[oldcow]

I had read that aubergines don't do well in this climate (I don't have a greenhouse so they have to grow outdoors), but I love them so I tried anyway. And thanks to the unusual hot weather, today I'm harvesting the first one - and there are quite a few more that look like they might be ready in a couple of weeks! Talk about beginner's luck...

[compostqueen]

I've always grown them outside OC and they do ok but mine haven't made large fruits but plenty of small ones. The best ones I did were Bonica but I have grown Calliope which look fantastic, and some lovely violet and rose tinged Italian varieties which are drop dead gorgeous to look at but a bit small for the kitchen, so you can't feast on them    The plants are beautiful with their purple flowers and I use them as patio plants   

Well done on producing one and I hope it tastes lovely. Have you decided what to do with it?  They do add a depth of flavour to a chilli I find 

[oldcow]

This one is a Moneymaker, and it's actually a good sized one. I have some Brabentane too, they have lots of fruits but all still small.
It's going to be sliced, passed in some batter and fried. Then I'll do "sandwiches" with the aubergines slices, filled with ham, mozzarella, parmesan and basil. Then top it with some tomato sauce and some more grated parmesan, pass it in the oven until the mozzarella melts!

[DD.]

Well done, oldcow, I've got some just set on my greenhouse one and I'm chuffed with that.

Noticed some "Moneymaker" aubergines in pots a Wyevale this morning, only £6.99 each. A bit of a contradiction in terms there!

[JayG]

Well done, oldcow, I've got some just set on my greenhouse one and I'm chuffed with that.

Noticed some "Moneymaker" aubergines in pots a Wyevale this morning, only £6.99 each. A bit of a contradiction in terms there!

Depends which side of the counter you're standing! 

[oldcow]

£6.99? Golly, I feel good about growing them from seed!

[DD.]

You get a nice pot and 3 small canes as well, though.

[Snoop]

Right, a daft question here. How precisely do you know when an aubergine is ready. I've looked in the books and they seem to suggest picking in September. Last year I grew some baby ones, supposedly bitter-free from T&M, and they were awful. Really bitter. Everybody I gave some to complained.

I've got two plants I bought at a nursery (20 euro cents each, so definitely moneysavers if not makers). So far I've got a few fruit that look like they're getting somewhere, but I'm too scared to pick them!

[mumofstig]

Lovely when they grow ..well done oldcow

I've been lucky this year and already eaten four of my plants and @ that rate Moneymaker has saved me quite a bit.

I'm not boasting, as I must admit that the plants don't look very happy at the moment,  the leaves are beginning to yellow and the pots are full of roots and I don't know whether to risk potting them on to an even bigger pot. They're already in a tomato size one and they get fed the same as the tomatoes, so it's a bit of a conundrum  

[mumofstig]

Last year I grew some baby ones, supposedly bitter-free from T&M, and they were awful. Really bitter. Everybody I gave some to complained.

They are ready once the skins turn glossy, what ever size that is!
Once the outside skin turns dull they are bitter and seedy, I find.

Having said that a lot of the old varieties had to be sliced, salted and left to drain, to remove the bitterness..................and weren't very nice at all IMO

[barbarella]

I'm growing 5 Black Beauty plants in pots in the greenhouse and I have quite a few fruit set but they are still quite small - I think they grow to about 6 inches long so I am waiting with anticipation .  I have noticed that my toms and peppers growing outside have done just as well as the ones in the greenhouse this year due to the lovely summer - just hope it's not over yet as I watch the rain pouring down outside!

[Snoop]

[/quote]
They are ready once the skins turn glossy, what ever size that is!
Once the outside skin turns dull they are bitter and seedy, I find.
[/quote]

That's what I thought. They looked absolutely beautiful and there were loads of them. They just tasted awful. If I say like ear wax will you all be appalled?

[oldcow]

I agree with the "while they're glossy". Don't let them grow too big or they'll be too full of seeds.
OK, I'm from southern Italy and we eat tons of aubergines there, but we always cut them, sprinkle them with salt, put them in a colander and let them drain (often under some weight like a heavy pan) for half an hours, then rinse off the bitter juice that comes out before cooking them. It's quite normal for aubergines to be bitter otherwise. There might be hybrids that don't require that, but I never found an aubergine that tasted bad after this treatment.

[barbarella]

I agree with the "while they're glossy". Don't let them grow too big or they'll be too full of seeds.
OK, I'm from southern Italy and we eat tons of aubergines there, but we always cut them, sprinkle them with salt, put them in a colander and let them drain (often under some weight like a heavy pan) for half an hours, then rinse off the bitter juice that comes out before cooking them. It's quite normal for aubergines to be bitter otherwise. There might be hybrids that don't require that, but I never found an aubergine that tasted bad after this treatment.

That's what Delia says too, and you can always rely on her.

[Spana]

[/. If I say like ear wax will you all be appalled?

No, not at all.  But how do you know what ear wax tastes like