The wonderful eggplant is both lovely and intriguing. They’re not something you make every day, mostly because they’re so complicated. When you do get your hands on one, you’ll probably question what the ideal storage solution is. So, your myth is Does eggplant need to be refrigerated?
Do you store them in the refrigerator with the rest of the vegetables, or do you keep them out on the counter? Are they safe to keep in the pantry? Let’s look at how to keep eggplants properly and then how to choose the best ones at the market.
Does Eggplant Need to Be Refrigerated?
Eggplants do not keep well in the refrigerator. Eggplants can be stored in a cool, dry area for 1 or 2 days without refrigeration. Refrigerate the eggplant if you don’t plan to eat it within two days.
You can keep eggplants in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Eggplants are extremely sensitive to cold, and when exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), they bruise and wrinkle.
Because refrigerators are typically approximately 41 degrees Fahrenheit/5 degrees Celsius, eggplants can spoil faster if left in there for an extended period of time, such as a week. However, you can keep your eggplants in the refrigerator overnight and utilize them the next day.
Just make sure they’re in a bag that will allow them to breathe. Make sure the plastic bag is perforated or opened if it’s a plastic bag.
Is It Possible to Keep Eggplants at Room Temperature?
Yes, eggplants can be stored at room temperature, and it may even be preferable to storing them in the refrigerator. The eggplants should last at least three days if the temperature in your room does not exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).
After all, these are plants that flourish in heat and don’t care for the cold. Make sure the eggplants aren’t exposed to direct sunlight, as this can cause them to spoil sooner.
The ideal way to keep eggplant is at room temperature, rather than in the refrigerator, where it will stay longer.
Keep eggplant cool and out of direct sunshine, and use it as soon as possible after harvesting or purchasing it. You can put it in a ventilated dish, but don’t seal it in a plastic bag because that would speed up decay.
Read also: What Does the Persimmon Smell Like?
Can we Leave an Eggplant Out Overnight?
Yes, the eggplants can be left out overnight and used the next day. Make sure the room isn’t too hot and there’s no direct sunshine, just like when storing them at room temperature. Always consume eggplants within 7 days of purchase. Does it possible to refrigerated eggplant?
When you buy eggplants, you won’t find any instructions on how to prepare them. They are, however, delicate vegetables. Eggplants should be utilized within 7 days of receiving them.
How It Remains Longer?
The eggplants may remain longer in some situations, but you must feel them to check whether they have softened too much or developed wrinkly areas.
This is also why eggplants degrade more quickly in the refrigerator. When the eggplant gets plenty of airflow and is kept at 50 F /10 C or higher, those seven days are ideal.
If you keep the eggplants in the fridge at a very low temperature, they will develop brown spots much more quickly and soften in approximately three days.
- Always Keep Eggplant in A Well-Ventilated Area
Ethylene, a natural gas emitted as a vegetable or fruit matures and/or decays, is extremely toxic to eggplants. It’s the most abundant in bananas and avocados. Keeping bananas in a brown bag traps ethylene, causing them to release more ethylene, which causes them to ripen faster, which causes them to release even more ethylene, and so on.
Eggplants share the same problem, so give them plenty of airflow if you want them to last longer. Keeping them in a sack with no circulation traps additional ethylene, hastening their deterioration.
Worse, if you keep eggplants in a plastic bag with no holes in it in the fridge, they will sweat. Because of the wetness, the eggplants will rot considerably more quickly.
What Is The Best Way To Choose Eggplants?
When collecting eggplants, you want to bring the best one’s home with you. After all, you don’t get to try things out every day. Fortunately, most retailers have a strict guideline when it comes to stocking eggplants.
They’ve already check, although they may have missed one or two. So, when you’re picking out eggplants to bring home, keep these things in mind.
- Eggplants should have a bouncy texture rather than being mushy.
Eggplants have a springy texture, similar to a dense sponge with a thin skin. A nice eggplant isn’t like a tomato in terms of softness. It should have a certain amount of stiffness and tightness. Soft spots on an eggplant usually indicate that it is about to spoil. If the eggplant maintain in an extremely damp environment, these marks will appear.
- Examine the skin for any bruises or nicks
Eggplant skins are pretty tough, but bruising and nicks do occur from time to time. Avoid them at all costs because they expose the skin, and eggplant flesh absorbs fluids readily. Because you don’t know what happened to the eggplant, it’s best to put it back down.
Unless you have white or striped eggplants, bruises on an eggplant will not show up as colors. When you cut into the eggplant, you’ll notice that the bruises are brown on the interior and not very appetizing.
- Hold it in your hand and weigh it
Eggplants aren’t very heavy, but they shouldn’t be light either. The color of an excellent eggplant will not be lighter than it appears. The size of a light eggplant is usually bigger, indicating that it is overripe. Like an overripe watermelon, overripe eggplants have begun to crack and separate on the interior. Its best way to refrigerated eggplant in a pack form.
These are also the driest, with the biggest risk of brown spots developing around the seeds.