How to Seed an Eggplant

The seeds in older eggplants impart bitterness on recipes.

Though a member of the nightshade family, all parts of eggplants are edible including the seeds. The characteristic flavor of eggplant comes from the abundance of seeds in the fruit, which contain bitter-tasting alkaloids and should be removed if abundant in the eggplant. Young or male eggplants have fewer seeds than older or female fruits. Identify male eggplants by the circular indentation on the base of the fruit. Remove the seeds before of after cooking the eggplants, based on your recipe and preference.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetable peeler
• Knife
• Spoon
• Food mill

Instructions

Remove Eggplant Seeds Before Cooking

1. Peel the exterior of the eggplant with a vegetable peeler.

2. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise.

3. Scoop out the seeds from the middle of the eggplant with a spoon.

4. Prepare the seeded eggplant according to your recipe.

Seed Cooked Eggplants for Purees

1. Roast a whole eggplant with the skin intact at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until the skin wrinkles and the eggplant feels soft.

2. Cut off the stem of the eggplant.

3. Squeeze the cooked flesh out of the eggplant into a food mill and discard the remaining skin. Alternatively, scoop out the cooked eggplant with a spoon.

4. Process the eggplant flesh through the food mill to separate out the seeds and puree the eggplant.

References

• "Good Eats: The Early Years"; Alton Brown; 2009
• "The Science of Good Food"; David Joachim and Andrew Schloss; 2008
• The Independent: Cracking the Eggplant
• NPR: Making Over Eggplant
• Epicurious: Eggplant Puree

Resources

• Chow: Eggplant
• Cook's Thesaurus: Eggplant Varieties