Bitterness in eggplants: how to remove, what to do

Vegetable growing » Eggplant

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Kira Stoletova

Eggplant belongs to the nightshade family. This vegetable is often used in preparing various dishes, but before cooking, you need to remove the bitterness from eggplants. To prevent eggplants from becoming bitter, several methods are used.

Removing bitterness from eggplants

Useful properties of the vegetable

Experts highlight eggplant as one of the healthy foods that should be included in a balanced diet. The nightshade family contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements. They contain vitamins C, B, PP. And they are also rich:

magnesium;
pectin;
potassium;
phosphorus;
iron;
sodium;
fiber.

The beneficial properties of the culture include the fact that it helps to cope with smoking addiction. Thanks to vitamin PP or nicotinic acid, it will be easier to endure the absence of cigarettes. Vegetables lower blood cholesterol levels and stimulate digestion, thanks to the pectin in the plant.

Thanks to potassium, which regulates blood pressure, vegetables are recommended for use in cases of liver disease and atherosclerosis. And chlorogenic acid is one of the most powerful antioxidants. Therefore, when adding eggplant to your diet, a person strengthens his immunity.

Nutritionists also recommend using it due to its low calorie content. Its high fiber content and minimal carbohydrates make it effective for weight loss. Thanks to the phytonutrient nasunin, the likelihood of cancer or heart disease is reduced.

Related to tomatoes and potatoes

Did you know, for example, that eggplant is a berry? This is a nightshade, a close relative of tomatoes. And potatoes, of course. Like potatoes, it is susceptible to attacks by the Colorado potato beetle and late blight, but is not at all as unpretentious in cultivation. Loves warmth, moisture and rich soil. He somehow likes the subtropics more than our middle zone. But Russian breeders and hardworking summer residents managed to adapt to the demands of the sissy, and the “little blue ones” are successfully winning the hearts and stomachs of our compatriots.

Eggplant fruits, by the way, are not necessarily blue. When ripe, they generally range from gray-green to brown-yellow. But no one eats them when ripe - they are coarse and inedible, and they also accumulate solanine. They are eaten unripe when they are lilac and violet. However, very light varieties have also been developed (“golden egg”, “white egg”). There are large and very small, pear-shaped, spherical and cylindrical shapes.

Eggplants are fried, boiled, stewed, baked, stuffed, marinated, grilled, crushed into caviar, and eaten raw. “Longevity vegetables,” as they are called in the East, are really recommended for the elderly, especially heart patients - they contain a lot of potassium. In addition, they break down fats, therefore they are respected by those seeking to lose weight and those who are predisposed to atherosclerosis, metabolic disorders, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver.

Harmful properties

Eggplants cause harm only in 2 cases:

if you eat old, stale fruits;
for urolithiasis or gallstone diseases.

The plant contains esters and salts of oxalic acid, which are contraindicated for people with metabolic disorders.

Solanine is an alkaloid that in large quantities is harmful to any person because it becomes poisonous. It accumulates only in old eggplants. The substance causes poisoning, which manifests itself in the form of nausea, vomiting, fatigue and fever. To neutralize solanine, use milk or egg white.

Related to tomatoes and potatoes

Causes of bitterness in eggplants

Bitterness may occur due to temperature changes

Many gardeners wonder why eggplants are bitter. Causes of bitterness:

Long ripening. The longer the period, the more bitter the vegetable will be. This is due to the toxic substance solanine, which is contained in the plant. Therefore, it is worth monitoring the ripening dates. The fruits are harvested 35-40 days after setting, when they are still technically ripe.
Wrong variety. When purchasing seeds for growing, consider the characteristics of the species.
Sudden temperature changes during cultivation. It will fluctuate between 18 and 25°C.
Lack of moisture in the soil. An appropriate watering regime will ensure piquancy and pleasant taste. In hot weather, water the plant every 2 days, before lunch. Use warm water about 24°C.

If, despite following the growing rules, a vegetable removed from the garden still tastes bitter, do not be discouraged - there are many ways to rid eggplants of bitterness.

Peeling

Another way to help remove bitterness from eggplants.

Frankly speaking, blue ones usually don’t taste that bitter. However, if, in your opinion, store-bought eggplants are not sweet enough, you can peel the vegetables if the technology for preparing this dish allows. After such actions, be completely confident that the bitterness from the eggplant will completely disappear and the dish will taste pleasant.

In conclusion, I would like to note that, as a rule, old vegetables are bitter. Since young eggplants do not taste bitter, they usually do not need preliminary preparation. What is the difference between young blue vegetables and old vegetables? It is not difficult to determine: young eggplants have a smooth, shiny skin, no dark spots on it, and no rotten places. These little blue ones are medium in size and quite heavy. The cut of the young vegetable is light, without dark seeds. If any of these parameters are violated, obviously, you are looking at older specimens that are best discarded.

It happens that you cook eggplant shish kebab, caviar, salad or other dish, but it turns out to be bitter and unpleasant in taste.

Then gardeners and summer residents have a question: why are eggplants bitter, what are the reasons for the bitterness, because the fruits are grown on their own plot? We will find out what factors and violations of agricultural technology can spoil the taste of a given crop, how to protect the fruits from bitterness, and the housewives from grief.

Ways to get rid of bitterness

This vegetable is added to a variety of dishes. It is also often prepared for the winter. Therefore, it is important that when preparing dishes, cooks or housewives know how to rid eggplants of bitterness.

Many ulinars know how to remove bitterness from eggplants. This is done by salting, freezing, peeling or soaking in solutions. They select the method individually, focusing on what dish will be prepared. If you use peeling, it requires complete removal of the skin, and some recipes require this. If you come across a bitter vegetable, cooks often use salt to neutralize it. It is used in 2 types: as a solution or dry method.

Soaking in saline solution

One of the most popular methods. It is suitable if you need to quickly soak whole fruits. To do this you will need a bowl or large container and some pressure. This will allow the vegetables not to float to the surface and completely soak them in the solution.

To carry out soaking, follow the sequence of actions:

Cold water is poured into the container. For 1 l. add 40 g of table salt.
The fruits are placed in a bowl. To reduce the procedure time, the vegetable is cut into pieces.
To ensure that the eggplants are completely immersed in the solution, a pressure is built. To do this, the fruits are covered with a flat container, and a heavy object is placed on it - a 5 liter bottle or a jar.
Soak the culture in salted water for 30-45 minutes. The period varies depending on the number of fruits. Large whole fruits require about 2 hours to soak.
Processed eggplants are washed under running water. Place on a plate so that excess liquid simply drains away.

Sprinkling with salt

Chop the eggplants into pieces before soaking.

A simple method using coarse salt. To do this, choose any type of salt:

iodized;
sea;
cookery;
crushed.

With this processing, coarse salt is preferable to fine salt, because the structure of the pulp is porous. To carry out the procedure correctly, the fruits are washed and chopped into pieces: slices, circles, cubes. Before ridding eggplants of bitterness using this method, the fruits should be dried.

Take a deep dish, place vegetables and sprinkle with salt. Then mix and lay them out in layers. Keep them for 20-30 minutes. When liquid appears on the surface of the fruit, the procedure is over - the vegetables are washed and blotted with napkins or a towel.

other methods

Alternative methods to help remove the bitterness of eggplants:

To freeze. Cut or whole fruits are placed in the freezer for 4-5 hours. The frozen vegetable is taken out and the excess liquid is squeezed out.
Use milk. Salted chopped eggplants are covered with a napkin and sprinkled with milk. Press down the towel a little and remove it after 10 minutes. Afterwards the pieces are wiped dry.
Fill the culture with hot, unsalted water at about 80-90°C. The liquid is drained and the blue ones are dried.
Place chopped vegetables in boiling water and keep on fire for about 2 minutes. Remove from water and remove excess liquid.
Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the vegetable. This will rid it of solanine. When it comes to the question of what to do to prevent eggplants from becoming bitter, this is the simplest solution.

Video

In order for eggplants to be tasty in the chosen dish, removing the bitterness from them is an important procedure before starting cooking. To do this, you can pickle the cut fruits for a while, soak them in water, freeze them for several hours, or simply peel them. For those who are doing this for the first time, it is important to know how to properly remove bitterness and how long it will take. In the video below you will learn how long it is necessary to soak the little blue ones so that they stop being bitter, and what other method exists to quickly eliminate bitterness. Watch interesting videos from experienced chefs:

How long to soak eggplants to remove the bitterness?

How to choose the right vegetable

The taste of the entire dish depends on the correct choice of crop variety. The bitterness in eggplant is affected by the peel and seeds. When purchasing, make sure that the tail is elastic and the stem is not rotten. Good products have a slightly creaky surface and a dark purple tint.

Classic varieties or hybrids that do not contain bitterness include:

White Night;
Diamond;
Mushroom taste;
Chasha early;
Lolita;
Green;
Pelican;
Ping pong;
Rosita.

It's upsetting that they're bitter. Are they bitter?

The main disappointment of experienced housewives and cooks is that eggplants are bitter. Who enjoys eating bitter things? Are they bitter? It’s interesting that people of the older generation claim this. And the young people are surprised: there are no bitter eggplants!

It turns out that everything is very simple. Indeed, the plant once produced bitter fruits. But breeders have gone to great lengths, and new varieties do without this drawback. However, here everything is like with cucumbers: there are bitter ones, there are non-bitter ones. Depends on growing conditions. Fruits that suffered during the growth period from cold and lack of moisture become bitter. And overripe. So the “little blue ones”, which grew in summer cottages in warmth and comfort, were watered on time and picked, do not give bitterness.

And supermarkets sell greenhouse fruits of non-bitter varieties. Although, of course, they are inferior in taste to those grown in the ground. But you need to choose small fruits, with blunt noses and immature ones, with small light seeds.

It's upsetting that they're bitter. Are they bitter?

Salt treatment

There are two main ways to remove the bitterness of eggplants. Both are performed using iodized salt, which is found in every home. The first method is considered "dry" because it does not require soaking. Eggplant pieces can be treated with salt. To do this you need:

Prepare the products - rinse thoroughly, wipe with a napkin, cut, remove the tails. You will need coarse salt. Small granules can be quickly absorbed, so the dish will be over-salted.
You need to take a deep container and place the chopped vegetables there. Everything is covered with salt. It will take about 20 minutes for liquid to appear on them.
After this, the eggplants must be washed, dried and used for cooking.

What to do if eggplants are bitter, and how to avoid this when growing

It happens that you decided to cook eggplant kebab, caviar, salad or other dish, but it turned out to be bitter and unpleasant in taste.

Then gardeners have a question: why is eggplant bitter, the reasons for the bitterness, because the fruits are grown on their own plot? We will learn what factors and violations of agricultural technology can spoil the taste of this crop, how to protect the fruits from bitterness.