Aubergine advice

Cheezy · Post: # 24880Post **Cheezy** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:57 am

Had a quick search , couldn't find any past advice.

My aubergines are growing well in the greenhouse along side some toms. (sharing the same grow bags.)
The leaves are very large and the plants are around 30cm tall. I've read in one book that once they get to this size you pinch out the growing tip and stake them.

This seems a bit severe for a plant that is only 30cm tall, does anyone else have any advice?.

Millymollymandy · Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:05 pm

I used to grow aubergines - although I always bought them as little plants.

I've never pinched them out. They are normally quite bushy plants, like peppers. You can put a stake in if you are going to be putting them outside where it is windy, but if they are staying in the greenhouse I wouldn't have thought it necessary.

alcina · Post: # 24909Post **alcina** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:36 pm

Didn't pinch or stake mine last year and they produced lots of lovely little aubergines on my patio. Maybe it's a variety thing? Some benefit others don't?

Alcina

Cheezy · Post: # 25034Post **Cheezy** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:28 am

Thanks for that.

I've now read half a dozen growing tips on the web, the majority said pinch out the growing tip at 30cm to encourage branching, and pinch out the branched tips once 5 fruit have set.

However since I've got 4 plants , I'm going to pinch out 2 of them and leave 2. I'll let you know how it goes.

Did you limit production to 5 fruit?. I would rather eat them as smaller fruits so I think I'll also trial letting half of them go to only 5 large and the others eat as small.

Millymollymandy · Thu Jun 29, 2006 12:44 pm

It's always worth doing something like that. I tried that last year with my peppers - I've never pinched them out before, but I did some of them. The ones which hadn't been pinched out were fruiting much earlier than the pinched out ones and eventually, the plants were all the same size anyway and produced the same amount of fruit!!

With the aubergines, I'm not sure if I got as many as 5 off each plant. Probably more like 4 (and that was in a hot climate, but they were outdoors).

Cheezy · Post: # 25139Post **Cheezy** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 11:19 am

here's what the RHS say about aubergine cultivation, quiet useful about the seeds.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/publications/pubs ... gine_d.asp

They're right about aphid attack I noticed last night one plant absoultely covered.

And no one told me the bloody leaves have large spicks on the underside either!

hedgewizard · Fri Jun 30, 2006 12:10 pm

MMM, at what point did you pinch out your peppers? Mine are around 10-15cm tall and just forming flower buds. I notice one or two are dividing at the tip on their own.

Millymollymandy · Fri Jun 30, 2006 12:13 pm

They must have been younger/smaller than that - yes they do seem to divide themselves, which is why I found it completely unnecessary!

alcina · Post: # 25187Post **alcina** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:36 pm

I think I got about 4 off each plant too. Maybe we should have pinched!

Alcina

Millymollymandy · Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:20 am

I'm glad I didn't - I had 6 plants and I was hard pushed trying to use the ruddy things up! There's a limit to how many aubergines I can eat.

I did discover a fantastic recipe for preserving them in a sort of sugar syrup. Wonder where it is - possibly it is a Sophie Grigson one. I could look it up if anyone is interested.

Cheezy · Post: # 25450Post **Cheezy** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:24 am

I like Morrocan/middle eastern/italian recipes and they tend to use a lot of aubergine. Depending on how many I get this year I might start a 101 aubergine recipe thread!

Millymollymandy · Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:45 am

1. Moussaka
2. Ratatouille

Han&Matt · Post: # 25472Post **Han&Matt** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:28 pm

slice thinly, bit of salt and let water leak into kitchen roll, make ratatouille, fresh basil, plus chunks of mozzerella, wrap (roll) in Aubergine slices and top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Into oven, lovely...

Pippin · Post: # 25540Post **Pippin** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:16 am

Han&Matt wrote:slice thinly, bit of salt and let water leak into kitchen roll

I read that that salting thing was only necessary with old fashioned astringent variety of aubergine. The modern breed don't need this. Although salty flavours do go well, so l'll shut up.

My current favourite is to tear them crudely from top to toe, cut a clove of garlic into strips too and insert the garlic into the aubergine flesh then barbeque it, and possibly eat with Balsamic vinegar.
Num num num!

Cheezy · Post: # 25556Post **Cheezy** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:51 am

OK, we've started a little a head of croppin but here goes.

I don't know if you've heard of the resaurant Moro in London, but they have two cook books available.

I recommend both but mainly the first. From that one is this incredibly simple recipe.
Blacken aubergine and red pepper on BBQ (when it's too hot to cook anything else on) put in a bag to cool then peel. Crush a clove garlic in salt to a pulp add to greek yogurt thinned a bit with milk. Mix in peppers and aubergine, now here's the taste sensation bit, melt 25g butter in a pan and wait for the solids to just go golden and drizzle on top. You will not believe how good this is!. Serve on it's own with bread, or as a BBQ accompilment.
Other good recipes from the book are Baba Goulish (sort of spelt that way!) where it's mixed with Tahini, or Turla Turla which is a Morrocan mixed veg/ratatoullia but roasted it the oven.