How to Tell if Eggplant Is Bad: Signs & Storage Tips (2024)

FAQs

How to Tell if Eggplant Is Bad: Signs & Storage Tips? ›

If it has a dull skin color, it's a sign of poor storage or down right bad quality. Wrinkles are a sign that the eggplant is old and was harvested a long time ago, so pass over wrinkly skin in favor of taut, tight eggplants. Also, avoid brown blemishes or soft spots. You want a little firmness to your eggplant.

When looking at the exterior of the eggplant, check the stem and cap. Both should be green and fresh-looking. If they are starting to fade in color, that's an indicator that the vegetable may be spoiling. You'll also want to toss the eggplant if there is any mold on the stem or cap.

A ripe eggplant should be firm to the touch. It may have a slight give when pressed, but it should bounce back. When you cut into an eggplant, the flesh should be mostly white. A few brown spots are fine, but if the eggplant is mostly brown—and slimy with an odor—it's likely gone bad.

Keep the eggplant out of direct sunlight and place it in a cool room, about 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Garages, basem*nts, or other spaces with cold temperatures make for ideal conditions. The eggplant will stay fresh for four days.

Answer. Eggplant flesh will have tan to brown colored spots around the seeds. If this is the color you are referring to, it is edible. If the flesh is more brown than white, the eggplant may be spoiling and should be discarded.

Fruit rot in eggplants begins with small lesions on the fruits. Over time, they grow and merge into each other to create larger lesions. They look like sunken spots on the fruit, and in the center, you will see a flesh-colored area that is full of fungal spores.

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.

Once the skin becomes dull, the eggplant is overripe and the flavor will quickly decline. If the skin is already turning golden in color, you're well past the best-by date, and that fruit is pretty much only good for seed saving.

Eggplants do not store well for long periods of time. Without refrigeration, eggplants can be stored in a cool, dry place for 1 or 2 days. If you don't intend to eat the eggplant within 2 days, it should be refrigerated.

Dull coatings or seeds that have turned brown indicate overripe fruits. Eggplants should be picked as soon as they are ripe, with slightly immature fruits tasting best. One of the easiest ways to determine if they are ripe is to gently squeeze the eggplant. Once you release, the skins should "bounce back".

How do you prolong the shelf life of eggplant? ›

Eggplants prefer cool, dark environments, like a pantry or wine cooler, and their optimum storage temperature is around 50 degrees F. Eggplant will last between five and seven days in the refrigerator as long as the skin hasn't been removed or damaged.

Can You Eat Eggplant Raw? Luckily, the answer is yes! While the leaves and flowers can be toxic, the eggplant itself is safe to consume both raw and cooked, and the compound that some might be sensitive to, solanine, is only toxic when consumed in large quantities.

No matter which freezing method you use, frozen eggplant lasts in the freezer for 8 to 12 months. While it's safe to eat after the one-year mark, you're likely to notice some degradation in texture and taste beyond that point.

Signs That Eggplant Is Bad

Lusterless and shriveling exteriorA ripe, safe-to-eat eggplant looks really shiny and has tight, smooth skin. If your eggplant has lost its luster and/or looks wrinkly, it's past its prime and no longer good to cook with. Keep an eye out for brown spots around your eggplant, too.

An eggplant's nutritional value is that it's low-carb, low-calorie, and a good fiber source. The potential health benefits of eggplants are rooted in their antioxidant content, heart disease risk protection, and more.

Nightshade intolerance may produce symptoms such as bloating, gas, heartburn, nausea, and diarrhea after eating foods that are members of the nightshade family, such as eggplant, potato, tomato, and pepper.

However, if an eggplant is severely overripe or shows signs of decay, it's advisable to avoid consuming it, as it might lead to stomach upset or other gastrointestinal issues. Always inspect produce for freshness before consumption.

If you notice black seeds inside the eggplant when you cut it open, throw it away; it has been sitting around too long and will be bitter. Eggplant are naturally sweet when fresh, and do not need to be salted for a long time to remove bitterness.

Other nightshades like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers contain alkaloids, or a form of carbohydrate-binding proteins called lectins that can cause inflammation and digestive issues in some people. However, the levels are usually too small to affect most humans, Brown says.