Dietary Spotlight: Eggplant
Date Time
Body
What Am I?
Most eggplants are a glossy, oval-shaped vegetable with a purple- black color. There are also varieties of eggplants that are orange, white, red, or green that vary in shapes and sizes.
How Do I Grow?
- Eggplants are warm-season vegetables that grow best between the temperatures of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
- They grow on a shrubby plant that gets weighed down once the vegetables approach maturity.
- They reach maturity in 100-120 days if planted from a seed.
Nutrition
Eggplant peels contain fiber that can help with digestion. Eggplants also contain vitamin B6,
potassium, folate, and manganese.
Fun Facts
- Eggplants are related to potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.
- We call eggplants a vegetable, but they are actually considered a fruit.
- The state of New Jersey produces the most eggplants in the U.S.
- China and India produce the most eggplant in the world.
- Also known as aubergines, eggplants belong to the nightshade family (scientific name "solanaceae") of plants and are used in many different dishes around the world.
