Timing when to harvest eggplant means the difference between enjoying a silky, tender vegetable and one with a tough, mealy texture. Eggplant doesn’t have a good reputation among people who have had experiences with the latter. I think this is a shame, because eggplant is a beautiful plant to grow and, when harvested and prepared properly, eating it is a treat. If you’ve been too intimidated to try growing eggplant—or you’re still learning when to harvest eggplant from your home garden—this article is for you. I’ll cover the signals that an eggplant is ready to harvest, how to pick eggplant, and also how to store eggplant.

Eggplant basics

I rate eggplants as a medium-difficulty crop to grow. Like other members of the nightshade family, including tomatoes, eggplants produce self-fertile flowers that require vibration by bumblebees or the wind in order to shake the pollen loose and fertilize the flowers. Mulch the plants to keep the soil moist, side dress with a balanced fertilizer for larger fruit, reduce pressure from weeds, cover the plants with row cover to ward off flea beetles during the critical period of early growth, and be ready to install stakes or supports to keep the plants upright as they get heavy with eggplants. With these basic-care plans in place, you should have a good fruit set in store.

How long does it take to grow eggplants

Eggplants come in many varieties, including globe eggplant, Italian eggplant, dwarf eggplant, Japanese eggplant, and others. Eggplants are a warm-season crop that does best in full sun with soils high in potassium and phosphorus.

Exactly how long it takes to grow eggplants depends on your variety and the growing conditions. Expect them to take 55 to 85 days from transplanting to maturity; nearly twice that long when starting from seed.

In most parts of the U.S., you’ll start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your average last-frost date, start to see fruit development in mid-summer, and harvest in early fall. You can also choose to purchase transplants at a nursery. In warmer climates, you may be able to put your eggplant transplants into the garden in early spring and have eggplants on your table by July.

Why harvesting eggplants at the right time matters

Getting the timing right for when to harvest eggplant offers the reward of the tastiest eggplants you can find. When harvested at just the right time, this vegetable has firm but creamy flesh covered by a shiny, tender skin. This perfect balance transfers to your recipe and onto your plate. Underripe eggplants are too firm and bitter, while overly mature eggplants are mushy, have extra-large seeds, and also have a bitter taste.

Harvesting at the right time has the bonus of keeping the plant productive. When you remove one fruit, you’re redirecting the plant’s energy into the other fruits and additional flower production.

Signs to watch for

When to harvest eggplant becomes more obvious as you hone in on how your eggplants are growing. There are three main visual cues you can use to ensure you’re harvesting at the right time:

• The fruit will take on the size and shape you expect.
• The skin will take on the proper color and a healthy sheen.
• The fruit will be firm but not hard.

When to harvest eggplant based on the proper size and shape for the variety

Within the eggplant vegetable category, the varieties have a lot of differences. From the plump, globe eggplants we usually see in U.S. grocery stores to the small, patio-sized dwarf eggplants, and the thin, oblong Italian and Japanese eggplants, it’s important to know the mature size of the fruit and shape of the fruit you’re growing.

Read the variety description on the seed packet or plant tag, and use that information to help judge when to harvest eggplant from that plant. There are some elongated eggplants that are only meant to be the size of a finger, while others will be 6- to 8-inches long. Globe eggplants could be 2- to 4-inches around, while mini eggplants only grow half that size.

When to harvest eggplant based on the color of the eggplant’s skin

Eggplants also come in a variety of colors. Yours may be a deep purple, bright purple-and-white splotched, pure white, or even green. At the peak of ripeness, the eggplants will take on the proper skin color as well as develop a shine. You can really see the difference holding a dull, not-quite-ripe eggplant next to a shiny, mature eggplant.

The color of the flesh is uniform and cream colored, which you can’t tell on the vine, of course.

When to harvest eggplant based on the firmness of the flesh

Firm but not too firm is what you’re aiming for in gauging eggplant maturity. The fruits start out very hard, then have some give when they’re mature. A spongy eggplant has been left on the plant too long. Try pressing the side of the eggplant with your fingernail. If this creates an indentation that bounces back, it’s time to harvest.

When to harvest eggplant based on seed development

As an eggplant fruit develops, its seeds also develop. At the ideal stage to harvest eggplant for eating, its seeds are tender and barely noticeable. You wouldn’t be able to save these seeds to grow eggplant next year. In fruits left on the plant longer, the seeds become too hard and bitter-tasting for eating, plus the size of the seeds increases. Seeds may continue developing after you harvest your eggplant, so plan to use these vegetables soon after picking them, and store them properly until usage. (I cover storage basics below.)

How to harvest eggplants

Knowing how to harvest eggplant is as important as knowing when to harvest eggplant. Here are a few harvest tips:

• The best time to harvest eggplants is in the early morning, after the dew dries but before the sun gets intense.
• Eggplant stems are thick and strong. Don’t try to pull or twist the eggplant off of the plant! This is a quick way to damage the plant. Using a pruner or sharp knife, cut the stem just above the calyx. (The calyx is the cap at the top of the fruit.) Leave a short piece of stem so you don’t accidentally cut into the eggplant flesh while harvesting.
• Your variety may have small thorns—prickles, really—on the stem and calyx. Wear gloves and long sleeves for harvesting.
• While eggplants may look sturdy and tough, they bruise easily, so handle them with care.

The best way to store eggplants

It’s best to eat your eggplant right away. If you must store it, put it in the coolest place in the house for up to a week. This could be on a counter at room temperature, if your kitchen or pantry is well climate controlled. Don’t put them in baskets with fruits and vegetables, such as apples and onions, that emit ethylene. This naturally occurring compound will cause the eggplants to over-ripen.

If you must keep eggplants in the fridge, wrap them in paper towels or a paper bag, and put them in the warmest part of the refrigerator, which is usually the door. If your refrigerator has a custom temperature and humidity setting for the crisper drawer, this could be an appropriate storage place. Eggplants are cold sensitive and will deteriorate with excess moisture. This wrapping layer will help protect them from damage.

Be sure to use your eggplant while the stem and cap is still green, the inner flesh is firm, and the appearance of the skin is unblemished.

What to do if you’ve waited too long

Missing the harvest window happens to all of us sometimes. If you’ve waited too long to harvest, it’s likely you’ll have a bitter eggplant with tough skin and large seeds. Go ahead and cut it off the plant. Removing overly mature eggplants will result in continual yield of the fruit.

If your eggplant is an heirloom or open-pollinated variety, you could try saving the seeds to grow in your garden next year.

Eggcellent eggplants

When to harvest eggplant is an important detail and one that’s easy enough to learn.  After you’ve gone through all the effort to cultivate and care for your eggplants, you deserve to enjoy the results with the best quality and rich flavor.

As the expected days to maturity nears, pay attention to the fruits developing on your eggplant plants. Look for fruits that are full size and the expected shape as well as the right color and sheen. Then give the eggplant a gentle squeeze to test its firmness. When all of these characteristics match up, bring out your gardening gloves and shears, and get ready to enjoy your homegrown eggplant.

To learn more about when to harvest various veggies, here are a few helpful articles: 

• When to harvest cauliflower 
• When to harvest jalapenos
• When to harvest acorn squash
• When to harvest cantaloupe
• When to harvest sweet potatoes