plant it then.
Eggplant Is A Climbing Plant
The aubergine is a climbing plant. So whoever grows it himself must guide it. Lying plants are prone to diseases.
When Is An Eggplant Ready To Eat?
Eggplant is good if it looks like this:
- The fruits have a dark purple color
- They feel hard
- They have an undamaged shell with a matte sheen and bright green petals
- Whoever presses an aubergine and it gives a little, knows that it is ripe
Preparing Eggplants
The eggplant can be used in many ways in the kitchen
- grilling
- To cook
- Baking
- gratin
- steam
- stew
- frying
- Blanch
- Let it cook in the oven on the skin
Raw Eggplants Are Poisonous
What you can’t do with eggplant is eat it raw. The vegetable is then poisonous.
Eggplants are low in calories, but they absorb oil like a sponge
By nature, eggplant is a low-calorie vegetable. However, anyone who bakes, deep-fries, or otherwise prepares it knows that he is guzzling the oil that is used. If you still want the benefits of the aubergine, you can put it in the oven in its skin until it is cooked. Then scrape out the pulp and add spices and a delicious vegetable dish without oil is created.
What’s In Eggplant?
Eggplant is very healthy when not cooked in oil. It’s packed with:
- Fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Has a low sodium content
- Has a high potassium content
How Do You Store The Eggplant?
Eggplants should not be kept in the refrigerator. They are best kept at a cool temperature, but not lower than 10 degrees Celsius. Eggplant can be kept for a maximum of ten days.
