Eggplants
Overview
The eggplant (Solanum melongena) was first grown some 4,000 years ago in India and Pakistan. Thomas Jefferson, who grew eggplant in his garden at Monticello, is thought to have originally introduced the plant to the United States.
Eggplant, or aubergine as it is known in some parts of the world, reportedly received its name in the past when white, egg-shaped varieties were more common. Although considered a vegetable, eggplant is actually, botanically speaking, a berry related to the potato, tomato and bell pepper.
Eggplant is available in a variety of colors (for example, purplish black, red, white and variegated) and shapes (for example, egg-shaped, elongated and round). Most commercial varieties are purplish black in color and usually oval or teardrop in shape. Less commonly produced varieties include Asian eggplants, which tend to be long and slender, and baby, or miniature, eggplants.
Eggplant is a widely grown specialty vegetable in the United States; 175 million pounds of the crop were grown in 2007. About 98 percent of the eggplant grown in the United States is produced for the fresh market, with the remainder used for processed products such as frozen entrees and specialty dips and appetizers. July 2009 ... Eggplants
Other Links
- Eggplant, Vegetables and Melons Outlook, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA, 2006.
- Eggplants, Floridata, 2004
- Eggplants: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality, Postharvest Technology Research Information Center, University of California, Davis.
- Eggplants, Vegetables, Potatoes, and Melons Harvested for Sale: 2007 and 2002, 2007 Census of Agriculture, NASS, USDA, 2009.
- Food Availability, ERS, USDA, 2007.
- Guide to Commercial Eggplant Production, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, 1998.
- Increased U.S. Imports of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, ERS, USDA, 2007 - U.S. imports of fresh fruit and vegetables have increased substantially, allowing consumers to eat more fruit and vegetables and enjoy year-round access to various fresh produce.
- Protect heat-loving eggplants from cold, Oregon State University.
- Scientists Get Under Eggplant's Skin, Ag Research Service, USDA, 2004.
- Vegetables and Melons Yearbook, ERS, USDA, 2009.
- 2008 Year of the Eggplant fact sheet, National Garden Bureau.
Links checked July 2009.
