DIAMOND99's Profile

I AND MY FAMILY HAVE MADE EGGPLANT-BASED DISHES FOR YEARS - MY MOTHER LOVES BBQ'D EGGPLANT, IN FACT. BUT THE KEY IS TO GET RID OF THE BITTERNESS BY PRE-SALTING, LETTING STAND, RINSING AND PATTING DRY.
THE BITTER JUICES ARE FROM THE ALKALOIDS, WHICH ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE SEEDS AND THE MEAT OF THE EGGPLANT. THE EGGPLANTS BECOME RICHER IN ALKALOIDS - MORE BITTER - AS THEY MATURE. THE KEY IS THIS;
1. CHOOSE MORE SLENDER, YOUNGER EGGPLANTS. TEXTURE AND TASTE WILL BE BETTER....LESS SPONGY/STRINGY, LESS BITTER. CHINESE /JAPANESE EGGPLANTS ARE ALSO GOOD. ALSO, LOOK FOR THE MALES, OVER THE FEMALES - ROUND INDENTS IN BOTTOM OF THE FRUIT VS, THE FEMALE 'SLASH/SLIT' IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRUIT. MALES HAVE LESS SEEDS THAN FEMALES AND ARE LESS BITTER.

2. SCOOP OUT THE LARGER SEEDS. YOU CAN USUALLY DO THIS EASILY BY HALVING EGGPLANT, THEN USING A TEASPOON - SCRAPE THE TIP OF THE TEASPOON DOWN THE EGGPLANT LONGITUDINALLY - LONGWAYS - TO SCRAPE OUT 'STRIPS' OF LARGE SEEDS.

3. SLICE AND SALT EGGPLANT. LET STAND. THE BROWNISH JUICES THAT EMERGE SHOULD BE DISCARDED. RINSE EGGPLANT AND PAT DRY. BEST METHOD - SALT AND LET STAND IN A COLANDER, SO THE FRUIT ISN'T SITTING IN THE BITTER JUICES. EGGPLANT ARE SPONGY AND TEND TO REABSORB LIQUID IF THEY SIT IN IT.

COOK AND ENJOY.