Help! Pan-fried mini eggplants!

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I just harvested my first few fingerling eggplants. They are about the size of figs.

I just sliced them in half, and pan-fried them in hot macademia oil (newly opened oil), for 5 minutes on the first side, and 3 minutes on the second side. I put a lid over them while they were frying (they spit like crazy!)

The browning and the texture of the eggplants were perfect!

But they were somewhat BITTER!! Tiny eggplants aren't supposed to be bitter!

I sprinkled with kosher salt, pepper and parm cheese and ate them anyway, like french fries.

Any ideas about why they were bitter?

I know about salting, rinsing and draining large eggplants. Maybe I need to do that with these, too?

Does macademia nut oil not work well at high heat?

TIA for any help. I have a TON of these babies and I'd like to eat them like this!

Lee
 

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QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
That does help, Andy. It tells me that I didn't burn the oil (I usually use canola).

Thank you!

Lee
 

belaine

Bottle Washer
Super Site Supporter
I grilled mine last night. They were tasty wish I had more. Took three months in the garden and only had enough for one meal. Made a sauce with greek yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Not bitter. Sliced them in half too. About 12 minutes total.
 

Leni

New member
I've not had that problem Qsis. Are you sure that they were ready to be picked?

I use peanut oil. Sometimes I'll use evoo. I dip mine first in beaten egg and then into bread crumbs. The crumbs have Italian spice and green box parmesan cheese added to them. The last couple of times I deep fried them and they were so much better.
 

Leni

New member
I always peel mine because DH wants it that way. I googled bitter eggplant and this is what I found.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]'Eggplants are found in many colors, shapes, and sizes. It takes a long, hot growing season until an eggplant reaches its prime. In North America, the kind most frequently seen is plump and oblong and has a glossy, deep-purple skin.

Choose eggplants that are shiny and firm. At this stage, any seeds found inside are still small, so the flesh will not have accumulated the bitter compounds found in eggplants that have become overripe and puckery. Though research is still ongoing, one theory is that phenolic compounds may impart this bitterness (for more information, see the June 2003 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and September 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science).[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]If you are worried that the eggplant might be bitter, slice or cube it, then salt it liberally and allow it to drain for an hour or so before cooking. Putting salt on the eggplant triggers osmosis, which draws out excess moisture and the bitterness along with it. Remove any excess salt by wrapping the eggplant in a kitchen towel and pressing on the slices or cubes, which removes even more water. Pressing the eggplant also collapses some of the eggplant’s air cells, so it absorbs less oil if it’s sautéed.

When heated, eggplant tissues generally collapse quickly due to their high moisture content. The pectin rapidly changes form during cooking as well, and the cells are no longer held tightly together.

When eggplant slices are fried, their spongy texture absorbs a surprising amount of oil. As air pockets collapse, some of the oil is released. The oil still left in the eggplant tissues contributes to the soft, buttery texture that’s so appealing. Oil also carries the essence of added herbs and spices, so that eggplant dishes can become rich with the aromas and heady flavors of onions, peppers, anchovies, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice.

If you’re cutting down on oil, remember that roasted, baked, or grilled eggplant is also delicious.'

[/SIZE][/FONT]
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
>>ready to be harvested

age is one contributing factor in bitter.
hence, picking them too soon is not likely a cause.

I always peel my eggplant. period.
luv the middle bits, don't care for the skins in the dish.
 

belaine

Bottle Washer
Super Site Supporter
Thanks, have a few left will try that tonight. My hubby did ask me why I did not peel them.
 
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